Big Love: Hymnal
Encyclopedia
Big Love: Hymnal – Music Written for the HBO Series Plus Other Recent Compositions is a soundtrack album
by David Byrne
including music composed for the HBO television drama Big Love
released on August 19, 2008. Byrne has written on his journal that it is not "a pop record by any stretch," but a soundtrack featuring lush instrumentation, including horn
s and strings
, with minimal percussion. It is the first release by Byrne's independent record label
Todo Mundo
, although Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
was released in digital format one day prior to Big Love: Hymnal.
s that would "imply that [the characters are] always aware of the religious underpinnings that they see as supporting their lifestyle and how they behave." To that end, he sought out Mormon
hymnal
s, recordings of sacred music, and read up on the history of Mormonism
. He was also inspired by the soundtrack work of Bernard Herrmann
and Nino Rota
. He visited the Los Angeles set of the series in early 2007 to talk with the producers about the second season's arc and returned to New York City to continue composing and recording based on what he had seen and the video the producers sent him. The episodes themselves aired from June through August that year and Byrne continued scoring and uploading his music via FTP, finishing on August 3, 2007. In preparing to release the album the following year, Byrne expanded some musical cues and added several hymns that were not included in the series itself.
wrote that "there are no boundaries to Byrne's work" and called the album "strangely compelling." Other reviewers have found the album too esoteric, such as Chris Barrett, writing for the Metro Pulse
, who concludes his review writing "Recommended. But, as mentioned, probably not for everybody." Thom Jurek of Allmusic gave the album three out of five stars, calling it "pleasant for a while, but lightweight" noting that buyers would have to be "Byrne enthusiast[s]... to find this set of compositions engaging in its own right, or addicted to very specifically themed cinematically inspired music, to truly appreciate what's on offer here." Some reviewers have noted the emotional sweep of the music, with John Constine of Tiny Mix Tapes
calling it "a wide breadth of emotions... at times pensive and ominous, at others curious and wistful." In addition, the spiritual themes have been compared to Sufjan Stevens
by several commentators as well as Byrne's other 2008 album, the Brian Eno
collaboration Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
.
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by David Byrne
David Byrne
David Byrne may refer to:*David Byrne , musician and former Talking Heads frontman**David Byrne , his eponymous album*David Byrne , Irish footballer*David Byrne , English footballer...
including music composed for the HBO television drama Big Love
Big Love
Big Love is an American television drama that aired on HBO between March 2006 and March 2011. The show is about a fictional fundamentalist Mormon family in Utah that practices polygamy...
released on August 19, 2008. Byrne has written on his journal that it is not "a pop record by any stretch," but a soundtrack featuring lush instrumentation, including horn
Horn (instrument)
The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player ....
s and strings
String instrument
A string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
, with minimal percussion. It is the first release by Byrne's independent record label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
Todo Mundo
Todo Mundo
Todo Mundo is an independent record label founded by David Byrne in 2008. The first releases from the label were Byrne's soundtrack to season two of Big Love—Big Love: Hymnal—and his collaboration with Brian Eno Everything That Happens Will Happen Today...
, although Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
Everything That Happens Will Happen Today is the second album made in collaboration between David Byrne and Brian Eno, released on August 18, 2008, by Todo Mundo. The album explores themes of humanity versus technology and optimism in spite of bleak circumstance through the blending of electronic...
was released in digital format one day prior to Big Love: Hymnal.
Composition
Byrne initially started writing music for the series in fall, 2006. He found himself attracted to the moral fascination of Big Love and identified with the characters in the series and decided to compose half a dozen hymnHymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
s that would "imply that [the characters are] always aware of the religious underpinnings that they see as supporting their lifestyle and how they behave." To that end, he sought out Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
hymnal
Hymnal
Hymnal or hymnary or hymnbook is a collection of hymns, i.e. religious songs, usually in the form of a book. The earliest hand-written hymnals are known since Middle Ages in the context of European Christianity...
s, recordings of sacred music, and read up on the history of Mormonism
History of the Latter Day Saint movement
The Latter Day Saint movement is a religious movement within Christianity that arose during the Second Great Awakening in the early 19th century and that led to the set of doctrines, practices, and cultures called Mormonism and to the existence of numerous Latter Day Saint churches...
