The Beyondness of Things

Label: Decca London    
Catalogue No: 289 460 009-2

Release Date: 23-Feb-1999

Total Duration: 55:17

UPN: 0-2894-60009-2-2

Fans of John Barry have faced a number of disappointments recently with respect to aborted projects. However, with Barry’s sell-out London concert, the high profile release of his album of “tone poems”, THE BEYONDNESS OF THINGS, a major London record signing, and a number of highly desirable re-issues (including his sixties jazz classic, THE KNACK, and expanded editions of BODY HEAT and THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS), John Barry fandom is right back in euphoria. At the outset, THE BEYONDNESS OF THINGS seems that it will be a familiar listening experience which, in parts, is inevitably post DANCES in its use of slow tempi, lush strings and brass/woodwind chords. The themes in BEYONDNESS are made of particularly strong Barry melodies and are thus warm, sentimental and powerful. However, the album departs into light jazz à la AMERICANS (Barry’s 1976 non-soundtrack album) as early as the second track, “Kissably Close”. In between, “The Heartlands”, “A Childhood Memory” and “Dawn Chorus” deliver music which is identifiably Barry, but distinct from the rich, creamy theme writing which has already been served by the title track, treading instead into filmic realms of bombast, broodiness, and dreaminess.

In BEYONDNESS Barry demonstrates versatility in collecting a number of his personal musical genres together. One can hear the summation of a number of Barry’s favorite musical icons in the album; the use of solo harmonica for example, and haunting reminders of such scores as FRANCES, ACROSS THE SEA OF TIME, SWEPT BY THE SEA, MY LIFE and of course DANCES WITH WOLVES. One can even hear ghosts of KING RAT (in “The Fictionist”) and BOOM!, and, though it never quite reflects HAMMETT, there is some nice clarinet work. There is no suggestion in the album notes that THE BEYONDNESS OF THINGS contains cues rescued from the removed score for Robert Redford’s THE HORSE WHISPERER. However, with cue titles such as “Meadow of Delight and Sadness”, evocative of dewy meadows and triumphant horse-riding, this is certainly conceivable. If true then it was a stunning and potentially award winning score that would have been Robert Redford’s loss.

Stephen Woolston – Originally published in Soundtrack Magazine Vol. 17 / No. 66 /1998