Friday, September 10, 2004
Various Artists - Kill Bill Vol 2 OST
Yeah, yeah, I'm slipping behind with getting reviews done on time. I know! I've decided, though, that the date on the blog will be the date the CD was reviewed. So even though this is being written on Monday, it's dated last Friday. OK? It doesn't make much sense in the short term, but it's easier in the long term. Right...
Soundtrack time, and where better to start than with a Tarantino feature? One of the many remarkable traits of Quentin's films are the soundtracks they feature, delving into the more obscure (but not too obscure) and digging up all sorts of delights. It was the music accompanying Jackie Brown that opened my eyes (ears?) to a whole new world of soulful and funky music - I owe a large chunk of the direction of my collection to that one film.
So here we are with the latest release. For a film largely set in the American West, the music is unsurprisingly consistent. There are three Ennio Morricone tracks, all taken from previous westerns. The instant you hear these, you're there - stetsons, gunslingers and large cacti. Morricone's touch with a score is nothing short of genius: the track L'Arena (taken from the film 'Il Mercenario') is excellent, with an incessant, measured build that other soundtrack writers would die for. Similarly, there are Spanish and Mexican themed workouts.
Staying firmly in the USA, we have Johnny Cash tackling an old country standard, "A Satisfied Mind". In common with most of his latter-day recordings, the rawness and fraility in his voice is overwhelming. And then there are some more urban tracks, including an usual reworking of The Zombies "She's Not There", plus a slight return to the oriental themes of the first film.
Tarantino's use of existing film music is both an interesting musical journey and a fitting tribute to the films (and their soundtracks) that have gone before. The obligatory dialogue snippets included are fun the first time, but ultimately not hugely relevant to the musical proceedings. Despite looking like it's all spaghetti westerns, Kill Bill Vol 2 has a broad soundtrack that just manages to work without the film to keep it company.
Soundtrack time, and where better to start than with a Tarantino feature? One of the many remarkable traits of Quentin's films are the soundtracks they feature, delving into the more obscure (but not too obscure) and digging up all sorts of delights. It was the music accompanying Jackie Brown that opened my eyes (ears?) to a whole new world of soulful and funky music - I owe a large chunk of the direction of my collection to that one film.
So here we are with the latest release. For a film largely set in the American West, the music is unsurprisingly consistent. There are three Ennio Morricone tracks, all taken from previous westerns. The instant you hear these, you're there - stetsons, gunslingers and large cacti. Morricone's touch with a score is nothing short of genius: the track L'Arena (taken from the film 'Il Mercenario') is excellent, with an incessant, measured build that other soundtrack writers would die for. Similarly, there are Spanish and Mexican themed workouts.
Staying firmly in the USA, we have Johnny Cash tackling an old country standard, "A Satisfied Mind". In common with most of his latter-day recordings, the rawness and fraility in his voice is overwhelming. And then there are some more urban tracks, including an usual reworking of The Zombies "She's Not There", plus a slight return to the oriental themes of the first film.
Tarantino's use of existing film music is both an interesting musical journey and a fitting tribute to the films (and their soundtracks) that have gone before. The obligatory dialogue snippets included are fun the first time, but ultimately not hugely relevant to the musical proceedings. Despite looking like it's all spaghetti westerns, Kill Bill Vol 2 has a broad soundtrack that just manages to work without the film to keep it company.
# posted by Sam : 22:55
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Mmmmm, agreed: Tarantino is good at choosing *just* the right track.
After watching Kill Bill 2 I was left with an almost irrepressible urge to watch "Paris, Texas". :)
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After watching Kill Bill 2 I was left with an almost irrepressible urge to watch "Paris, Texas". :)
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