. He was also inspired by the soundtrack work of Bernard Herrmann
Bernard Herrmann
Bernard Herrmann was an American composer noted for his work in motion pictures.An Academy Award-winner , Herrmann is particularly known for his collaborations with director Alfred Hitchcock, most famously Psycho, North by Northwest, The Man Who Knew Too Much, and Vertigo...
and Nino Rota
Nino Rota
Nino Rota was an Italian composer and academic who is best known for his film scores, notably for the films of Federico Fellini and Luchino Visconti...
. He visited the Los Angeles set of the series in early 2007 to talk with the producers about the second season's arc and returned to New York City to continue composing and recording based on what he had seen and the video the producers sent him. The episodes themselves aired from June through August that year and Byrne continued scoring and uploading his music via FTP, finishing on August 3, 2007. In preparing to release the album the following year, Byrne expanded some musical cues and added several hymns that were not included in the series itself.
Reception
The album has received overall positive reviews. Simon Cosyns of The SunThe Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
wrote that "there are no boundaries to Byrne's work" and called the album "strangely compelling." Other reviewers have found the album too esoteric, such as Chris Barrett, writing for the Metro Pulse
Metro Pulse
Metro Pulse is a weekly newspaper in Knoxville, Tennessee.It was founded in 1991 by Ashley Capps, Rand Pearson, Ian Blackburn, and Margaret Weston. Metro Pulse has been a member of the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies since 1993....
, who concludes his review writing "Recommended. But, as mentioned, probably not for everybody." Thom Jurek of Allmusic gave the album three out of five stars, calling it "pleasant for a while, but lightweight" noting that buyers would have to be "Byrne enthusiast[s]... to find this set of compositions engaging in its own right, or addicted to very specifically themed cinematically inspired music, to truly appreciate what's on offer here." Some reviewers have noted the emotional sweep of the music, with John Constine of Tiny Mix Tapes
Tiny Mix Tapes
Tiny Mix Tapes is an online music and film webzine that focuses primarily on new music and related news. In addition to its reviews, it is noted for its subversive, political, and sometimes surreal news, as well as its mix tapes generator.-History:Originally called Tiny Mixtapes Gone to Heaven and...
calling it "a wide breadth of emotions... at times pensive and ominous, at others curious and wistful." In addition, the spiritual themes have been compared to Sufjan Stevens
Sufjan Stevens
Sufjan Stevens is an American singer-songwriter and musician born in Detroit, Michigan. Stevens first began releasing his music on Asthmatic Kitty, a label co-founded with his stepfather, beginning with the 1999 release, A Sun Came...
by several commentators as well as Byrne's other 2008 album, the Brian Eno
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
collaboration Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
Everything That Happens Will Happen Today is the second album made in collaboration between David Byrne and Brian Eno, released on August 18, 2008, by Todo Mundo. The album explores themes of humanity versus technology and optimism in spite of bleak circumstance through the blending of electronic...
.
Track listing
All songs written by David Byrne, except where noted:- "Art Thou Greater Than He?" – 2:04
- "Exquisite Whiteness" – 2:04
- "A Hill in Ontario CountyOntario County, New YorkAs of the census of 2000, there were 100,224 people, 38,370 households, and 26,360 families residing in the county. The population density was 156 people per square mile . There were 42,647 housing units at an average density of 66 per square mile...
" – 1:25 - "Written on Golden PlatesGolden PlatesAccording to Latter Day Saint belief, the golden plates are the source from which Joseph Smith, Jr. translated the Book of Mormon, a sacred text of the faith...
