Release Date:
Downloads include choice of MP3, WAV, or FLAC
BSXDG0142
Includes Digital Booklet
BSX Digital presents music from the 1999 television series GET REAL starring Anne Hathaway and Jesse Eisenberg in their first starring roles with music by Dennis McCarthy.
The series follows the dysfunctional Green family. Parents Mitch and Mary, who first became parents when they were teenagers, find their marriage has hit the skids. Oldest child Meghan is an achiever who is nominated for class valedictorian and is accepted to UC Berkeley, but she drops a bombshell on her parents when she announces she is foregoing college. Middle child Cameron is a slacker who upsets his mom by bringing girls to stay over for the night. Youngest child Kenny is awkward and a target of bullies. Living with the Greens is Mary’s mom Elizabeth, who has taken up residence in their home after the death of her husband.
REVIEWS
Get Real ***
DENNIS MCCARTHY
BSX 0142
27 tracks - 54:23
Though Dennis McCarthy is best known for his Star Trek scores, his body of work reaches across a gamut of genres, including teen dramas, with the most popular of the bunch being Dawson’s Creek. The composer also worked on the short-lived Get Real (1999-2000), a comedy-drama that followed a dysfunctional family with parents entering their mid-life crises at the same time that their kids are becoming teenagers.
McCarthy’s contributions to Get Real hinge on a jaunty, bluesy main theme and an overall lightness that comes across in tracks like “Drive to School.” The core materials are fairly inviting, and the composer delivers a nice set of variations for piano and guitar, with percussion and electric organ acting in a supportive role. Meanwhile, McCarthy tackles the music for the show’s school setting with a funkier vibe.
The selections on BSX’s playlist bounce back and forth between these pleasant idioms, both of which are mostly led by guitar. Along the way, McCarthy employs some subtle color shifts for solo winds to add variety; this is an approach that was fairly standard for teen dramas of the period.
The playlist takes a few detours into source-like fare including the bossa nova of “Lunch With Girlfriends,” the jazz club-flavored “Racing the Clock,” and the rock-oriented “Café Muzak,” the latter which recurs in “Clyde Shows Up.”
Get Real is a solid effort and very representative of its era. The jazzier qualities make the album more engaging than one might expect, with various thematic threads pulling everything together. While it may not mirror the dramatic scope of the composer’s Star Trek work, this release should be a welcome diversion for McCarthy fans.
—Steven A. Kennedy
Comments regarding this review can be sent to: stev4uth@hotmail.com.
GET REAL - Music From The Television Series
Dennis McCarthy
$8.95
Downloads include choice of MP3, WAV, or FLAC
BSXDG0142
Includes Digital Booklet
BSX Digital presents music from the 1999 television series GET REAL starring Anne Hathaway and Jesse Eisenberg in their first starring roles with music by Dennis McCarthy.
The series follows the dysfunctional Green family. Parents Mitch and Mary, who first became parents when they were teenagers, find their marriage has hit the skids. Oldest child Meghan is an achiever who is nominated for class valedictorian and is accepted to UC Berkeley, but she drops a bombshell on her parents when she announces she is foregoing college. Middle child Cameron is a slacker who upsets his mom by bringing girls to stay over for the night. Youngest child Kenny is awkward and a target of bullies. Living with the Greens is Mary’s mom Elizabeth, who has taken up residence in their home after the death of her husband.
REVIEWS
Get Real ***
DENNIS MCCARTHY
BSX 0142
27 tracks - 54:23
Though Dennis McCarthy is best known for his Star Trek scores, his body of work reaches across a gamut of genres, including teen dramas, with the most popular of the bunch being Dawson’s Creek. The composer also worked on the short-lived Get Real (1999-2000), a comedy-drama that followed a dysfunctional family with parents entering their mid-life crises at the same time that their kids are becoming teenagers.
McCarthy’s contributions to Get Real hinge on a jaunty, bluesy main theme and an overall lightness that comes across in tracks like “Drive to School.” The core materials are fairly inviting, and the composer delivers a nice set of variations for piano and guitar, with percussion and electric organ acting in a supportive role. Meanwhile, McCarthy tackles the music for the show’s school setting with a funkier vibe.
The selections on BSX’s playlist bounce back and forth between these pleasant idioms, both of which are mostly led by guitar. Along the way, McCarthy employs some subtle color shifts for solo winds to add variety; this is an approach that was fairly standard for teen dramas of the period.
The playlist takes a few detours into source-like fare including the bossa nova of “Lunch With Girlfriends,” the jazz club-flavored “Racing the Clock,” and the rock-oriented “Café Muzak,” the latter which recurs in “Clyde Shows Up.”
Get Real is a solid effort and very representative of its era. The jazzier qualities make the album more engaging than one might expect, with various thematic threads pulling everything together. While it may not mirror the dramatic scope of the composer’s Star Trek work, this release should be a welcome diversion for McCarthy fans.
—Steven A. Kennedy
Comments regarding this review can be sent to: stev4uth@hotmail.com.
