Marley and Me Soundtrack Review

About the Soundtrack: Lakeshore Records has released the score album for "Marley and Me," by Composer Theodore Shapiro. The soundtrack features 24 tracks and a running time of nearly 40 minutes It's important to note that there are no song tracks on the release and that the soundtrack features Shapiro's score only. Kudos to Lakeshore for giving this one a score only release since many comedy features of this ilk usually pack on a few "hit" songs on the album.

What You Need to Know: Marley and Me is the story of a couple who adopts an unpredictable yet lovable dog, offering a sweet adventure fit for a wide audience. Since the movie has a big heart, the score had to be of a lovable nature as well, which is where Theodore Shapiro comes in. Having a background for scoring in the comedy genre, Shapiro must have felt right at home with this one because his score comes across pleasant and with a free-flowing ease to it. This one might surprise a few of you.

Before I started listening to the album, I once again fell into my own pre-determined trap that this score was probably going to be a bit on the generic side. You see, it's rare for me to become enthralled with the basic comedy score of this era since most of the music seems to be derivative and without an original personality. But, as they say in professional sports, you have to play the game before you count out the underdog. Beating the spread, and winning me over in the process, "Marley and Me" proved to be a delightful and charming soundtrack, one that flowed with positivity and charisma.

Shapiro injected to score with warmth, with one track merrily transitioning to the next. The running time for most of the cues were short and sweet but that made for a good pacing. My top cues, I have to say, are from tracks 11 and 24. Track 11, "Ireland," allowed Shapiro to step aside and introduce some Irish melodies to the score while cue 24, "Marley and Me," proved to make for a great, heartwarming finale. Indeed, the last track is so wonderful that I found myself replaying it many times over; it's infectious, uplifting, and plays well on multiple listens.

This score is solid, though it does have some less than stellar moments. There are a cluster of tracks in the second portion of the album that slows the momentum down some, offering music geared more for a typical dramatic underscore than the upbeat turns that makes this soundtrack a winner. Still, if you can get past it and enjoy the high points, you will feel satisfied at the end.

Final Score: Theodore Shapiro concludes a productive and successful 2008 with an above average comedy score for,"Marely and Me." The high points of the score far outweigh any delays the listener has to encounter with the slower moving segments and also leaves one with a positive vibe after it concludes. This is a job well done by Shapiro.