收录女歌手Aimee Mann创作之8首作品，包括入围金球奖最佳电影歌曲《Save Me》、翻唱3 Dog Nights经典《One》及Supertramp畅销曲《The Logical Song》，《Goodbye Stranger》。 　　97 年对于Paul Thomas Anderson这个年方27的导演而言，是个决定性的一年，不仅执导、制片、撰写剧本(提名奥斯卡最佳剧本)的电影“不羁夜”(Boogie Night)备受肯定，于'96年执导的“Hard 8”也置身最佳十大之林，引人注目的'99年的新片“Magnolia”，是一部存在你我之间，一则则关于寂寞、受伤与人性的动人故事。 配乐则找来导演一向欣赏有加，后新浪潮即已出道的女歌手Aimee Mann担纲，80年代她曾是波士顿乐团Til Tuesday的主唱，90年代开始个人生涯，发表了两张融合民谣与流行且词曲皆出色的专辑“Whatever”、“I'm With Stupid”。 一开场Aimee重唱著名乐团3 Dog Nights '69年Top 5畅销曲，阐述寂寞的”One”，此曲的撰写者则是以”Without You”红遍乐坛的Harry Nilsson，在轻快的节奏中与”One”有前后启承之妙即兴味浓郁的”Momentum”紧接而至，表现极为出色。而根据导演说法最能代表全片重心的曲子莫过于能于歌词中展现各主要角色个性的抒情曲”Wise Up”；至于其他出色的歌曲尚包括坚持相信自己抉择的”I Do”，片中另主要情节的音乐”Save Me”…，70年代老团Supertramp的两首畅销曲”The Logical Song” (US#6、UK#7)，”Goodbye Stranger” (US#15、UK#57)也为原声带增色不少，而优雅的终曲则是演奏版的配乐者，与Aimee有长期合作关系的Jon Brion (Fiona Apple、Eels)负责。 能先听到出色的电影音乐，而且是因剧情、角色所创作的音乐实为一大享受，“Magnolia”的电影音乐真的能打动你的“心灵角落”。 　　The much anticipated follow-up to Paul Thomas Anderson's Boogie Nights, Magnolia features a specially orchestrated soundtrack, largely written and performed by Aimee Mann ('Til Tuesday member and sadly overlooked solo artist). Mann's voice has always been a suitable vehicle for conveying emotional turmoil and indelible sadness, and several tracks here ("Build That Wall," "You Do," "Driving Sideways") do so with the rich melodicism that informs her best work. Producer Jon Brion's sprightly horn arrangements for "Momentum" are an unexpected (though not completely unwelcome) splash of cold water. Only Mann's cover of the Harry Nilsson-penned Three Dog Night hit "One" backfires, as it simply doesn't deliver the same effective climax as the original. The two Supertramp tracks from their Breakfast in America LP tacked on at album's end are incongruous (though they cut down the degrees of separation between them and Mann to an incredible one!). However, for anyone with an interest in Mann's melodic songwriting, there are eight worthy originals waiting for you. --Rob O'Connor