WICKER MAN, THE (OST) (Silva America) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Oooh -- a domestic release (somewhat different from the previously available version issued in 1998 by the UK's Trunk label, more on that later) of the soundtrack to the amazing and supremely creepy 1972 British pagansploitation film The Wicker Man! A group of folk musicians, most of whom appear in the film, bring nordic lyre, harmonica, concertina, recorders, guitars, hand drums and more (some psychedelic electric guitar at one point!) to Paul Giovanni's exceptional Celtic influenced compositions. More than just film accompaniment music, the soundtrack plays an important role in the film's characterization of the pagan inhabitants of a remote island off Scotland (led by their Laird, played by Christopher Lee in what he considers his greatest role) who are suspiciously reticent in helping a stuffy, upright Christian policeman (Edward Woodward) investigate the mysterious disappearance of a young girl. Sometimes bawdy, sometimes haunting, and ultimately infused with the film's mounting sense of menace, the songs capture the lusty forces of nature which embrace death as readily as birth. As much as they work in the context of the film, these songs form an album that is great in its own right. Divided into "Songs From Summerisle: Ballads of Seduction, Fertility and Ritual Slaughter" and "Incidental Music From The Wicker Man," the tracks are culled from newly unearthed stereo masters as well as rougher and perhaps more appropriate sounding mono mixes which originally appeared in the film. Highly recommended, both for fans of English folk (of the sixties revival and/or "apocalyptic" varieties) as well as for fans of cult oddities. Truly the "unholy grail" of film soundtracks, as the Trunk version's liner notes put it.
Oh, if you've got that disc, and are wondering what's different with this release, here's the lowdown: That 1998 cd release was a mono recording, taken from the music and effects tapes from the shortest (86 minute) cut of the film, whereas this new version was done from the newly-discovered stereo masters of Giovanni's music, and includes the wonderful song "Gently Johnny" which only appeared in the longer, uncut version of the film and thus was missing from the Trunk cd. The sound effects and dialogue aren't mixed over the songs, as with the earlier version, and as mentioned, this new disc is organized with a suite of tracks of incidental music and sound effects presented separately, following the actual songs (rather than mixed all together, arranged as in the film). However, this new Wicker Man's running time is actually a few minutes *shorter* than the previous version, even with "Gently Johnny" included. Hmm. We're not exactly sure what's missing, presumably some of the incidental music /effects were edited differently. But no matter, this still must be considered the definitive Wicker Man soundtrack, because of its superior stereo sound source, as well as the packaging, which includes a handsome booklet of photos and text housed beside the cd's jewel case in a cardboard slipcover.
And if you haven't ever seen the movie, it's on DVD now, go rent it!!
RealAudio clip: "Gently Johnny"
RealAudio clip: "Maypole"
RealAudio clip: "The Masks/The Hobby Horse"
RealAudio clip: "Willow's Song"

WICKER MAN, THE OST (Trunk) cd 17.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
A haunting soundtrack with creepy Scottish/pagan folk songs written, composed and arranged by Paul Giovanni. An exceptional soundtrack from an exceptional film. A must for Current 93 fans!

