Say “soundtrack” and the names that come most readily to mind are folks like John Williams, composers of big, dramatic music for big, dramatic movies. While such scores are perfect compliments for their productions, they aren’t the sort of thing one would generally load into a CD player and just listen to. They need to work with flashy special effects, gun battles, romantic moments and the like.
The discs on this list, however, represent the best of both worlds. They fit well into their movies, but they also stand alone as music.
Sliver – This record leads off with UB40’s synth-heavy cover of “Can’t Help Falling in Love with You.” The “synth-heavy” thing then turns into a motif throughout. Sometimes it doesn’t work, but Aftershock’s “Slave to the Vibe” and The Young Gods’ more metallic “Skinflowers” stand out from the pack. It also includes two tracks from Enigma, the ultimate erotica-in-a-box group for a movie full of neatly-packaged sex.
Escape from LA – This is one of those “Music from and inspired by” records in which songs that actually appear in the movie are joined by other stuff from bands the media conglomerate is trying to market. Normally I think that’s cheating. But here the set is consistent enough that I’ll let it slide, partly because “Escape from the Prison Planet” by Clutch is one of the better entries despite not appearing in the movie (at least not that I noticed). Besides, even the songs that actually are in the picture often show up for only a few seconds. A movie-specific rendition of “The One” by White Zombie is an exception, running in its entirety over the end credits. I should also note that I’m fond of the John Carpenter’s teched-up revamp of the theme from the first one, but you have to buy the actual soundtrack album for that.
A Clockwork Orange – Around the time Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of Anthony Burgess’s novel went into production, advances in music technology were allowing composers and musicians to produce new sounds. One of the trends that emerged was performance of classical music using synthesizers. Wendy Carlos puts this to particularly good use here, producing soft, haunting renditions of Beethoven and other composers. The music is simultaneously familiar and alien, not unlike the dystopian future of the movie itself.
1984 – In general turning a soundtrack over to pop musicians is a risky proposition. It can go south in a hurry. But occasionally it really pays off. The Eurythmics do an outstanding job of adapting the popular sounds of the real 1984 to the dreary tyranny of Orwell’s Oceania. This disc is worth it for “Julia” alone.
Repo Man – Despite containing a fair amount of off-the-rack stuff, these tracks function well as a set. Alex Cox’s brilliant little punk-yet-not-punk production needed music that would fit the characters and their environments without turning the thing into a punk-exclusive cult picture. Mission accomplished.
Local Hero – Of all the soundtracks on this list, this is the most “soundtracky.” Veteran soundtrack composer and Dire Straits front-man Mark Knopfler put this whole thing together specifically with the movie in mind, and it fits the light, low-key mood of the picture to a T. On the other hand, it’s also one of the few such soundtracks that makes pleasant listening by itself even without the movie.
Passion (The Last Temptation of Christ) – I’d listen to Peter Gabriel’s music for this Martin Scorcese stinker a thousand times before sitting through the movie again. The picture makes a mess of the Gospels, but on the soundtrack Gabriel employs his talent for exotic rhythms to produce something somehow subtly erotic. Fans of his work with Genesis and his early solo stuff may think this is a little weird, but take it on its own (without the movie it came from or the composer’s previous work) and it’s worth a listen.
Koyaanisqatsi – For as “minimalist” as Philip Glass’s music is supposed to be, it sure tends to intrude on movies when he writes a soundtrack score. If anything, that should be extra true for a movie without dialogue or indeed any sound at all other than the music. Perhaps it’s specifically because he isn’t fighting with the script that Glass is able to settle down and make music that compliments the breathtaking cinematography. This is about as far from John Williams as you can get, but that’s entirely appropriate for the movie at hand.
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