Koyaanisqatsi (1998 Re-recording) [Soundtrack]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
Fifteen years after its initial release, Philip Glass's score to Godfrey Reggio's film Koyaanisqatsi is still as timeless as it was meant to be. Glass's epic score, virtually the only sound in this non-narrative movie, accompanied an exhilarating, wordless meditation of images ranging from expansive, slow-motion landscapes to whirling-dervish city scenes shot using time-lapse techniques. Glass's music was a perfect match. The opening chant is still unlike anything Glass has composed, a Tibetan monk operatic growl that set up the foreboding sense of loss the film engenders. Most of the score, however, casts Glass's minimalist themes in orchestral expanses. Bass strings troll the bottom while flutes draw circles in the air. On "The Grid," manic keyboards drive into the night, pounding out the cyclical refrains that are a Glass trademark. When Koyaanisqatsi came out, it seemed opulent with its orchestral forces, but always at the center were the keyboards, reeds, and voice that are Glass's characteristic sound. Koyaanisqatsi means "life out of balance," but Glass's remarkably austere score remains perfectly poised. This newly re-recorded edition adds nearly 30 minutes to the previous CD release with two previously unissued tracks and extended versions of "The Grid" and "Prophecies," the two signpost works of the film. --John Diliberto

New York Times
The range of instrumental colors is astonishing. If one particular timbre has come to characterize "Koyaanisqatsi," it is the dark, subterranean growl that opens and closes the score.

Koyaanisqatsi (1998 Re-recording) [Soundtrack]

Tracks:

Koyaanisqatsi
Organic
Cloudscape
Resource
Vessels
Pruit Igoe
The Grid
Prophecies

Amazon.com essential recording

Fifteen years after its initial release, Philip Glass's score to Godfrey Reggio's film Koyaanisqatsi is still as timeless as it was meant to be. Glass's epic score, virtually the only sound in this non-narrative movie, accompanied an exhilarating, wordless meditation of images ranging from expansive, slow-motion landscapes to whirling-dervish city scenes shot using time-lapse techniques. Glass's music was a perfect match. The opening chant is still unlike anything Glass has composed, a Tibetan monk operatic growl that set up the foreboding sense of loss the film engenders. Most of the score, however, casts Glass's minimalist themes in orchestral expanses. Bass strings troll the bottom while flutes draw circles in the air. On "The Grid," manic keyboards drive into the night, pounding out the cyclical refrains that are a Glass trademark. When Koyaanisqatsi came out, it seemed opulent with its orchestral forces, but always at the center were the keyboards, reeds, and voice that are Glass's characteristic sound. Koyaanisqatsi means "life out of balance," but Glass's remarkably austere score remains perfectly poised. This newly re-recorded edition adds nearly 30 minutes to the previous CD release with two previously unissued tracks and extended versions of "The Grid" and "Prophecies," the two signpost works of the film. --John Diliberto

Customer Reviews:

Point Clarification -- This is Process Music.......2006-12-11

I must admit before I begin, that I have only seen the movie once, and haven't yet had the opportunity to purchase the soundtrack. The music is perfect for the movie, and often provides subtle interpretational cues for the images.

People who complain about repetitiveness are completely missing the point of Glass's music and genre. Several contemporary composers, including Glass, have experimented with Process Music. Process Music moves away from traditionally harmonic driven material to (as you've probably guessed) a focus on the process. Often composers of this style of music begin with an ostinato pattern(for non-music people), which is a short and repeated phrase, which over time, he will begin to subtly shift and transform. Trance music seems to have some orgins from this field of musical experimentation. This will probably seem jarring to those whose only exposure to music has been limited to Western style harmony driven pieces. However, if you can let go of the immediate desire to hear something, "new" and "immediate" there are many rich layers to be discovered through process music, and it is fascinating to hear where and how far the composers can transform that beginning ostanato phrase.

The real treat for process music, is that, in my opinion, its slowing down of the usual harmonic processes and changes allow listeners who haven't studied music for years to see how composers from earlier years make the leaps from the opening material and musical themes, to the variations on them that occur mid-piece.