WICKER MAN, THE OST (Silva Screen) lp 39.00
One of our all-time favorite soundtracks to one of our all-time favorite movies gets the deluxe gatefold vinyl reissue treatment. You probably know you want it, if you want it. And if you don't, we can only think of a couple reasons: you've never seen the movie, or you don't have a turntable. Definitely correctable conditions. It's a bit expensive, too, but so worth it! This is the vinyl version of the domestic stereo master reissue from 2002 with the incidental music included. Includes extensive liner notes on both the film and music. Here is what we said about the cd edition way back on list #147:
Oooh - a domestic release (somewhat different from the previously available version issued in 1998 by the UK's Trunk label, more on that later) of the soundtrack to the amazing and supremely creepy 1972 British pagansploitation film The Wicker Man! A group of folk musicians, most of whom appear in the film, bring Nordic lyre, harmonica, concertina, recorders, guitars, hand drums and more (some psychedelic electric guitar at one point!) to Paul Giovanni's exceptional Celtic influenced compositions. More than just film accompaniment music, the soundtrack plays an important role in the film's characterization of the pagan inhabitants of a remote island off Scotland (led by their Laird, played by Christopher Lee in what he considers his greatest role) who are suspiciously reticent in helping a stuffy, upright Christian policeman (Edward Woodward) investigate the mysterious disappearance of a young girl. Sometimes bawdy, sometimes haunting, and ultimately infused with the film's mounting sense of menace, the songs capture the lusty forces of nature which embrace death as readily as birth. As much as they work in the context of the film, these songs form an album that is great in its own right. Divided into "Songs From Summerisle: Ballads of Seduction, Fertility and Ritual Slaughter" and "Incidental Music From The Wicker Man," the tracks are culled from newly unearthed stereo masters as well as rougher and perhaps more appropriate sounding mono mixes which originally appeared in the film. Highly recommended, both for fans of English folk (of the sixties revival and/or "apocalyptic" varieties) as well as for fans of cult oddities. Truly the "unholy grail" of film soundtracks, as the Trunk version's liner notes put it.
Oh, if you've got that disc, and are wondering what's different with this release, here's the lowdown: That 1998 cd release was a mono recording, taken from the music and effects tapes from the shortest (86 minute) cut of the film, whereas this new version was done from the newly-discovered stereo masters of Giovanni's music, and includes the wonderful song "Gently Johnny" which only appeared in the longer, uncut version of the film and thus was missing from the Trunk cd. The sound effects and dialogue aren't mixed over the songs, as with the earlier version, and as mentioned, this new disc is organized with a suite of tracks of incidental music and sound effects presented separately, following the actual songs (rather than mixed all together, arranged as in the film). However, this new Wicker Man's running time is actually a few minutes *shorter* than the previous version, even with "Gently Johnny" included. Hmm. We're not exactly sure what's missing, presumably some of the incidental music /effects were edited differently. But no matter, this still must be considered the definitive Wicker Man soundtrack, because of its superior stereo sound source, as well as the packaging, which includes a handsome layout of photos and text in the record's gatefold and features blown up movie poster art on both sides of the record's jacket.
And if you haven't ever seen the movie, it's on dvd now, go rent it!!

WICKER PARK (OST) (Lakeshore) cd 17.98
The fact that there's a movie called Wicker Park is almost as bad as the fact that there was a movie a few years ago called "The Mission". And the fact that Josh Hartnett is in it doesn't make us any more likely to see it. Nor surprisingly does the amazing blonde on the cover who we assume is Hartnett's love interest in the film. Probably the most fascinating thing about this soundtrack is that it definitively marks the fact that WE, US, you and me, our generation, people JUST LIKE you and me, have infiltrated the motion picture industry and the advertising world and are using the music you or I would pick for a movie or put on a mix tape. Kind of cool. But also kind of creepy. Nick Drake or Tortoise on a car commercial? What about a major Hollywood motion picture, starring a current hearthrob featuring *rare* and *unreleased* tracks from...Death Cab For Cutie, Broken Social Scene, Postal Service, Snow Patrol, Mazzy Star, the Shins, Mates Of State, Mogwai and on and on. It's actually a pretty awesome soundtrack / mix. Worth it just for the Postal Service's awesome version of Phil Collins' "Against All Odds"!!
MPEG Stream: DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE "A Movie Script Ending"
MPEG Stream: BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE "Lover's Spit"
MPEG Stream: POSTAL SERVICE "Against All Odds"

WILD STYLE OST (Animal) lp 12.98
It's been way over twenty years since Wild Style came out. No doubt, one of the freshest, most fun and stylish hip-hop films ever made. A few years ago it played at the Red Vic, a great co-op run theater in the city, and those of us who had never seen it before totally fell in love with with the charm of the movie and the great early hip-hop soundtrack (not to mention to jaw dropping fashion that still looks so damn hot!). While there was a cd reissue of Wild Style a few years back, these really are the kind of tracks you want to have on wax. Brings us back to that so missed fun filled, groove rich sound of early hip-hop that was really the soundtrack to breakdancing, graffiting, and ultimate endless block parties. Turntable wizardry, flawless raw MC skills, all under the musical production of Fab 5 Freddy. Still sounds so damn good all these years later. And any of you who love stuff like Grandmaster Flash, Run DMC, Doug E Fresh, Kurtis Blow, and the like, Wild Style is definitely the ultimate document of hip-hop's glory days. So fresh!

