The War: A Ken Burns Film

Product Review

THE WAR, a seven-part series directed and produced by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, tells the story of the Second World War through the personal accounts of a handful of men and women from four quintessentially American towns. The series explores the most intimate human dimensions of the greatest cataclysm in history a worldwide catastrophe that touched the lives of every family on every street in every town in America and demonstrates that in extraordinary times, there are no ordinary lives.

This box set companion to the film includes the stunning soundtrack, as well as three additional compilations of his and war-era favorites featuring recordings from Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra. Also included are new tracks from Wynton Marsalis and Norah Jones.

Amazon.com

The soundtrack for The War, documentarian Ken Burns's 2007 PBS series on World War II, alternates between earlier, wartime, and postwar material, all designed to complement the narrative. The material was clearly selected to evoke the mood of the era: Benny Goodman's sextet tears off a hot 1942 "Wang Wang Blues," and Count Basie lets fly with "Basie Boogie" (1941) and the prewar "How Long Blues." Also evoking the war years are Bing Crosby's hit "It's Been a Long, Long Time" with the Les Paul Trio, "Solitude" (1934) by Duke Ellington's Orchestra, and Kay Starr's "If I Could Be with You (One Hour Tonight)" and the Nat "King" Cole Trio's "If You Can't Smile and Say Yes" from a wartime V-Disc. Classical numbers include Leonard Slatkin and the London Philharmonic's 1989 version of "London: The Death of Falstaff" and an excerpt of Benny Goodman, in his spare time a respected classical clarinetist, performing "Concerto for Clarinet, Strings, Harp, and Piano" with Aaron Copland and the Columbia Symphony Orchestra in 1950. Newer recordings include Norah Jones's "American Anthem," reprised at the end by Amanda Forsyth and Bill Charlap, "Movin' Back," "Until You're in My Arms Again," and "America My Home" by Wynton Marsalis. --Rich Kienzle

Title Tracks for The War: A Ken Burns Film

1. AMERICAN ANTHEM-Norah Jones
2. TWO PIECES FOR STRINGS-William Walton
3. THE WANG WANG BLUES-Benny Goodman Sextet
4. MOVIN' BACK-Wynton Marsalis
5. HOW LONG BLUES-Count Basie
6. IN THE NICK OF TIME-Edgar Meyer, Joshua Bell, Sam Bush, Mike Marshall
7. IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME-Bing Crosby
8. AMERICA MY HOME-Wynton Marsalis
9. IF I COULD BE WITH YOU (ONE HOUR TONIGHT)-Kay Starr
10. BLUE AS THE TURQUOISE NIGHT OF NEYSHABUR-Yo-Yo Ma & the Silk Road Ensemble
11. UNTIL I'M IN YOUR ARMS AGAIN-Wynton Marsalis
12. VARIATIONS FOR THE HEALING OF ARINUSKA-Kalle Randalu
13. BASIE BOOGIE -Count Basie
14. SOLITUDE-Duke Ellington
15. CONCERTO FOR CLARINET & STRING ORCHESTRA -Aaron Copland
16. IF YOU CAN'T SMILE AND SAY YES-Nat King Cole
17. AMERICAN ANTHEM-Amanda Forsythe/Bill Charlap
18. WE'LL MEET AGAIN - Benny Goodman
19. DANCING IN THE DARK - Artie Shaw
20. LITTLE BROWN JUG - Glenn Miller
21. I'LL BE SEEING YOU - Tommy Dorsey
22. MOONGLOW - Artie Shaw
23. MEMORIES OF YOU - Louis Armstrong
24. I'LL GET BY - Harry James with vocal by Dick Haymes
25. ON THE ALAMO - Benny Goodman & His Sextet
26. PENNIES FROM HEAVEN - Teddy Wilson with vocal by Billie Holiday
27. BODY & SOUL - Coleman Hawkins
28. LET'S GET LOST - Frank Sinatra
29. BLUES IN THE NIGHT - Cab Calloway
30. THERE SHALL BE NO NIGHT - Duke Ellington vocal by Herb Jeffries
31. ECHOES OF HARLEM - Cootie Williams & His Rug Cutters'
32. SKYLARK - Earl Hines with vocal by Billy Eckstine
33. SATURDAY NIGHT IS THE LONELIESTNIGHT OF THE WEEK - Frank Sinatra
34. PAPER DOLL - The Mills Brothers
35. LONG AGO AND FAR AWAY - Frank Sinatra
36. SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY - Les Brown with vocal by Doris Day
37. WAITING FOR THE TRAIN TO COME IN - Harry James with vocal by Kitty Kallen
38. IN THE MOOD - Glenn Miller
39. FRENESI - Artie Shaw
40. C JAM BLUES - Duke Ellington
41. LET ME OFF UPTOWN - Gene Krupawith vocal by Anita O'Day & Roy Eldridge
42. TAXI WAR DANCE - Count Basie
43. THE SHEIK OF ARABY - Benny Goodman
44. PISTOL PACKIN' MAMA - Al Dexter & His Troopers with vocal by Al Dexter
45. AMERICAN PATROL - Glenn Miller
46. FOR THE GOOD OF YOUR COUNTRY - Count with vocal by Jimmy Rushing
47. CHEROKEE - Charlie Barnet
48. ROSE ROOM - Benny Goodman Sextet
49. OPUS # 1 -Tommy Dorsey
50. I'M BEGINNING TO SEE THE LIGHT - Harry with vocal by Kitty Kallen
51. TUXEDO JUNCTION - Erskine Hawkins
52. ONE O'CLOCK JUMP - Count Basie
53. I'M CONFESSIN' - Artie Shaw
54. (I'VE GOT A GAL IN) KALAMAZOO - Glenn with vocal by Tex Beneke & The Modernaires
55. BOOGIE WOOGIE - Tommy Dorsey
56. TAIN'T WHAT YOU DO - Jimmie Lunceford with vocal by Trummy Young
57. SING, SING, SING - Benny Goodman
58. Walton: "The Death of Falstaff" (Passacaglia) from Henry
59. DvofiÃ¡k: Cello Concerto in B Minor, Op. 104 II. Adagio ma non troppo
60. Copland: Concerto for Clarinet, Strings, Harp and Piano
61. Ligeti: Trio for Violin, Horn and Piano (1982)"Hommage Ã Brahms" - IV. Lamento. Adagio
62. FaurÃ©: Elegie, Op. 24
63. Liszt: Nuages gris, S199
64. Messiaen: Quatuor pour la fin du temps/Quartet for the End of Time - III. Abime des oiseaux
65. Copland: Music for Movies - IV. Grovers Corners from Our
66. Mendelssohn: Song Without Words, Op. 109
67. Elgar: Variations on an Original Theme,Op. 36 "Enigma" - Variation IX (Nimrod) : Adagio

