Pleasantville: Music from the Motion Picture
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This is the soundtrack to the film Pleasantville, released in 1998. There's also an album for the score, but I haven't got that. I'm reviewing it in 2025.

1. "Across the Universe", by Fiona Apple: This is a cover of a Beatles song, but it's possible I heard this before I heard the original. And when I think of the song, this is almost always the version I think of. It's the only song on the soundtrack recorded specifically for the movie (aside from the final track, which is instrumental). Anyway, I've always really loved this song. So beautiful, melodic, ethereal, transcendent. It can make me shed a few joyful tears when I listen to it.

2. "Dream Girl", by Robert and Johnny: This is a 1959 song that I don't know from anywhere else but this soundtrack, and it's not one I really remember when I'm not listening to it. But it's a perfectly nice doo-wop song that fits the movie well enough.

3. "Be-Bop-a-Lula", by Gene Vincent: A 1956 rockabilly song that I always kind of thought was by Elvis Presley, but I was wrong. And listening to it now, it's easy to tell that it's not him, even if it is similar to his style. Anyway, it's pretty catchy and memorable.

4. "Lawdy Miss Clawdy", by Larry Williams: Wikipedia says this was first recorded in 1952 by Lloyd Price. It also says it was reworked by Williams in 1958 into "Dizzy, Miss Lizzy", but it says nothing about him actually recording the original song, so I'm not sure what to think about the CD saying this version is by Williams. Anyway, the original was one of the earliest rock & roll songs, and it's fairly memorable.

5. "Sixty Minute Man", by Billy Ward & The Dominoes: This is an R&B song from 1951. I consider it one of the more memorable songs on the soundtrack, even though I don't think I've ever heard it anywhere else.

6. "Take Five", by the Dave Brubeck Quartet: This is an instrumental cool jazz song from 1959, and another of the more memorable songs from the soundtrack. It's considered possibly the greatest jazz standard of all time, according to Wikipedia. I don't know enough about jazz to comment on that, but it doesn't really surprise me. It really is pretty great. Fun fact: it was originally released as a single on my birthday, though years before I was born.

7. "At Last", by Etta James: A 1960 cover of a tune originally recorded by Glenn Miller. James's version is an R&B standard, and absolutely beautiful and romantic.

8. "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear", by Elvis Presley: A 1957 rock & roll song, one of my favorite Elvis songs. It's just fun and cute.

9. "Rave On", by Buddy Holly & The Cricketts: (The band's name actually has only one 't', but on this CD it's listed with two.) Originally recorded by Sonny West, Holly's version was released later the same year, 1958. I like it a lot.

10. "Please Send Me Someone to Love", by Fiona Apple: A blues/R&B ballad originally recorded by Percy Mayfield in 1950. This 1998 cover is a bonus track that's not in the movie, recorded for this soundtrack. It's really good.

11. "So What", by Miles Davis: An instrumental jazz piece from 1959. It's the longest track on the soundtrack, at about 9 minutes. I definitely like it a lot, though I find it a bit less memorable than the soundtrack's other jazz standard, "Take Five".

12. "Suite from Pleasantville", by Randy Newman: I made an AMV for "Avatar: The Last Airbender" using this music in 2006. Maybe one of these days I'll upload it, if I can. The orchestral piece is sweepingly gorgeous, my favorite work by Newman (at least that I've heard). So majestic, romantic, playful, and dramatic. It can make me cry (even more than "Across the Universe"). It's the second-longest track on the soundtrack, at a little over 8 minutes.

Well, I'm not sure what to say except that every track on this album fits the movie quite well, and they all work beautifully independent of the movie, as well. Even the song that's not in the movie fits the movie well. All in all, I have to say this is one of my favorite albums of all time. I just adore it.