Beginning with an apt cover of Harry Nilsson’s “One” (which cribs from other Nilsson hits as well), the Mann-led part of the album includes such career high points as “Wise Up” and “Save Me,” as well as “Deathly,” “Driving Sideways” and “You Do,” which would end up on Bachelor No. Furthermore, while Dave Grusin’s effective score took a backseat to Simon and Garfunkel’s songs in the Nichols comedy, and Tom Waits and Crystal Gayle’s romantic duets dominated Coppola’s folly, in Magnolia Mann’s songs and Jon Brion’s score are both meant to stand tall, side by side.įor its vinyl reissue, Mondo presents all of Mann’s songs on one disc and all of Brion’s score on two other discs. Yet unlike The Graduate, the music spoke not just for the protagonist, but for multiple members of the cast.

In the vein of Francis Ford Coppola’s One from the Heart or Mike Nichols’ The Graduate, Magnolia relied heavily on a single musical voice-in this case, the voice of Aimee Mann-to serve as an emotional anchor to the film. At the time it was originally released in 2000, Magnolia felt like the culmination of Anderson’s marriage of music and cinema, and a new reissue from Mondo proves that time has not diminished its impact. No matter the movie, Anderson has exemplified how to make arresting cinema with great music. While Anderson has shed some of his youthful cinematic flamboyance for a more measured visual style, so has his use of music developed. From the ‘70s pop sounds of Boogie Nights to Jonny Greenwood’s riveting original score to Phantom Thread, music has always been a crucial element in the films of director Paul Thomas Anderson.

Magnolia soundtrack vinyl