WILD STYLE (V/A) OST (20th Anniversary Edition) (Mr. Bongo) 2cd 21.00

WIRTZ, MARK A Teenage Opera (Original Soundtrack) (RPM) cd 16.98

YAMASUKI SINGERS, THE Le Monde Fabuleux Des (Finders Keepers) cd 19.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Everytime we've played this delicious reissue in the store, people have eagerly inquired, "Oooh, what's this?!" If you dig music that gleefully jumps boundaries and melts together genres with whimsical abandon (but NOT in the current irony-sodden, just-fuckin'-around fashion) -- in this case, a cross-cultural funneling in on the sounds of French Ye Ye Girl pop, far-out Japanese psych and prog influences, some almost-Carpenters level sing-song-y glorious pop, and assorted other vintage Euro-funkiness -- well then, Le Monde Fabuleux Des Yamasuki is for YOU!
Lovingly mastered from the original tapes by one of the original producers Monsieur Jean Kluger, this is the first time these recordings have been released on cd. Apparently there was originally one album and two singles released under the name The Yamasuki Singers on the French label Biram back in 1971. Needless to say, they've been next to impossible to find for years. If you're eager to get the skinny on Yamasuki, the project's lively history is printed in English in the liner notes, but there's also an added bonus on the back page of the booklet. If your French comprehension is any good, you can find out how to do the dance moves -- le salut, la joie, la peur, la grace, le combat, attaque (translation of this move's description: one assumes karate positions while shouting "caa ooh") and hara kiri!
By today's standards, you might find some of the 'oriental' (ahem, Asian) elements downright corny (the first song begins with a gong, and songs are introduced by a black-belt judo master!), but the sheer exuberance of the performances sweeps away any possibility of scowling criticisms. The sticker on the front proclaims "A fuzzed-out-educational-multi-cultural psych-rock-opera from 1971. Proto-psychedelic hip-hop with overweight drum beats and basslines!" Who's gonna argue with that?! Not us, we particularly appreciate the record label's use of the word "overweight". Yeah, we can hear what they're gettin' at -- the rhythm section is pretty thumpin' and hefty -- but it still made us giggle. Anyways, not to be super nit-picky but although this is indeed a conceptual album, after reading the liner notes we deduced that it's not so much a 'rock opera' per se, but more like a dance performance with lots of choral accompaniments. So who was behind all of this wonderful madness? Two French producer/composers, the aforementioned Kluger and Daniel Vangarde... and various children's choirs singing in Japanese. Ultra bizarre, campy, freaky and outrageous (again, even by today's standards!), we've got a sneaking suspicion that Ron and Russell Mael of Sparks probably saw/heard Yamasuki 'cause there sure are some striking resemblances with their own deliriously fantastic Kimono My House album that came out a few years later in 1974. You might find it sorta Zappa-ish too. Heck, it even spawned a dance move, "The Yamasuki"! Oh yeah, and if the fifth song "AIEAOA" sounds oddly familiar, you might recognize it as a song covered by Bananarama. Apparently the gals heard a version recorded by a band from Zaire (!), and loved it so much that they covered the cover "Aie A Mwana" and made it their first single!
Cup sez "Yaaaaaaaaaaaay!" Who's gonna argue with that, either?! Recommended, along with the other amazing reissue on the Finders Keepers label we reviewed last week, Jean-Claude Vannier's L'Enfant Assassin Des Mouches.
MPEG Stream: "Okawa"
MPEG Stream: "Aieaoa"
MPEG Stream: "Abana Bakana"

