Dayton Daily News - January 21, 2000

January 21, 2000, Friday, CITY EDITION

SECTION: GO!, Pg. 21,

LENGTH: 217 words

HEADLINE: RECORDINGS ON REVIEW

SUBHEAD: HIP-HOP

BYLINE: ANTHONY SHOEMAKER

BODY:

Often we hear about music 'inspired by the motion picture.' But, Paul Thomas Anderson's new movie, Magnolia , did the opposite: It is a movie based on music, the songs of folk-pop singer Aimee Mann. Some of the film's dialogue is taken directly from Mann's lyrics.

Mann, former 'Til Tuesday frontwoman, hasn't released an album since 1996's I'm With Stupid . Anderson, a longtime Mann fan, heard songs she intended for a follow-up and fashioned Magnolia around her music.

The result is a collection of sharp lyrics and inventive tunes.

The highlight is Momentum , a clever song about day-to-day routines and failing to admit to mistakes.

Mann doesn't deliver a bad cut on the soundtrack - though some tracks feature cheesy sound effects.

Some of the songs seem to drag, such as the repetitive Build That Wall . Still, Mann's lyrics are so moving that the lengthiness of the songs can be forgiven.

Her cover of the Three Dog Night classic One begins the album and is the low point of Mann's nine tracks.

There are other downfalls, though not because of Mann. The last four tracks - two late 1970s hits by Supertramp, an orchestral number from producer Jon Brion and the '90s hit Dreams by British singer Gabrielle - put a poor finish on what is still a worthy album.

BOX: Various artists

TYPE: RECORDINGS ON REVIEW

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