This site was conceived as a side project by a "tekkie" friend of mine who suggested I use my journalistic experience to write about something I love. We bandied about some ideas before settling on this one - largely because I had collected movie soundtracks for much of my life and thought I could write about them. We wanted the site to be user friendly, well-written and reliable.
Over time, I hope to attract other writers keen to contribute to the site, who don't mind foregoing the financial benefits they may be used to in the short-term for something that may, or may not, be profitable further down the line.
The gradual demise of the cd format, re-emergence of vinyl, along with the expansion of blu-ray dvd and downloads translate to an ever-changing market place; despite this, most of us still buy cd's and dvd's and I hope that you will use the Amazon links on this site to buy online.
We have also included mini YouTube video links that accompany the reviews, so that you can listen to your favourite theme music while watching a related trailer or clip from the movie; because film is a visual medium, there seems no better way of presenting it.
Finally, a note on the type of soundtracks featured. Though purists generally view albums such as "Top Gun", "Flashdance" and others like them, as unworthy of coverage on a film soundtrack site, preferring instead to focus on orchestral scores, we have taken the view that these albums have earned their place based on their continued saleability and affection with a large section of cinema-goers. We wanted to reach as broad an audience as possible and have developed the site with this in mind, without forgetting those fans for whom composers such as Bernard Herrmann and Jerry Goldsmith, among many others, are considered on a par with the master composers. We hope you can find your best movie soundtracks on this site.
Based on writer Truman Capote’s investigation into the murder of a family in America’s Midwest in the 1960s, Capote, the movie, is an insightful exploration into the relationship between Capote and killers Perry Smith and Richard Hickock, who hanged for the crime. Hailed as the first ‘non-fiction novel’, combining fact presented as fiction, the book ‘In Cold Blood’, published after the murders, explores the glaring polarities between the lives of the murder victims and those of the murderers; the American dream gone sour. Capote, the album, is less a soundtrack, more a reminder of just how powerful the book was and remains. Made up largely of readings from it, recorded by Capote himself in 1966, supplemented by Mychael Danna’s understated score, the album tells the story of the film via the book in chronological order. Meanwhile, Danna’s score punctuates the story, though running to only fifteen minutes it never manages to get a foothold. ‘Not Much Time Left’ and ‘Epigraph’ are stand out cues but the album is entitled ‘Capote’ for a reason, and Mychael Danna is very much in the supporting role. Capote Movie Soundtrack. Review: Tim Mowbray.
Track Listings:
1. Out There (Mychael Danna).
2. “The Village Of Holcomb…” (Truman Capote).
3. “The Two Young Men Had Little In Common…” (Truman Capote).
4. Spoon Feeding (Mychael Danna).
5. “This Is It, This Is It, This Has To Be It…” (Truman Capote).
6. “Holcomb Is Twelve Miles East Of The Mountain Time Zone Border…” (TC)
7. N.Y. Reading (Mychael Danna).
8. “Eight Non-Stop Passenger Trains…” (Truman Capote).
9. If One Bird (Mychael Danna).
10. “It was Midday Deep In The Mojave Desert…” (Truman Capote).
11. “It Was Late Afternoon…” (Truman Capote).
12. “Perry Noticed Them First…” (Truman Capote.
13. “At Five That Afternoon…” (Truman Capote).
14. Not Much Time Left (Mychael Danna).
15. “Dewey Had Watched Them Die…” (Truman Capote).
16. I Thought He Was A Very Nice Gentleman (Mychael Danna).
17. Epigraph (Mychael Danna).
18. Answered Prayers (Mychael Danna).
Terminator Salvation.
2009, Warner Bros.
Danny Elfman.