YAMASUKI SINGERS, THE Le Monde Fabuleux Des (Finders Keepers) lp 27.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Everytime we've played this delicious reissue in the store, people have eagerly inquired, "Oooh, what's this?!" If you dig music that gleefully jumps boundaries and melts together genres with whimsical abandon (but NOT in the current irony-sodden, just-fuckin'-around fashion) -- in this case, a cross-cultural funneling in on the sounds of French Ye Ye Girl pop, far-out Japanese psych and prog influences, some almost-Carpenters level sing-song-y glorious pop, and assorted other vintage Euro-funkiness -- well then, Le Monde Fabuleux Des Yamasuki is for YOU!
Lovingly mastered from the original tapes by one of the original producers Monsieur Jean Kluger, this is the first time these recordings have been released on cd. Apparently there was originally one album and two singles released under the name The Yamsuki Singers on the French label Biram back in 1971. Needless to say, they've been next to impossible to find for years. If you're eager to get the skinny on Yamasuki, the project's lively history is printed in English in the liner notes, but there's also an added bonus on the back page of the booklet. If your French comprehension is any good, you can find out how to do the dance moves -- le salut, la joie, la peur, la grace, le combat, attaque (translation of this move's description: one assumes karate positions while shouting "caa ooh") and hara kiri!
By today's standards, you might find some of the 'oriental' (ahem, Asian) elements downright corny (the first song begins with a gong, and songs are introduced by a black-belt judo master!), but the sheer exuberance of the performances sweeps away any possibility of scowling criticisms. The sticker on the front proclaims "A fuzzed-out-educational-multi-cultural psych-rock-opera from 1971. Proto-psychedelic hip-hop with overweight drum beats and basslines!" Who's gonna argue with that?! Not us, we particularly appreciate the record label's use of the word "overweight". Yeah, we can hear what they're gettin' at -- the rhythm section is pretty thumpin' and hefty -- but it still made us giggle. Anyways, not to be super nit-picky but although this is indeed a conceptual album, after reading the liner notes we deduced that it's not so much a 'rock opera' per se, but more like a dance performance with lots of choral accompaniments. So who was behind all of this wonderful madness? Two French producer/composers, the aforementioned Kluger and Daniel Vangarde... and various children's choirs singing in Japanese. Ultra bizarre, campy, freaky and outrageous (again, even by today's standards!), we've got a sneaking suspicion that Ron and Russell Mael of Sparks probably saw/heard Yamasuki 'cause there sure are some striking resemblances with their own deliriously fantastic Kimono My House album that came out a few years later in 1974. You might find it sorta Zappa-ish too. Heck, it even spawned a dance move, "The Yamasuki"! Oh yeah, and if the fifth song "AIEAOA" sounds oddly familiar, you might recognize it as a song covered by Bananarama. Apparently the gals heard a version recorded by a band from Zaire (!), and loved it so much that they covered the cover "Aie A Mwana" and made it their first single!
Cup sez "Yaaaaaaaaaaaay!" Who's gonna argue with that, either?! Recommended, along with the other amazing reissue on the Finders Keepers label we reviewed last week, Jean-Claude Vannier's L'Enfant Assassin Des Mouches.
MPEG Stream: "Okawa"
MPEG Stream: "Aieaoa"
MPEG Stream: "Abana Bakana"

YO LA TENGO The Sounds Of The Sounds of Science (Egon) cd 14.98
In the store, we're still always selling copies of this apparently-not-so-widely-distributed YLT disc, so we thought we'd relist it for the benefit of any mail-order type customers who weren't paying attention when we first mentioned it way back in 2002 on list #138:
Although Cup is a huge admirer of the dreamy works of both Yo La Tengo and surrealist filmmaker Jean Painleve, she was absolutely crestfallen when she missed out on this very special evening at the fabulous Castro Theater last year. Yup, couldn't get a ticket to witness Ira, Georgia and James perform the soundtrack to Painleve's hypnotic sealife imagery on the big Castro screen. Sadly of course the visuals don't come along with the sounds on this cd, so you kinda miss the event's magical chemistry between picture and live sound. However, what you do get is an absolutely mesmerizing instrumental album. Please note: this is a fuller studio version of their performance. They've successfully captured the otherworldly wonder of Painleve's filmworks while still maintaining their distinct warm, enveloping Yo La Tengo sound. The first track titled "Sea Urchins" features sweeping feathery guitar and chiming tones that float along languidly to a steady bass and drum rhythm. If you removed the sealife cinematic context, it'd be just as suited for a sleek cocktail lounge, although I'd like to make note of the one odd thing about this particular track - the whirring sound that sort of made me think "is someone vacuuming next door?" Anyways, "Shrimp Stories" is a much more frantic, driving and almost funky segment. Sure caught me in their groove. Gradually it all descends into a more abstract tenuous viscose roar for "Liquid Crystals" and "The Sea Horse" resurfaces into a shimmery organ pulse. Breathtaking.
MPEG Stream: "Sea Urchins"
MPEG Stream: "Liquid Crystals"

