It ain't so hard being green anymore

Unlike that other recent box office busting trilogy, the Shrek series has always made the music a more vital part of the storytelling. The subversion of the faerie tale is the theme, and the corresponding soundtracks find ways to do this trick as well. I personally found a lot of joy in hearing my then 5-year old neice hum along to Tom Waits, Nick Cave and singing her little heart out to The Buzzcock's "Ever Fallen In Love" (even if it was a watered-down Pete Yorn version,) from Shrek 2. That's some quality subversion.

This time, though, much like the movie, they play it safe. The only blips on the radar here are really The Ramones, and I guess the two songs from Eels, who, along with Eddie Murphy (as Donkey,) are the only artists who appear on all three soundtracks. Shrek, apparently, is at that phase in his life where he's settled down (he's about to be father, for goodness sakes,) and feels more comfortable tuning his radio to the classic rock station. So we get Snow White (SNL's Amy Poehler) singing Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" and when Fiona tries girl power on for size, it's set to Heart's "Barracuda," only covered by Fergie in a style one could only call 'Karoake.' It worked in Charlies Angels, so why shouldn't it work for Shrek's Angels?

Classic rock makes another odd appearance when Paul McCartney & Wings' "Live and Let Die" is played to back a funeral. Sure, death is in the title, but the song's strong association with James Bond makes for a confusing reference. Just prior, though, when the John Cleese-voiced Frog King croaks (insert chuckle here,) it's to composer Saint-Saens "Danse Macabre," which is the 'dance of death.' I'm tempted to call it's use subtle, but in the context of this film that's like saying "you look thin" to someone at a fat camp. Keeping with that metaphor, when Donkey (Murphy) sings Harry Chapin's "Cat's in the Cradle" to Shrek (playing the reluctant father,) it's overtness is equal to the green ogre's girth.

Even the contemporary choices throwbacks to the classic artists here. Wolfmother's "Joker and the Thief" is very Led Zeppelin-y, while you could say that the songs from Trevor Horn and Damien Rice owe a lot to Harry Chapin, only perhaps more somber. Rice's "9 Crimes" is used in the film as the prerequisite third act ballad, letting us know that there's sadness - and a very special lesson of self-acceptance. I like who I am... just not so sure I like the soundtrack. Here's the tracks reassembled (approximately) as they appeared in the film.

Playlist: Rssmbld Sndtrck - Shrek the Third
1. "Royal Pain" - Eels
2. "Do You Remember Rock and Roll Radio?" - The Ramones
3. "Danse Macabre" - Camille Saint-Saens
4. "Live And Let Die" - Paul McCartney & Wings (video)
5. "I've Never Been to Me" - Charlene
6. "Charming's Plan" - Score
7. "Best Days" - Matt White
8. "Joker And The Thief" - Wolfmother
9. "Other Ways" - Trevor Hall
10. "Cat's In The Cradle" - Harry Chapin
11. "Losing Streak" - Eels
12. "9 Crimes" - Damien Rice
13. "Barracuda" - Fergie
14. "Immigrant Song" - Led Zeppelin (video)
15. "What I Gotta Do" - Macy Gray
16. "Final Showdown" - Maya Rudolph (Rapunzel) and Rupert Everett (Prince Charming)
17. "Thank You (Falletin' Me Be Mice Elf Again)" - Eddie Murphy (Donkey) and Antonio Banderas (Puss n' Boots)

tags: film, shrek the third, music, soundtrack, eels, the ramones, paul mccartney, movies, wolfmother, rhapsody

Spidey sense is working overtime

The joke about Peter Parker, throughout the comic book and the movie franchise, is just how uncool he is. He's the nerd in all of us, the reason many readers identified with this character (and truthfully why Tobey Maguire so embodies the role.) Spider-Man 3 comes dangerously close to trampling this necessary mythology with the Saturday Night Fever and 'man in black' routine, but thankfully, the soundtrack this time around finally embraces Parker's geekdom (musically) with original songs from The Flaming Lips, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Walkmen, and (most surprisingly,) Black Mountain (perhaps it's the 'Black' part that caught their attention.)

