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.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s first feature ‘Hard Eight’ was a quiet neo-noir populated by troubled characters (a cocktail waitress and prostitute, a petty crook) and anchored by a cool, intelligent script. ‘Boogie Nights’ released the following year continues his fascination with offbeat characterisation, this time within the American porn industry of the 1970s and early 80s, as Mark Wahlberg’s well-endowed, and unfortunately named, Dirk Diggler rides the highs and lows of the alternative American dream. Featuring songs from the period, the soundtrack is a pretty good reflection of the film, including the album’s opener, ’Intro (Feel The Heat)’, performed by stars John C. O’Reilly (who also starred in ‘Hard Eight’) and Mark Wahlberg. Hits such as the folk influenced ‘Brand New Key’ (Melanie), funky ‘Spill The Wine’ (War with Eric Buroon) and the rockier ‘Sister Christian’ (Night Ranger) also provide some scope. The album’s main problem, however, is its length; with the amount of material featured in the film, this could easily have been a double album - the producers obviously realised this because they released volume two the following year, which is even briefer, running to only eleven tracks. Songs on volume one by The Emotions (‘Best Of My Love’), Chakachas (‘Jungle Fever’) and McFadden & Whitehead (‘Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now’) provide the entire disco content and Michael Penn and Patrick Warren’s score music ‘The Big Top’ that concludes the album is a slow, dreary trawl through treacle; a shame, because this is one example where bigger would most definitely have been better. Boogie Nights Movie Soundtrack. Review: Tim Mowbray.
Track Listing:
1. Intro (Feel The Heat) (John C. Reilly/Mark Wahlberg).
2. Best Of My Love (The Emotions).
3. Jungle Fever (Chakachas).
4. Brand New Key (Melanie).
5. Spill The Wine (War With Eric Buroon).
6. Got To Give It Up (Part 1) (Marvin Gaye).
7. Machine Gun (The Commodores).
8. Magnet & Steel (Walter Egan).
9. Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now (McFadden & Whitehead).
10. Sister Christian (Night Ranger).
11. Livin’ Thing (ELO).
12. God Only Knows (Beach Boys).
13. The Big Top (Theme From ‘Boogie Nights’) (Michael Penn/Patrick Warren).
Quentin Tarantino’s latest bombastic offering sets a group of Jewish/American soldiers loose in Nazi occupied France; the result is a violent and caricatured combination of historical (though, far from historically accurate) set pieces, in which the characters crash into, or merely skirt past each other. As with previous efforts, ‘Pulp Fiction’, ‘Jackie Brown’ et al, the soundtrack borrows heavily from other sources (Tarantino rarely commissions a composer to write a score for his films), with the likes of Billy Preston’s 1970s raucous funk rock, ‘Slaughter’ and David Bowie’s ‘Cat People (Putting Out The Fire)’, alongside film score music from Ennio Morricone and Lalo Schifrin. While ‘Inglorious’ may have trouble finding a market - it could be too off the wall for regular listeners, too familiar to soundtrack collectors - the diverse styles generally work well together and it at least brings Morricone’s atmospheric work to a wider audience, which, despite its shortcomings, makes it a lot more interesting than many of the film tie-in fodder on the market. Inglorious Basterds Movie Soundtrack. Review: Tim Mowbray.
Track Listing:
1. Green Leaves Of Summer (Nick Perito).
2. Verdict (Dopo la Condanna) (Ennio Morricone).
3. White Lightning (Main Title) [from White Lightning] (Charles Bernstein).
4. Slaughter (Billy Preston).
5. Surrender (La Resa) (Ennio Morricone).
6. One Silver Dollar (Un Dollaro Bucato) (The Film Studio Orchestra).
7. Davon Geht Die Welt Nicht Unter (From Die Grosse Liebe) (Zarah Leander).
8. Man With The Big Sombrero (Samantha Shelton).
9. Ich Wollt Ich Waer Ein Huhn (Willy Fritsch/Lilian Harvey).
10. Main Theme From Dark Of The Sun (Jacques Loussier).
11. Cat People (Putting Out The Fire) (David Bowie).
12. Tiger Tank (Lalo Schifrin).
13. Amico (Ennio Morricone).
14. Rabbia E Tarantella (Ennio Morricone).
Flambards Television Soundtrack.
1979, LWT.
David Fanshawe.
Phillips, CDR, 1979, CD03 Rating:
LWT adapted K.M. Peyton’s children’s novel set in 1901 about an orphan, Christina, sent to live on a grand crumbling estate, Flambards, with her mother’s half-brother, Russell, a violent cripple and his son Mark. David Fanshawe’s highly original score, turns what may have been an entertaining, if slight, drama into an atmospheric, haunting piece of classic television. Ominous vocals, whistles and swooping brass all make the mix, particularly effective in the ‘Main Theme’ and ‘Childhood Memories’. ‘Song For Christina’, written for the main character, is a wonderfully evocative cue, elaborating on the main theme with lyrics by Alan Plater (who also wrote some of the episodes) and accompanying a scene where Christina is taken up in an aeroplane by her inventor lover, William. There are also some upbeat flapper-esque themes for Chrsitina’s best friend, Dorothy (’Dorothy’s Theme’, ’Elm Park Café’) and the mischievous adopted son Tizzy (’Tizzy’s Theme’) which add a lighter dimension. Available through David Fanshawe’s website; just click the link. Flambard’s Television Soundtrack. Review: Tim Mowbray.
Track Listing:
1. Flambards Theme
2. Aunt Grace’s Two Step
3. Childhood Memories
4. Mr Johnson’s Rag
5. Mark Russell’s Pomp
6. Dick Teaches Christina To Ride
7. Uncle Russell’s Wrath
8. Rhapsody - Looping The Loop
9. Lady Bountiful
10. A Misty Ride
11. Battersea Urchins
12. The Whistle (a)
13. The Whistle (b)
14. Dorothy’s Theme
15. Song Of Christina
16. Will Proposes To Christina
17. Wedding Reception
18. Danger In Flight
19. Mr Dermot’s Funeral
20. Elm Park Cafe
21. Sandy’s Death
22. Young Widowed Ladies
23. Echoes Of Lost Love
24. Tizzy’s Theme
25. Elegy
26. The Last Waltz
27. End Theme
28. Main Theme (Alternate Version)
29. The Hunt