YO LA TENGO They Shoot, We Score (Egon) cd 14.98
Over the years, Yo La Tengo have proven to be masters at creating such evocative atmosphere and feeling and emotion in their songs. So it was only a matter of time that wise film directors would seek them out to create scores for their films.
Between the years 2005 and 2006 four different films employed the (maybe not so) surprising soundtrack prowess of YLT, their film music, not all that removed from their band music, creating lingering bittersweet sounds both classy and sophisticated, lush and intimate.
For the score to Old Joy they were joined by Smokey Hormel on guitar to create the perfect hazy sounds for meandering roadtrip and a bit of Northwest exploration. For Junebug they employed a string and horn ensemble adding fluttery floral ambience. For Game 6 the band went at it alone creating the most dynamic and eclectic set of the bunch showing once again what amazing range YLT posses. The disc concludes with their contributions to the John Cameron Mitchell film Shortbus, adding some nice, light and charming sonic snippets to that sexually provocative/honest film.
Aside from being perfect for film music, we also always appreciated just how painterly the instrumental side of Yo La Tengo managed to be, conjuring so many moods and images with such a nice wide palette of delicately employed sounds. We want to give this to all our artist friends as we think it would be the perfect record to have playing in the studio when folks go to create art of their own. This collection came out last year but we only just got in enough of them to list, so grab one as fast as you can, 'cause if we run out we're not sure how quickly we will get them back in stock, since they were sent to us directly by the band (who says rockstars don't go to the post office!?) on the same day they left to go on a big tour!
MPEG Stream: "Getting Lost"
MPEG Stream: "Love Chant"
MPEG Stream: "Wizard's Sleeve"

ZABRISKIE POINT (OST) (Rhino) 2cd 32.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
After raving about the recent vinyl reissue of this (still in stock) we figured we'd rave as well about the also-available cd version... First off, if you haven't seen Zabriskie Point, close your email right now and go down to the video store and rent it. You won't regret it. Okay, so now the soundtrack. Reissued on cd in a gorgeous shimmery sort of 3-D slipcase with a whole disc of extras (more on that later), this soundtrack was originally released in 1970 and features some seriously twisted stuff. The most noteworthy being a handful of tracks recorded by Pink Floyd specifically for the film. Tripped out, meandering and spacy, organs and heartbeat-like throbs, found sounds and haunting voices, only occasionally coalescing into recognizable Pink Floyd. Worth it for those tracks alone. But there are also plenty of juicy sixties nuggets from the Youngbloods (which got Andee to go out and get a couple Youngbloods records), the Grateful Dead, John Fahey, the Kaleidoscope (the US band featuring David Lindley, not the British psychedelic group we reviewed a few months back), Roscoe Holcomb, as well as the first solo recordings from the Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia. All of these tracks work so well together even away from the film, sort of like the best sixties psych/folk/Appalachia/hippy mix tape you could hope for. And -with- the film, well, it's absolutely perfect. Lots of liner notes and original art and a WHOLE EXTRA DISC of unreleased outtakes. Two extra Pink Floyd tracks as well as two alternate versions, and over a half hour of bonus improvisations by Jerry Garcia recorded just for the film. So cool. This is definitely so essential.
MPEG Stream: THE PINK FLOYD "Heart Beat, Pig Meat"
MPEG Stream: THE YOUNGBLOODS "Sugar Babe"
MPEG Stream: THE PINKFLOYD "Come In Number 51, Your Time Is Up"

ZABRISKIE POINT (OST) (4 Men With Beards) lp 17.98
First off, if you haven't seen Zabriskie Point, close your email right now and go down to the video store and rent it. You won't regret it. Okay, so now the soundtrack. Reissued in a gorgeous gatefold sleeve on heavy 180 gram vinyl, this soundtrack was originally released in 1970 and features some seriously twisted stuff. The most noteworthy being a handful of tracks recorded by Pink FLoyd specifically for the film. Tripped out, meandering and spacy, organs and heartbeat-like throbs, found sounds and haunting voices, only occasionally coalescing into recognizable Pink Floyd. Worth it for those tracks alone. But there are also plenty of juicy sixties nuggets from the Youngbloods (which got Andee to go out and get a couple Youngbloods records), the Grateful Dead, John Fahey, the Kaleidoscope (the US band featuring David Lindley, not the British psychedelic group we reviewed a few months back), Roscoe Holcomb, as well as the first solo recordings from the Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia. All of these tracks work so well together even away from the film, sort of like the best sixties psych/folk/Appalachia/hippy mix tape you could hope for. And -with- the film, well, it's absolutely perfect. This vinyl reissue comes with extra photos and new liner notes.
MPEG Stream: THE PINK FLOYD "Heart Beat, Pig Meat"
MPEG Stream: THE YOUNGBLOODS "Sugar Babe"
MPEG Stream: THE PINKFLOYD "Come In Number 51, Your Time Is Up"