Reprise/Warner, CD, 2009, 9362-49757-0 Rating:
Danny Elfman’s first attempt at tackling the Terminator is a far more cohesive and entertaining effort than that of Brad Fidel who scored the first two movies. Whereas Fidel’s work was effective within the confines of the story, it failed, apart from the arresting main theme, to sustain as a stand-alone score. There are no such problems this time around. As is the case with the majority of Elfman’s work to date, robust themes and strong melodies take TS beyond the parameters of its, rather limited, dumb action movie status and into more interesting territory. ‘Opener’ manages to combine the rhythmic thudding of the approach of the machines with the heroism of Connor and crew as they battle to save mankind. ‘The Harvester Returns’ is one of the most infectious all-out action cues heard in a long time, shot through with horn and electronica; ‘Final Confrontation’, another actioner, barely leaves you time to draw breath as it pounds its way towards a sudden climax. Meanwhile, ‘Broadcast’, begins with a simple yet effective acoustic element that adds a gentler dimension to the proceedings and takes precedence in ‘Fireside’. On the down side, Rooster’s ‘Alice In Chains’ hints at just how dull the album could have been if left to Warner’s marketing men. While director McG’s film may have failed to wow die-hard Terminator fans, Elfman’s score could just be the salvation they were looking for. Terminator Salvation Movie Review. Review: Tim Mowbray.
Track Listing:
1. Opening.
2. All Is Lost.
3. Broadcast.
4. The Harvester Returns.
5. Fireside.
6. No Plan.
7. Reveal/The Escape.
8. Hydrobot Attack.
9. Farewell.
10. Marcus Enters Skynet.
11. A Solution.
12. Serena.
13. Final Confrontation.
14. Salvation.
15. Rooster (Alice In Chains).
Retro cop series, ‘Ashes To Ashes’, may not tread much new territory; not surprising considering its whole premise deliberately relies on recycled material. But its ‘80’s setting, soundtrack and likeable sparring partners played by Philip Glenister and Keeley Hawes, inject enough sparks to keep up the momentum. The soundtrack for the second series provides much the same kind of energy, though in the show, the songs rarely appear for more than ten seconds, leaving the viewer feeling a bit short-changed. ‘Ashes To Ashes 2’, the album doesn’t suffer from this problem, with the likes of Duran Duran (’Planet Earth‘), Blondie (’Atomic’) and The Specials (’Rat Race‘), singing their un-edited hearts out. But attempting to increase the show’s cool quotient by including dialogue tracks was a big mistake: largely because it draws attention to just how derivative most of them are. Without the visuals to distract from the sometimes ropey dialogue, they quickly lose their impact and more so with repeated plays. While this might make ‘Ashes To Ashes 2’ stand out from other generic 1980’s best of cds, it doesn’t, as I would imagine the producers thought it would, make it memorable enough in its own right to be remembered with the same affection as the 1970s cop shows from which it steals much of its thunder. Ashes To Ashes Series 2 Television Soundtrack. Review: Tim Mowbray.
Track Listing:
1. Under Pressure (Queen/David Bowie).
2. “Alex Drake” (Dialogue).
3. Opening Titles (Edmund Butt).
4. Planet Earth (Duran Dduran).
5. In The Air Tonight (Phil Collins).
6. Rat Race (The Specials).
7. “Vindaloo” (Dialogue).
8. Mirror Man (Human League).
9. The Look Of Love (Part 1.) (ABC).
10. Going Back To My Roots (Odyssey).
11. “The Strangest Days” (Dialogue).
12. Alex’s Theme (Edmund Butt).
13. Funeral Pyre (The Jam).
14. Temptation (New Order).
15. The Lunatics Have Taken Over The Asylum (Fun Boy Three).
16. Back Of Love (Echo And The Bunnymen).
17. Wishing (If I had A Photography Of You) (A Flock Of Seagulls).
18. Love Plus One (Haircut 100).
19. “Felicity Kendal” (Dialogue).
20. Stand And Deliver (Adam And The Ants).
21. Lies (Thompson Twins).
22. Streets Of London (Anti-Nowhere League).
23. I Second That Emotion (Japan).
24. Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime (The Korgis).
25. Atomic (Blondie).
26. Hunt’s Theme (Edmund Butt).