Album: Spider-Man 3: Music From and Inspired By

It's interesting to look at the evolution of the Spider-Man franchise through the lens of it's soundtrack. When the first one came out, it was underscored by the kind of post-grunge, fist-thumping commercial schlock that action movies were filled with at the time. It's single ("Hero") came from Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger, and it's just the sort of song that you know Parker would cringe at for a theme. The song and soundtrack did well enough, but it never quite felt right to me.

Spider-Man 2 had a more introspective feel, with Parker struggling with the responsibilities of his Spider-man persona. The soundtrack, as a result, seemed to shift to that of the evolved emo genre, with Dashboard Confessional's "Vindicated" leading the charge. If theyr'e going to go emo, I still imagine that Parker would've preferred a Fugazi, or (since they NEVER license a song for commercial use) even a Sunny Day Real Estate song or two to the unfortunate choices of Yellowcard and Hoobastank. When Maroon 5 is the best you got, your soundtrack is in trouble, my friend.

Now, with the latest, I'm not saying it's all peaches and cream for a Parker-esque music geek like me. Snow Patrol (who contribute the lead single "Signal Fire") has mostly shrugged off their indie-twee roots and fully embraced commercial radio, while bands like Sounds Under Radar and Simon Dawes might just be Train in indie clothing. But any album that features both Black Mountain and Wolfmother (who occupy completely different hemispheres of Led Zep's world of influence,) already has a lot going for it.

The Flaming Lips, meanwhile, contribute their own zaniness, with the song "The Supreme Being teaches Spider-Man how to be in Love." It's a metaphorical boxing match with Muhammad Ali, as Parker battles his devotion to Mary Jane with the responsibilities that comes with being Spider-Man (all wrapped up in a melody that could be Supertramp for the 21st Century.) Says frontman Wayne Coyne:

When you think of the Peter Parker character in the Spider-Man comics, he's always struggling. Even though he's Spider-Man, he's always struggling with some girl that he's in love with, and can't tell her. So, there's this really sweet aspect of the Spider-Man thing. And, you know, we're sappy like that. Any opportunity to be slightly sappy and strangely existential at the same time, we do it. (azcentral.com)

Meanwhile, Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) gets to sing on the album as well, contributing background vocals to the track "Summer Day" from Coconut Records, the current music vehicle for fellow actor (and Marie Antoinette co-star) Jason Schwartzman. That track, along with The Oohla's blissed out "Small Parts," shows the sweet side of the Spider-man story, that musically has been missing from the past two soundtracks. It's good that soundtrack ends with that bit of sugar, as the film has left (at least two) fans bitter. What has me puzzled, though, is what in the world Chubby Checker is doing in the middle of this soundtrack? It's as jarring a turn as Peter Parker's brief transformation to Tony Manero. But that's for another post.

More: The next songs written for Spidey will have him singing them.

tags: film, spiderman, music, soundtrack, flaming lips, snow patrol, black mountain, yeah yeah yeahs, movies, the walkmen, coconut records, wolfmother, rhapsody

Caught by the Fuzz

You certainly wouldn't confuse the soundtrack to Hot Fuzz with a buddy cop movie (thank goodness.) Featuring classic Britpop from The Kinks, T Rex, The Troggs and recent indie rock acts like The Fratellis and Jon Spencer (Blues Explosion), the soundtrack instead pays respects to the genre by using pieces of score from these films it looks to for inspiration: Lethal Weapon III, Bad Boys II and that pantheon of buddy cop movies Point Break. Even with those diversions, this soundtrack is a rarity... one that actually follows a narrative without the need of actual dialogue.

After the opening theme (penned by 007 veteran David Arnold,) our first taste of narrative music comes as co-writer Simon Pegg's character, supercop Nicholas Angel, introduces himself to us over the top of Adam Ant's ’80s camp classic "Goody Two Shoes," and the mood is set. Then XTC's "Sgt. Rock (Is Going to Help Me") helps further Angel as the bobby who gets things done.