ZIDANE: A 21ST CENTURY PORTRAIT (MOGWAI) OST (Play It Again Sam (PIAS)) cd 16.98
How many times have you heard us muse that Mogwai's epic, evocative music is like a soundtrack for some imaginary film? Many many times. Too numerous to mention. Sorry, didn't mean to sound like a broken record! Well, now it has finally come to pass that their music has indeed found its cinematic match not once but twice with their recent performances for Darren Aronofsky's movie The Fountain and for Zidane, a documentary about the soccer player of the same name. Worry not, you won't be hearing sound effects of soccer balls or referee whistles on this soundtrack. In fact, there aren't any great departures from Mogwai's trademark epic atmospheric post-rock sound whatsoever. What this all means for you, dear Mogwai fan is more of the richly expressive, sweeping instrumentals you know and love.
MPEG Stream: "Black Spider"
MPEG Stream: "I Do Have Weapons"

ZIMMER, HANS Sherlock Holmes OST (Waterworks Music) cd 17.98
We recently braved the horror of cellphones and incessant chatter that is our local theater (spoken like true grumpy old men) to see the latest Guy Ritchie movie Sherlock Holmes, and while we were prepared to be disappointed, we were actually pretty blown away. Classic Ritchie, as in the best thing since Snatch and Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels, it was stylized, the sets were incredible, it was funny, clever, Downey Jr. was hilarious, so was Jude Law, there was really very little to not like (except maybe the NON ending / set up for a sequel), but more than anything, we were taken by the score, a strange mix of old timey cabaret, and strange solo violin plucking. Throughout the movie, Holmes is holed up in his dingy dirty apartment, clinging to an old violin, which he nervously plucks, unfurling some truly haunting melodies, that perfectly suit the dour grey skied Victorian setting, not to mention Holmes' fragile mental state. We were sort of hoping there would be lots of that on the soundtrack and nothing else, and there is a bit, but listening to the soundtrack removed from the movie, we're struck by how awesome it is. Zimmer is no slouch, although most of us probably remember him most for composing the awesome "Spider Pig" song from the Simpsons Movie, but here, he weaves am entrancing spell, dark and emotional and moving, and as most soundtrack fans know, coming up with a theme is key, and Holmes' theme is a little 7 or 8 note figure that is repeated in various permutations, but it's weirdly pretty and distinctly haunting. Lots of pizzicato strings, moaning violins, shimmering steel strings, weeping horns, what sounds like dulcimer, old timey and Victorian sounding for sure, the closer, the nearly 7 minute "Catatonie" is the perfect finish, spare and creepy, with that theme popping up again and again, but with plenty of orchestral flourish, ominous creep, and just a dash of bombast. Way recommended. As is the film...
MPEG Stream: "Is It Poison, Nanny?"
MPEG Stream: "He's Killed The Dog Again"
MPEG Stream: "Marital Sabotage"
MPEG Stream: "Catatonie"

