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.
Grease 2.
1982, Paramount.
Louis St. Louis etc.
Polydor, CD, 1994, 8250962 Rating:
Slated by critics on release, Grease 2 is probably always going to be the poor relation to the 1978 blockbuster that spawned it, but the fact that the soundtrack cd has been in print for some years now may tell us that it has developed a certain cult status of its own. The film starred Michelle Pfeiffer as Stephanie Zanoni, leader of the Pink Ladies and Maxwell Caulfield as the new boy in town who falls for her. Set two years after ‘Grease’, the sequel is basically a re-hash of the first film, with Caulfield in the girls role and Pfeiffer in the boys; motorbikes instead of cars, luau’s rather than fun fairs and an ending as corny as the first film, though the dance numbers by director Patricia Birch, who also choreographed ‘Grease’, are energetic and entertaining. The soundtrack is also a poor substitute to the original though The Four Top’s opener ‘Back To School Again’ is exceptional. The main problem, apart from the fact that the songs are just not strong enough to hold the audience is that many of the actors cast cannot sing; Maxwell Caulfield (Michael) and Maureen Teefy (Sharon) are particularly bad; Teefy was edited out of the soundtrack album, leaving ‘Do It For Our Country’, one of the better songs in the film, to be performed by Peter Frechette (Louis) solo. ‘Reproduction’, performed by many of the cast, including 1950s icon Tab Hunter, hit’s a bright note, though you just cannot help feeling that you have heard it all before - and done much better. Grease 2 Movie Soundtrack. Review: Tim Mowbray.
Track Listing:
1. Back To School Again (The Four Tops)
2. Cool Rider (Cast)
3. Score Tonight (Cast)
4. Girl For All Seasons (Michele Pfeiffer and Cast)
5. Do It For Our Country (Peter Frechette)
6. Who’s That Guy? (Cast)
7. Prowlin’ (Adrian Zmed & Cast)
8. Reproduction (Tab Hunter & Cast)
9. Charades (Maxwell Caulfield)
10. Turn Back The Hands Of Time (Love Will) (Michelle Pfeiffer)
11. Rack-a-Hula-Luau (summer Is Coming) (Michelle Pfeiffer, Maxwell Caulfield & Cast)
12. We’ll Be Together (Cast)
Chicago
2003, Miramax.
John Kander/Fred Ebb/Danny Elfman.
Sony, CD, 2003, 5105322 Rating:
Rob Marshall’s film version of John Kander and Fred Ebb’s musical about two women on death row who learn to manipulate public opinion to keep themselves from the gallows is an entertaining, if ultimately shallow affair. The visuals are stunning however and this along with the songs keep the film from running out of steam. Bob Fosse’s choreography, (though he died before being able to participate in the movie), brings a striking sexuality to the visuals, though the stage performance contained more edge, and a cold cynicism that runs throughout, which might not be to everyone’s taste. The film soundtrack, with some scoring from Danny Elfman, is primarily a two hour run of songs, with some nice performances from Catherine Zeta-Jones and Queen Latifah in particular. ‘We Both Reached For The Gun’, in which Gere (Billy Flynn) plays ventriloquist to Zellweger‘s (Roxie Hart) dummy, and ‘Cell Block Tango’ where the girls on death row tell their stories are two of the most striking visual performances in the film, though songs such as ‘Cellophane Man’ (John C. O’Reilly) and ‘When You’re Good To Mama’ (Queen Latifah) are also solid. Danny Elfman’s score plays a minor part which may be a disappointment to fans but fits perfectly well. For those who like their musicals big and brash, ‘Chicago’ pretty much has it all but lacks the depth of Kander and Ebb’s ‘Cabaret’ which has all the show but also much of the substance that ‘Chicago’ sorely lacks. Chicago Movie Soundtrack. Review: Tim Mowbray.
Track Listing:
1. Overture/And All That Jazz (Catherine Zeta-Jones & Cast)
2. Funny Honey (Renee Zellweger, John C. reilly, Colm Feore)
3. When You’re Good To Mama (Queen Latifah)
4. Cell Block Tango (Catherine Zeta-Jones, Susan Misner, Deidre Goodwin)
5. All I Care About (Richard Gere & Cast)
6. We Both Reached For The Gun (Richard Gere, Renee Zellweger)
7. Roxie (Renee Zellweger)
8. I Can’t Do It Alone (Catherine Zeta-Jones, Taye Diggs)
9. Mister Celophane (John C. Reilly)
10. Razzle Dazzle (Richard Gere & Cast)
11. Class (Catherine Zeta-Jones, Queen Latifah)
12. Nowadays (Renee Zellweger, Taye Diggs)
13. Nowadays/Hot Honey Rag (Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones
14. I Move On (Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zellweger)
15. After Midnight (Danny Elfman)
16. Roxie’s Suite (Danny elfman)
17. Cell Block Tango (He Had It Comin’) (Queen Latifah & Lil’ Kim Feat. Macy Gray
18. Love Is A Crime (Anastacia)
