The Last Unicorn (album)


The Last Unicorn is a 1982 soundtrack album composed and arranged by Jimmy Webb, and performed by America with the London Symphony Orchestra. The album contains the film score for the 1982 film The Last Unicorn, which was based on a novel by Peter S. Beagle. America did get some airplay, especially in Germany where the song was a top 100 hit.

Production

The Last Unicorn soundtrack was recorded at De Lane Lea Studios in Wimbley, England in 1982. The album was released in Germany in 1983 by Virgin Records, but has not been released in the United States; it includes the film score's symphonic pieces. Mia Farrow's vocals, which appeared in the film, were overdubbed for the soundtrack album by Katie Irving. The film's soundtrack also features a song that was later covered by acclaimed american singer/songwriter, Art Garfunkel, appearing on his fifth solo studio album Scissors Cut.

Composition

The title song is performed jointly by America and the London Symphony Orchestra, and plays in the film's opening credits while scenes based on The Hunt of the Unicorn tapestries form a backdrop. It is referred to later as a leitmotif by the film score.

Critical reception

In his review for AllMusic, James Christopher Monger wrote:
Kyle Anderson of the website Nerdist wrote that Jimmy Webb and America were among the "many great people were involved" with the 1982 film, and that the album's "songs work pretty well".

Track listing

All songs written by Jimmy Webb.
  1. "The Last Unicorn" – 3:07
  2. "Man's Road" – 3:23
  3. "In the Sea" – 3:15
  4. "Now That I'm a Woman" – 2:36
  5. "That's All I've Got to Say" – 2:42
  6. "The Last Unicorn Part 2" – 3:07
  7. "Forest Awakens: The Unicorn Forest/ The Hunters" – 2:09
  8. "Red Soup" – 0:30
  9. "Red Bull Attacks" – 3:36
  10. "The Cat" – 1:39
  11. "The Tree" – 1:19
  12. "Haggard's Unicorns" – 2:10
  13. "Bull-Unicorn-Woman" – 2:46
  14. "Unicorns in the Sea" – 1:50
  15. "Unicorn and Lír" – 3:28

    Personnel

The song "The Last Unicorn" has been covered by Kenny Loggins on his Return to Pooh Corner album. In 2015, Ninja Sex Party covered the song to raise awareness of a US screening tour for the film hosted by the book's author Peter S. Beagle, and later released it on their album Under the Covers. Singer Dan Avidan has stated on numerous occasions that the story was his favorite as a child.