ZOMBIE ZOMBIE Plays John Carpenter (Versatile) cd 14.98
Ok, lately it seems like we're ALWAYS saying stuff reminds us of the suspenseful soundtrack synth music of film director John Carpenter - who, along with collaborator Alan Howarth, is known for composing the propulsive, sinister scores for his own movies. Music that's become a big influence on a lot of our favorite artists today. How many recent releases have we tagged with a Carpenter comparison? Umberto, D.A., Gatekeeper, Zombi, Xander Harris, Majeure, Roll The Dice, Steve Moore, Twins, Dylan Ettinger, Blizaro, Jonas Reinhart, Hyetal, Arrow Kleeman, Lazer Crystal, Maserati, Nightsatan, and more... Of course many of those are overt imitations of the master. Goblin is the other influence we usually cite for a lot of these too, but the future-disco, fright flick, sci-fi SYNTH sound is more about Carpenter.
So, this release makes perfect sense, the obvious next step in the current wave of Carpenter worship. Zombie Zombie is a French synth duo, 1/2 of which is in fact former AQ Record Of The Week honoree Etienne Jaumet (for his album Night Music), and they have decided to pay tribute to John Carpenter in the most direct way possible: a disc of all Carpenter covers! This 5 track, 28 minute mini-album includes their takes on the main themes from JC classics Assault On Precinct 13, Halloween, Escape From LA, and The Thing. Hmm, the latter of which was actually composed by Ennio Morricone, right? Though that's cool too. You also get ZZ's version of the music from the bank robbery scene in Escape From New York.
When we learned Jaumet was part of this, we knew ZZ would know their stuff and do JC right, and they sure do. All the skittery machine beats and eerie melodies, urgent shuffling chase-scene rhythms and ominous thick bass heavy synth burble, moody atmospheric drone and creepy tick-tock-ery of the JC originals is lovingly recreated via ZZ's not-far-removed but definitely updated, dancefloor/DJ friendly versions, which come across as somewhat heavier and a bit more tweaked than actual soundtrack recordings, also more "band-like" and less soundtrack slick. We haven't heard ZZ's other album, but we bet these sound like their own songs, y'know. Basically, if you like John Carpenter, or any of the stuff we're always mentioning JC in conjunction with, you will dig this! The only thing that would have made this better is if they'd made it a longer disc and also included cues from The Fog, They Live, and a few other of our JC faves. But these themes are pretty much the best of the best. And we'd LOVE to see 'em play this stuff live, which we hear they're doing. Come to think of it, we'd love to see Carpenter himself perform live, we wonder if he's ever even considered the idea, he'd probably be surprised at how many people would come out to see that, don't you think?
MPEG Stream: "The Bank Robbery (Taken From Escape From New York)"
MPEG Stream: "Halloween (Main Theme)"
MPEG Stream: "The Thing (Main Theme)"

ZORN, JOHN Filmworks III (Tzadik) cd 16.98
Finally a domestic version of the hard-to-find Japanese release, to fill the gap in your collection between Filmworks II and Filmworks V (uh, what happened to IV?). Anyway, this features a bunch of great stuff played by a bunch of great musicians, including the very first Masada recordings, a Zorn/Marc Ribot duo, and cues for commercials directed by the likes of Godard and Cronenberg.

ZORN, JOHN Filmworks IV (Tzadik) cd 15.98
Subtitled "S/M + More"...

ZORN, JOHN Filmworks IX: Trembling Before G-d (Tzadik) cd 16.98
Organist Jamie Saft, clarinetist Chris Speed and percussionist Cyro Baptista play John Zorn's compositions (including a few from his Masada project) for this soundtrack to a documentary (controversial, we're told) about the Gay Hasidic Jewish community...

ZORN, JOHN Filmworks VIII (Tzadik) cd 15.98
From the obi: "Augmenting the exciting Masada String Trio with Anthony Coleman, Marc Ribot, and pipa virtuoso Min Xiao-Fen, Zorn's Masada music has never sounded as beautiful or as evocative as in the soundtrack for a film documentary about the Jewish refugees who escaped Nazi Germany by resettling to Shanghai. Also included is a quirky all-percussion score for Ela Troyano's exotic gay porno film 'Latin Boys Go To Hell', featuring the driving rhythms of Cyro Baptista and Kenny Wollesen."

