The Soundtrack Thread

Nino Rota - "8½" soundtrack (1963)

The soundtrack to the excellent Federico Fellini film which combines smooth classical music with loungy jazz. It has its moments but didn't really offer me a lot of lasting appeal from a purely stylistic point of view which saw me being challenged from the get-go. I went in looking for a loungy shopping mall kinda vibe & it does satisfy that criteria in patches but found that most of the high points come in the form of well-known classical pieces that you've no doubt hear many times before. That can't be viewed as a criticism of course but I didn't come away from this release feeling like I can see myself returning to it in the future.

For fans of Ennio Morricone, Jerry Goldsmith & John Barry.

3/5

Stephen Sondheim - "Sunday in the Park with George" soundtrack (1984)

A pretty decent soundtrack to the popular Broadway musical that's centered around classically orchestrated show tunes. The two female leads are stunningly talented & the storyline is intriguing so, while this isn't usually the sort of thing I'd go for, I've found the song-writing to dig its teeth in enough to keep me on my toes throughout.

For fans of Patti LuPone, Andrew Lloyd Webber & Leonard Bernstein.

3.5/5

Sunday in the Park with George, wow that brings back some memories. I'm not a fan of the whole Show-Tunes Broadway style, but "Finishing the Hat" is a phenomenal and moving tune.

Angelo Badalamenti - "Soundtrack from Twin Peaks" (1990)

This soundtrack to one of my all-time favourite TV series has been one that I've returned to many times over the years & never fails to take me back to that time & place. I've always loved David Lynch films & composer Angelo Badalamenti would seem to be somewhat of a kindred spirit in the way that he interprets Lynch's ideas. What we have here is a combination of deep & moody sounds that draw from the classical, jazz & ambient. The Laura Palmer themed tracks are the clear highlights & I absolutely adore them.

For fans of Julee Cruise, Dale Cooper Quartet & the Dictaphones & Mazzy Star.

4/5

That made it to the bottom half of my top 100 when I first heard it.  Might still be there.

Zbigniew Preisner - "La double vie de Véronique (The Double Life of Veronika)" (1991)

Some time during the mid-1990's I discovered Polish film director Krzysztof Kieślowski & very quickly became enamored with his brilliance. I soon find myself to be somewhat obsessed with his last four films in particular & their soundtracks played a very strong role in the unique atmospheres they created so I would purchase them all on CD & give them a heavy rotation in the home I shared with my de facto partner at the time. After one of the worst break-ups ever to take place in human history, I couldn't bare to face these CDs for several decades but I've recently found myself bold enough to give the first of the four a few listens & it's seen my passion for Kieślowski & Polish composer Zbigniew Preisner being relit with a flame that I'm not sure I can douse again. You see, these film scores are so much a part of the films that it's hard to separate the two which is the sign of a truly great soundtrack. The main theme reminds me very much of "The Godfather" & sees me being overcome by a feeling of peace & calm. There are incredible dynamics to this material as well as an amazing sense of subtlety throughout the short release. I will certainly be exploring my other three CDs (i.e. the "Trois couleurs" series) in the coming weeks.

For fans of Arvo Pärt, Gavin Friday & Michael Nyman.

4.5/5

Bobby Prince - "DOOM" (1993)

A bootleg of the original soundtrack to the "DOOM" video game. I've been absolutely infatuated with the 2016 Mick Gordon version of "DOOM" for a number of years now so I thought it was about time that I checked out the original but the experience has left me sorely disappointed because this is nothing like the incredible blend of techno, dark ambient & djenty metal that took a three-pronged approach to encapsulating my closest musical passions. Instead, we receive a cheap, home-made MIDI backdrop that sounds every bit as you would expect from an early video game. Fuck knows how two thirds of those voting for genre-tagging on RYM could possibly associate this release with metal. Those people clearly no fuck-all about what constitutes a metal release. The more eerie & atmospheric numbers are by far the most effective & I have to admit that I've got a bit of enjoyment out of them but the ones that try for a rockier feel inevitably fail to engage. It is worth mentioning that the attempts to cover bands like Pantera & Slayer in a synthesized format are fucking hilarious though & are worth hearing simply to enjoy how conceptually misguided they were.

For fans of ZUN, Ian Taylor & dai.

2.5/5

Angelo Badalamenti - "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me" (1992)

The soundtrack to the prequel film that was released after the TV series isn't quite as good as the soundtrack for the series, although it's still worth a few listens. The dark jazz component is possibly a little stronger here although the tracklisting isn't as consistent.

For fans of Bohren & der Club of Gore, The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble & The Dale Cooper Quartet.

3.5/5

THE DALE COOPER QUARTET.  And as I predicted, not a single Dale Cooper.  Thanks for letting me know that exists; they're totally on my to-do list when I get around to dark jazz.