When Angel's exploits makes the big city bobbys look bad (turning the usual buddy cop formula on it's ear,) as punishment he's promoted and sent off to Sandford ("the village of the year,") the place with the lowest crime rate in England. It's here that Angel warns a model citizen "this isn't your village anymore," while we hear songs from The Kink's great album Village Green Preservation Society, which frontman Ray Davies wrote with the idea of feeling nostalgia for a simpler time and place. Director Edgar Wright, feeling nostalgic himself, chose to use the town he grew up in (Wells) for this idylic setting, making for the ultimate (and therapeutic) geek fantasy: turn the town you grew up in into the set of a smash-em-up action movie.

One song that didn't make the soundtrack, to my great disappointment, was The Move's "Night of Fear," which hints that there's more going on this village then meets the eye. The Move is a band still begging for discovery here in the states some 40 years after the fact, and while this release wouldn't break them, it at least would have furthered the cause (and got at least a song from them in the Rhapsody music service.)

It's about this time in the film when, to quote Martin Lawrence's character in Bad Boys II: "This sh*t just got real!" Bits from the scores to both Point Blank and BBII make appearances here, but really it's original music contributed to the film by mutual admiration director Robert Rodriguez that steals the show. Pegg's Angel gets his Desperado on, and Rodriguez's score is the perfect marriage for the scene. The movie's only sticking point with me is that Wright falls in love with the Michael Bayisms a bit too much, and the action goes on a little too long (with about two too many climaxes.)

To finish up the film, I couldn't think of a better song then the great Supergrass classic "Caught by the Fuzz," but that's not the ending. Instead there's another Fuzz song, this time written for the film by indie rock legend Jon Spencer called "Here Come The Fuzz."

The stateside release is a trimmed down affair, but as is my want to do, I've included every song as it appeared in the film (and a couple from the trailers) for my Rssmbld Sndtrck (reassmbled soundtrack) series.

>Playlist: Rssmbld Sndtrck - Hot Fuzz

1. "Souljacker Part 1" - Eels - Used in trailers for the film (note: song is mismarked as 'Part 2' in Rhapsody)
2. "Chelsea Dagger" - The Fratellis - Used in trailers for the film
3. "Goody Two Shoes" - Adam Ant
4. "Sgt. Rock (Is Going To Help Me)" - XTC
5. "The Village Green Preservation Society (Hot Fuzz)" - The Kinks
6. "Down Bond Street" - Tommy McCook and the Supersonics
7. "Baby Fratelli" - The Fratellis
8."Kick Out the Jams" - Tub Thumper
9. "Slippery Rock 70's" - Stavely Makepeace
10. "Lethal Fuzz (Osymyso Remix)" - John Eric Alexander
11. "I Can't Control Myself" - The Troggs
12. "Lovefool" - The Cardigans
13. "Night Of Fear" - The Move (YouTube)
14. "Romeo And Juliet" - Dire Straits
15. "Blockbuster" - Sweet
16. "Solid Gold, Easy Action" - T Rex (Marc Bolan)
17. "Foot Chase (from Point Blank - Mark Ishram (Download)
18. "Hostage Situation" (from Bad Boys II - Trevor Rabin
19. "Fire" - Crazy World Of Arthur Brown (YouTube)
20. "Village Green" - The Kinks (YouTube)
21. "Dance With The Devil" - Cozy Powell (YouTube)
22. "Heston Services" - Robert Rodriguez (Chingon)
23. "Avenging Angel" - Robert Rodriguez (Chingon)
24. "Caught By The Fuzz" - Supergrass
25. "Solid Gold Easy Action" - The Fratellis
26. "Here Come The Fuzz" - Jon Spencer & The Elegant Too
27. "The Hot Fuzz Suite" - David Arnold (score medley)

More: To underscore even more the significance of music in the film, Pegg's character Nicolas Angel is a nod to music supervisor extraordinaire Nick Angel (who also worked with the Edgar Wright/Simon Pegg team on Shaun of the Dead.)

tags: film, hot fuzz, music, soundtrack, the kinks, the fratellis, jon spencer, adam ant, movies, point break, t rex, rhapsody

I trust Kiefer Sutherland to market me

Ever wondered what Kiefer Sutherland does in his spare time (when he's not saving the world as Jack Bauer?) I doubt you'd ever guess it would be touring Europe as the manager of a struggling rock band - but it's true. That's the impetus of the fascinating documentary I Trust You To Kill Me (released on DVD yesterday) that follows Sutherland and his dream to help break a band he greatly admires: Rocco Deluca and the Burden.