He could have given everyone what they were expecting to hear, some nice little John-Williams-like soundtrack, which would have completely undermined the experimental point of the whole movie. This is a brilliant soundtrack covering interesting ideas in musical experimentation and definition. Please give this soundtrack a shot with understanding of what it is meant to be, and stop trying to impose normal western conceits of "what music should be."

Fogged Glass.......2006-10-30

Like the re-recording of "Einstein on the Beach", this take-two files off the rough edges of the original - as if Glass's increased respectability over the intervening years requires that the musicians play more reverentially. The trumpets in this "Cloudscapes" are just *dull* - like they were spliced in from a bargain-price plod though one of Mozart's more routine symphonies. And the bland harmonizing of the chorus in "Vessels" could go straight into a Beach Boys record. Even half of the real thing - which is what the original "Koyaanisqatsi" soundtrack provides, more or less - will be more musically filling than this almost full helping of the Diet version.

Just terrible.......2006-03-13

This review goes for both the CD and for the movie. Do yourself a favor and read a book instead.

A Philip Glass Masterpiece (SEE THE MOVIE FIRST!).......2006-03-04

Koyaanisqatsi is classic Glass, and is his most daring film score. Here, Glass succeeds in bridging the gap between his experimental minimalism and mainstream film media. It is however wise to caution: this soundtrack cannot be appreciated fully until one has seen the film. Indeed, Glass' music and Godfrey REggio's visuals are so interwoven they seem organic, living and breathing together. Thus, certain tracks, such as Cloudscape or Pruit Igoe cannot be fully understood unless one knows the visuals behind them. Also, one of the true masterpieces of Glass' career, the 20 minute long "The Grid", will be totally lost on people who have not seen the film's sequence of the same name, chronicling the lives of people acting along predetermined channels of activity (one of the greatest sights in cinema). My personal favourites from this soundtrack are the first and last tracks. In the title, "KOyaanisqatsi", Glass set out to create a music that was "ahistorical", that could have come from any period and any place in the world. This deep vocal track accompanied by a haunting organ is, in my opinion, Glass' single greatest piece, and can be appreciated outside the film. The final track, "Prophecies", is a further elaboration of this device, as Glass uses minimalist organ accompanied by beautiful choral arrangements, ultimately ending in a inverted version of the original Koyaanisqatsi canon that opened the film.

It does has its ups and downs.......2006-01-10

I agree with most people that this re-recording of Koyaanisqatsi is sometimes weaker and less energetic than the original soundtrack, though some segments do live up to the original.

Koyaanisqatsi/Organic: The saxophone solo sounds more haunting in the original, but the atmosphere in the re-recording sounds more correct for the silent desert.

Cloudscapes: In the original, the trumpets have more power. In the re-recording, the low brass have more advantage.

Resource: The new version is immensely frail compared to the original. The organ doesn't sound that creepy, and the energy of the last three minutes is feeble.

Vessels: The choir for this re-recorded segment sounds more angelic and eerie. The second half of both versions sound the same.

Pruit Igoe: The original has the advantage. It has a stronger performance and fuller emotion.

The Grid: Both are hits and misses. For the old, the choir has more vigor, and the synchronization is clearer. The loud bass is what annoys me. For the new, the choir is sometimes overpowered by the orchestral ensemble. The entire sequence does not have the same power as the old. Crisper sound, though.

Prophecies: The original edition is definitely superior to the new edition. The organ solo is more distinctive and the male voices are superb.

So all in all, I'll just stick with the DVD soundtrack and keep the CD re-recording just in case the TV breaks down or something.

Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out Of Balance (1983 Film)

Average customer rating:

You have to see it live!!!
The Grid was better in this recording
Leaves out one of the best pieces
A teaser at best...
Get the Re-Recording!!!!

Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out Of Balance (1983 Film)

Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Koyaanisqatsi - Life Out of Balance
Koyaanisqatsi / Powaqqatsi (2 Pack)
Koyaanisqatsi (1998 Re-recording)

ASIN: B000001F4L
Release Date: 1995-04-17

Tracks:

Koyaanisqatsi
Vessels
Cloudscape
Pruit Igoe
The Grid
Prophecies

Amazon.com

The striking time-lapse imagery of Godfrey Reggio's Koyaanisquatsi was really an accompaniment to Philip Glass's music, rather than the other way around. Think of it this way: You can listen to the music without the film, but you'd never watch the film without the music. OK, maybe you didn't leave the theater humming the tunes (although I do remember going around chanting that thrillingly deep-throated "Koyaanisqatsi" for a while); this is some of Glass's most dramatic and powerful music-- essential for anybody interested in modern film music, or just modern music in general. --Jim Emerson

Album Details

Koyaanisqatsi - Life Out of Balance - Music by Phillip Glass.

Customer Reviews:

You have to see it live!!!.......2005-10-29

This CD was my introduction to Philip Glass since then it has been a long down hill slide to poverty by feeding my addiction for more Glass.

If you think the VHS and DVD are good you need to see it live. I first saw Koyaanisqatsi live at Santa Monica College on the outdoor field, the second time was at Royce hall at UCLA then in 2001 at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle each time seemed better than the previous. Now that all three films are done I am hoping to see them each live in a three day marathon.

The Grid was better in this recording.......2005-03-12

The Koyaanisqatsi music is simply fantastic.

Both the original soundtrack recording, and the newer re-recording, are very good, but they are different, each with its own strengths and relative weaknesses compared to the other.

I think The Grid was much more exciting and intense, in this original version. Especially the bass; I miss the driving throbbing power of the basslines in this version, when I listen to the re-recording, where the bass is laid back in the background, in comparison.

Leaves out one of the best pieces.......2005-02-20

This is powerful music if you like Philip Glass, but this compilation lacks what I consider the most moving track. It's about 8 minutes long and I think of it as the "Desert sequence." It starts with a slow string progression over aerial views of orange canyons and Monument Valley. It's immediately followed by "Cloudscape" after the scene with the caves and steam vents. I can listen to it over and over and the power doesn't fade. It lacks the frantic harshness of some Glass material.

They re-issued the soundtrack in 1998 and may have included this track (I haven't heard it) but reviews say it's not the original stuff and sounds watered-down. I extracted and converted the Desert sequence from my DVD, so I'm happy, but they could have easily fit it on the CD since the other tracks consume just 46 minutes. I don't know why they left so much off unless they did it as an LP first and were too lazy to re-make it. CDs were introduced to the market shortly after Koyaanisqatsi was released.

A teaser at best..........2002-10-31

I've had the VHS for a number of years and watched it several times through a low end audio/video setup. It was satisfactory. This CD gave me the highlights I missed on the low end VHS tape.

I bought the DVD but haven't watched it yet because I was saving it to see the movie on the big screen. This past weekend I got to see the movie on the big screen but, to my surprise and profound glory, I got to see it not only on the big screen but I got to see it live with Philip Glass and company performing the soundtrack in person. Oh my what I've been missing.

I have since recorded the DVD onto tape and never realized just how much I missed and how profound the recording is. Of course I may be biased having seen it live and the images of the movie emblazened into my brain when I hear the score but I absolutely love this composition.

The reason it only gets four stars is that you must get the DVD; you must have the entire score. Anything less is to your loss. It's as if I never heard it before.

My recommendation is to see it with the film but the soundtrack stands on its own as an amazing piece of music. The score for Powaqqatsi is also brilliant but perhaps because, as noted on the 'extras' on the DVD, no one was waiting for this movie, this stands out as an inspired piece, moreso than Powaqqatsi (which is also brilliant but in a different way).

Invest in the DVD and don't tease yourself with this album alone. As an independent piece of music or as accompaniment to a brilliant piece of filmmaking, it's awesome.

Get the Re-Recording!!!!.......2002-01-26

Although any album by Philip Glass is worth the money, honestly, if you are craving the music from the movie "Koyaanisqatsi", then the 1998 re-Recording will please you a hundred-fold more than this one. The new one is longer and not merely a "soundtrack", it IS the movie, sans images. But you make up your own images, if you like.