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review

(11 customer reviews)

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful

America, America I Gave My Best To You, September 25, 2007

prisrob "pris," (New England USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The War: A Ken Burns Film (Audio CD)

This review refers to the SOUNDTRACK which is not made clear in the
title page.

"All that we've been given by those who came before,
The dream of a nation where freedom would endure.
The work and prayers of centuries have brought us to this day.
What shall be our legacy, what will our children say?
Let them say of me, I was one who believed in sharing the blessings I received.
Let me know in my heart when my days are through,
America, America, I gave my best to you.
America, America, I gave my best to you'
Gene Scheer

Ken Burns tells us that the music they chose for the 'The War' was either composed during or inspired by a war. It can be said that music often sets the stage for a mood or setting. This is entirely true for this series. It seems as Ken Burns says "the music was used to signify both the enormity of the war's tragedy, and the intimacy of the suffering borne by individuals around the globe." There are 67...Read more

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful

A multi-disc box set with as wide a sweep as the film itself, September 25, 2007

DJ Joe Sixpack (...in Middle America) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The War: A Ken Burns Film (Audio CD)

This 4-CD box set is offered as a companion to Ken Burns' emotionally sweeping, 15-hour epic, a powerful documentary that explores American participation in World War Two, which lasted from 1939-1945, with America entering the war in 1941, after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Like the film, the box set's reach is broad, yet its tone is intimate, gathering some of the best music of the WWII years, as well as new music written to commemorate the era.

There are four discs total, each with a different theme. The first is the official soundtrack to the film, a mix of golden oldies (Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Nat King Cole, etc.) along with powerful new incidental music composed by jazz legend Wynton Marsalis and contemporaries such as Yo-Yo Ma and Joshua Bell.

The second disc features slower big band ballads and pop vocal tunes, while the third CD picks up the tempo and swings, presenting big dance hits such as "Frenesi," "Sing Sing Sing," "Sheik Of...Read more

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

American Anthem, September 28, 2007

Jae Woo In "jaein" (Blacksburg, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The War: A Ken Burns Film (Audio CD)

Ken Burns has created yet another master piece of documentary film. No less so is the music chosen for this film. My favorite is "American Anthem" sung by Norah Jones. I had to listen to the song over and over to finally get the lyrics. Any mistakes in the lyrics are due entirely to me. For anyone interested, here it is:

"All we've been given, by those who came before,
The dream of a nation, where freedom would endure.
The work and prayers of centuries, have brought us to this day.
What shall be our legacy, what will our children say?
Let them say of me, I was one who believed in sharing the blessings, I received.
Let me know in my heart, when my days are through,
America, America, I gave my best to you.

Each generation from the plains to distant shores.
With the gifts they were given, were determined to leave more.
Battles fought together, acts of conscience fought alone.
These are the seeds, from which America...Read more