Sutherland and his partner singer-songwriter Jude Cole run an independent label called Ironworks, and Deluca is their first artist signed to the label. While on holiday break from shooting 24, Sutherland sets off with the band on a short tour of Europe, working ostensibly as their manager. He coordinates with the venues, does phone interviews with radio stations and even carries equipment - he's the Jack Bauer of roadies, if you will.

Every Jack Bauer needs a Chloe O'Brien, but in this enterprise, there's not one to be found. As a result we're treated to scenes of Sutherland losing his phone, his wallet, and even paying customers to the show in Dublin. Upon arriving to the Irish metropolis, it's found that they have exactly two tickets sold, so Sutherland calls up an old friend and they do a pub crawl giving away free tickets, leading to several exchanges that go much like this:

Sutherland: "Hey, you want to go to a free rock show tonight?"
Fan: "Don't I know you from somewhere? What's your name?"
Sutherland: "I'm Kiefer... Kiefer Sutherland"
Fan: "No your NOT!!!"
Other fan: "We're drinking with Jack Bauer!"

While the documentary spends a lot of time with the band and their music (probably too much, to be truthful,) Sutherland's journey is the heart of the film - and really, it's the reason to watch. To see him inebriated and tackling a Christmas tree is worth the admission alone, but it's also the quiet moments of reflection, that give you a glimpse not normally seen of an actor of his stature.

There's an underlying sadness that's hard to shake, none more so then Sutherland's look of hurt whenever someone doesn't react favorably to the band. If Deluca and his band were more kick-ass good, this probably wouldn't seem as sad. That's not to say they're terrible, they just come off a bit too derivative (Led Zeppelin, The Cult, Jeff Buckley,) to deserve such devotion from the star of 24. Sutherland even gets a tatoo of the band's album title (and, of course, the title of the film) on his forearm (written with Icelandic symbols.) It's this willingness to look ridiculous in front of the camera that makes Sutherland somehow come off both cool and sympathetic at the same time.

Album: Rocco Deluca and the Burden - I Trust You To Kill Me

tags: music, film, soundtrack, movies, documentary, kiefer sutherland, rocco deluca, i trust you to kill me, rockumentary, rhapsody

The smartest guys have now left the room

With the sentencing Tuesday of former CEO Jeff Skilling, the book on Enron is essentially closed, but it's worth taking another look at the thought provoking documentary Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, that revealed the dark truth of Enron's collapse and the 'New Economy.'

The documentary closely follows CEO Skilling, Chairman Kenneth Lay and CFO Andrew Fastow from the beginnings of Enron fortune through their incredible fall, and reveals that the latest wave of white collar crime was more then just a 'few bad apples.' Throughout the film, writer-director Alex Gibney utilizes music in a fascinating way - first is the use of invidual themes: Lay's theme song turns out to be Dusty Springfield's "Son of a Preacher Man" (yes he was, yes he was;) while Skilling gets Marilyn Manson's dark cover of "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of Thise)" - playing to his greedy view of the American dream; and CFO Andrew Fastow's theme is appropriately enough Traffic's "Dear Mr. Fantasy."

Playlist: Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room

Gibney also reveals some of his political leanings by backing Ronald Reagan talking about the magic of the marketplace with Judy Garland singing "That Old Black Magic." Elsewhere, there are four (count them, four) songs from the great Tom Waits, including both the opening ("What's He Building?") and the closing credits ("God's Away On Business,") which, in my book, pushes this soundtrack to elite status.

tags: playlist, soundtrack, film, movie, documentary, enron, tom waits, jeff skilling, ken lay, dusty springfield, rhapsody