Average customer rating:

Koyaanisqatsi (1983 Film)
Philip Glass
Manufacturer: Wea International
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | New Age | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00000G5O4
Release Date: 1999-04-13

Tracks:

Koyaanisqatsi
Organic
Cloudscape
Resource
Vessels
Pruit Igoe
Grid
Prophecies

Album Details

Limited Edition Complete Recording of the Original Soundtrack, Over 70 Min. The Glass Jukebox CD that Comes with it Contains previously Unreleased Tracks and was Compiled by Glass Himself

Glass: Songs from Liquid Days; Vessels from Koyaanisqatsi; Three Songs

Average customer rating:

Horrid
An amazing attempt - not quite up to par, but close

Glass: Songs from Liquid Days; Vessels from Koyaanisqatsi; Three Songs
Philip Glass , David Temple , Crouch End Festival Chorus , David Roach , and National Sinfonia
Manufacturer: Silva America
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00004Y6LN
Release Date: 2000-10-24

Tracks:

Three Songs: There Are Some Men - Crouch End Festival Chorus
Three Songs: Quand Les Hommes Vivront - Crouch End Festival Chorus
Three Songs: Piere De Soleil - Crouch End Festival Chorus
Koyaanisqatsi: Vessels - The National Sinfonia
Songs From Liquid Days: Changing Opinion - Willis Morgan
Songs From Liquid Days: Lighting - The National Sinfonia
Songs From Liquid Days: In Liquid Days - The National Sinfonia
Songs From Liquid Days: Open The Kingdom - Willis Morgan
Songs From Liquid Days: Freezing - Najima Akhtar
Songs From Liquid Days: Forgetting - Najima Akhtar

Customer Reviews:

Horrid.......2004-12-05

Please, Mr. Glass. Stick to composing music, but don't write any more songs.

An amazing attempt - not quite up to par, but close.......2002-02-04

This album is pretty good, and any Glass-lovers will enjoy it immensely. It could, however, also act as a smooth introduction to Glass to those who are lovers of choral music since the Crouch End Chorus perform most of the pieces extremely well and the vocal arrangements are, on the whole, rather good.

The disc is split into three parts. The first three tracks are 'Three Songs', songs written in 1984 to celebrate Québec's 450 years (1534-1984) as a province. These pieces are entirely choral, no orchestration in sight. They're good, but not typical catchy Glass fare.

The second part is simply the fourth track, a rendition of 'Vessels' from Koyaanisqatsi. It's actually a fine performance, since Vessels was always well suited for a chorus. The minimal orchestration is a little slack at times, and a lot of the lower registers are missing, but this track isn't bad.

The third part is the 'main performance' as it were, and is comprised of six tracks from Glass's 'Songs From Liquid Days', an 80's collaboration with artists such as Paul Simon and Suzanne Vega.

Some of these pieces are extremely operatic, especially track 6, 'Changing Opinion', expertly sung by Wills Morgan. The orchestration on that track being especially good. 'Open The Kingdom' is also done well, and although not quite up to par with the original, is a fun performance none-the-less.

Tracks:

O Western Wind - Robert Dennis
Sumer is Icumen In - The Western Wind Vocal Ensemble
Flos Regalis - The Western Wind Vocal Ensemble
Se d'Amer Me Repentoie - GuilaumeDe Machaut
Irme Quiero Madre - The Western Wind Vocal Ensemble
Ay Luna - The Western Wind Vocal Ensemble
Miraculous Love's Wounding - Thomas Morley
L'Amfiparnaso, Act I, Scene I - Orazio Vecchi
Dolcissimo Uscignolo - Claudio Monteverdi
Vessels - Philip Glass
XangJaime Ovalle
Mexico Fellen - Ronald Gold
Amazing Grace/The Promised Land - The Western Wind Vocal Ensemble/Miss M. Durham
I Believe This is Jesus - The Western Wnd Vocal Ensemble
I'm Too Tired to Tell You That I Love You - Elliot Z. Levine
'Round Midnight - Thelonius Monk
I'm Beginning to See the Light - Duke Ellington
It Don't Mean a Thing - Duke Ellington
Sh'boom, Life Could Be a Dream - James Keyes
Canary in a Coal Mine - The Western Wind Vocal Ensemble/Miss M. Durham
Wimoweh - The Western Wind Vocal Ensemble/Miss M. Durham
Lonesome Road - James Taylor