ZORN, JOHN Filmworks X: In the Mirror of Maya Deren (Tzadik) cd 17.98
From the accompanying obi strip: "Hypnotic, sensual and evocative music for Martina Kudlacek's brilliant and detailed documentary on the life and work of underground film legend Maya Deren. Mixing myth and ritual with avant-garde dance and film techniques, Maya forged a creative language that continues to resound in the very best of today's experimental artists. The music here moves from nostalgia to mystery, capturing the many moods of Maya's life and art. Performed by Erik Friedlander, Jamie Saft and Cyro Baptista, In the Mirror of Maya Deren also features the unique piano stylings of John Zorn over three dreamy string arrangements. From Klezmer to classical, Haitian drumming to Indonesian gamelan, easy listening to minimalism, this score is one of Zorn's most beautiful and touching listening experiences."
Alright, now that you've read all that, and if you're at all familiar with Zorn's Filmworks series, you probably know whether or not if you want / need this. I must admit, I didn't expect to like this disc, considering the high proliferation of compositions from Zorn in the past fifteen or so years. But the man always seems to come through somehow. One of the two major highlights of this disc are the subtle beauty in the performances of Erik Friedlander (actually some of the most touching and heartfelt playing that I've heard from him!). The other is the rare performance by Zorn on piano, beautifully rendered - a rare homage to his love of Feldman, maybe? There are moments of minimalist texture, however brief and overshadowed by Friedlander's sweet dynamicism. Always one to cross over styles and display technical virtuosity, this installment of Filmworks could do without the bongo drumming or faux-exotic parts, but then again, it is about Maya Deren whose films themselves included Haitian drumming in them. Overall a nice disc and one that almost lives up to its obi strip comments.
RealAudio clip: "Kiev 1"
RealAudio clip: "Filming"
RealAudio clip: "Nostalgia 2"

ZORN, JOHN Filmworks XI (Tzadik) cd 15.98
Here you go Zornophiliacs: the 11th volume in his filmworks series. We turn to resident Zorn expert 'obi' for this review: "The latest volume in a continuing series documenting Zorn's varied and creative work for film features one of his most popular ensembles: Masada String Trio. Their incredible rapport is at its best in this haunting score for Aviva Slesin's documentary film on Jewish children hidden from the Nazis during the Shoah. Orchestral arrangements, intimate improvisations, lyricism and a handful of new Masada tunes make this one of Zorn's most memorable film scores." In other words: if you have I - X, you might as well pick up XI.
RealAudio clip: "Yesoma (vocal)"
RealAudio clip: "The Trap"

ZORN, JOHN Filmworks XIII: 2002 Volume Three - Invitation To Suicide (Tzadik) cd 16.98
For the John Zorn fan who has to have everything. Yes, that means that we're now on to Filmworks #13 and it looks like there's no end in sight. So with a big thanks to Tzadik for supplying a glowing review in advance, we bring you the obi: "2002 proves to be a watershed year for Zorn, with this being his fifth film score in three months. Here, a taste of Ennio Morricone, Astor Piazzola, French musette and Nino Rota make up what is perhaps his greatest film score to date. At times bizarre, haunting, exhilerating and powerful, the lush sonorities of this dynamic group will surprise you as much as it did Zorn himself. A romantic new lyricism. A remarkable new direction. Unexpected, inevitable and absolutely..." okay, enough. We made some sound samples, so check 'em out.
RealAudio clip: "Shifting Sands"
RealAudio clip: "Aftermath"

ZORN, JOHN Filmworks XV (Tzadik) cd 16.98
Though a formally composed soundtrack to suit each step of its filmic events, Filmworks XV is fluid, engaging and emotionally moving. Zorn plays a moody and meandering electric Wurlitzer organ with master percussionist Cyro Baptista and bassist and oud player Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz. The result is a soundtrack that absolutely holds its own as an incredible composition.
Its framework is built upon melodic improvisation that is activated by a momentous balance of space and rhythm. Traces of folk music (from Hasidic to Yiddish) combined with the soul-jazz sound of the Wurlizter create an appropriately emotional mood for Protocols of Zion, a documentary about the rise of anti-Semitism following 9/11 by director Marc Levin. Truly amazing and moving. Each listen is more rewarding than the previous. Excellent!
MPEG Stream: "Searching For A Past"
MPEG Stream: "Fighting Time"

ZORN, JOHN The Big Gundown: 15th Anniversary Edition (Tzadik) cd 14.98
"The Big Gundown" is John Zorn's famed Ennio Morricone tribute album, wherein Zorn and his downtown cronies (Diamanda Galas, Fred Frith, Arto Lindsay, Vernon Reid, Ned Rothenberg, Christian Marclay, Michihiro Sato, and many many more) play the music of the Italian spaghetti western soundtrack master. Now it's been reissued 15 years later in a digitally remastered, expanded edition. Yep, there's six new, recently recorded bonus tracks (which feature another slew of notables, from Derek Bailey to memmbers of Masada and Mr. Bungle). Arguably one of the Zorn essentials, at the very least it, along with "Spillane", are the Zorn documents that point to his later fixation with soundtrack-music inspired compositions in Naked City.