" – 2:12 - "Deep Water" – 2:06
- "A Building in the Air" – 1:14
- "Great Desolations" – 2:36
- "A House on Sand" – 3:13
- "The Mouth of MalachiMalachiMalachi, Malachias or Mal'achi was a Jewish prophet in the Hebrew Bible. He had two brothers, Nathaniel and Josiah. Malachi was the writer of the Book of Malachi, the last book of the Neviim section in the Jewish Tanakh...
" – 1:38 - "CumorahCumorahCumorah is a drumlin in Manchester, New York, where Joseph Smith, Jr...
!" – 1:14 - "The Angel Moroni" – 1:56
- "Murmur Not" – 1:14
- "The Pearl of Great Price" – 1:25
- "Language ConfoundedTower of BabelThe Tower of Babel , according to the Book of Genesis, was an enormous tower built in the plain of Shinar .According to the biblical account, a united humanity of the generations following the Great Flood, speaking a single language and migrating from the east, came to the land of Shinar, where...
" – 2:12 - "Unclean SpiritsUnclean spiritIn English translations of the Bible, unclean spirit is a common rendering of Greek pneuma akatharton , which in its single occurrence in the Septuagint translates Hebrew ....
" – 2:13 - "A Persecution Followed" – 2:01
- "The Breastplate of RighteousnessArmor of GodThe phrase "Armor of God" is directly derived from Ephesians : "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." As a Biblical reference, the metaphor may refer literally to physical armor worn by God in metaphorical battles, or it may refer to vigilant...
" – 1:32 - "A Conduit to Heaven" – 2:37
- "Cloud of Light" – 1:25
- "The Burden of the Word" – 2:34
- "Blue HawaiiBlue Hawaii (song)Blue Hawaii is a popular song written by Leo Robin and Ralph Rainger for the 1937 Paramount Pictures film Waikiki Wedding, starring Bing Crosby and Shirley Ross...
" (Leo RobinLeo RobinLeo Robin was an American composer, lyricist and songwriter. He is probably best known for collaborating with Ralph Rainger on the 1938 Oscar-winning song "Thanks for the Memory," sung by Bob Hope in the film The Big Broadcast of 1938.-Biography:Robin was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and...
and Ralph RaingerRalph RaingerRalph Rainger was an American composer of popular music principally for films.-Biography:Born Ralph Reichenthal in New York City, Rainger embarked on a legal career before escaping to Broadway where he became Clifton Webb's accompanist...
) – 1:25
Personnel
- David ByrneDavid ByrneDavid Byrne may refer to:*David Byrne , musician and former Talking Heads frontman**David Byrne , his eponymous album*David Byrne , Irish footballer*David Byrne , English footballer...
– composition, arrangementArrangementThe American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
, productionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, engineeringAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
, mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
, and art design - Cyrus Beroukhim – violaViolaThe viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
- Greg Calbi – masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
- Patrick Dillett – engineering and mixing
- Kenn Finn – baritone hornBaritone hornThe baritone horn is a member of the brass instrument family. The baritone horn has a predominantly cylindrical bore as do the trumpet and trombone. A baritone horn uses a large mouthpiece much like those of a trombone or euphonium, although it is a bit smaller. Some baritone mouthpieces will sink...
- Tony Finno – arrangement on "Art Thou Greater Than He?", "Exquisite Whiteness", "Written on Golden Plates", "The Angel Moroni", "The Pearl of Great Price", "The Breastplate of Righteousness", "A Conduit to Heaven", and "The Burden of the Word"
- Pauline Kim – violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
- Amy Kimball – violin
- Theodore Primis – French horn
- Andre Ribouli – cover art embroideryEmbroideryEmbroidery is the art or handicraft of decorating fabric or other materials with needle and thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as metal strips, pearls, beads, quills, and sequins....
- Ronald Shepard – flugelhornFlugelhornThe flugelhorn is a brass instrument resembling a trumpet but with a wider, conical bore. Some consider it to be a member of the saxhorn family developed by Adolphe Sax ; however, other historians assert that it derives from the valve bugle designed by Michael Saurle , Munich 1832 , thus...
- Chad Yarbough – French horn
- Garo Yellin – celloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...