Add Your Voice To Hans Zimmer's Score For "The Dark Knight Rises" Via UJAM!
With “Batman: The Dark Knight” having become one of the most popular movies of the last decade (it currently ranks ninth on IMDb’s list of the Top 500 movies in history), Warner was sure to milk the final part of the trilogy for all it’s worth. And that’s exactly what has happened, with teasers and trailers cropping up everywhere, a full year before the movie (titled “The Dark Knight Rises”) is set to hit theaters.
And Warner’s latest promotional ploy is one you’d most likely be interested in. The movie’s composer is no other than Hans Zimmer (yes, the man behind the score for “The Phantom Of The Opera” and countless others), and he’s inviting people to contribute to the film’s score.
It’s all done via UJAM, with you recording and submitting a chant to be used in a massive chorus at some point in “The Dark Knight Rises”.
And just to make it clear who this initiative is aimed at, let me quote the man himself:
“There is no such thing as out-of-tune, no timing we can’t fix later. If you mumble, growl, scream or whisper, it’s all good. Make it yours. If you only get halfway through, no problem! Do it alone, bring your friends, but do it with energy and commitment.
Let your voice be heard and be a part of our adventure!”
A Double Album, "The Kids Are Alright" Was The Companion Piece To One Of The Most Memorable Rock & Roll Biopics Ever
The soundtrack to Jeff Stein’s highly-adored biopic is a double album made up of live highlights. Of course, the terms “live” and “highlight” are the bywords when we are talking about The Who with Keith Moon sitting behind the kit.
The version of “A Quick One” at the Rolling Stones’ Rock & Roll Circus leads the charge. The Who stole the show that day, to the point that the Stones (aware that they had been outplayed) later tried to sell the movie to The Who so that they could release it as their Rock & Roll Circus. Personally, I like the version which is included on the “Live At Leeds” album even better. But in any case, both cuts showcase what a demolishing live band The Who was during the “Tommy” period.
That is also underlined by the three songs from Woodstock which are included – all three are “Tommy” numbers (“Pinball Wizard”, “Sparks” and “See Me, Feel Me”) and they are all terrific. They can also be found on the original “Woodstock” soundtrack. The version of “Sparks”, incidentally, is also featured on “Almost Famous” – it is the song that makes the main character realize his destiny of becoming a music journalist.
Likewise, the album includes the cataclysmic performance from “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” that earned Moon the moniker of “British Patent Exploding Number”. It is not really a “live” number (they are playing over a track which was prerecorded), but it has the full dialogue introduction in which the guys drive Tommy Smothers crazy.
And three songs are featured from two concerts which were specifically scheduled for the film. The first took place at Kilburn and it was a major disaster. The one track from that concert which found its way here proves it, as the band struggles through “My Wife”, arguably John Entwistle’s best stage number alongside “Heaven & Hell” and one that they seldom got wrong. For years, fans have joked that the live version of “My Wife” recorded at that gig was only included on “The Kids Are Alright” as a way to show that the band could have days off, just like everybody else. Continue reading →
French Musicians Daft Punk Have Taken Care Of Composing The OST To Tron: Legacy
Tron: Legacy is the sequel to 1982’s immensely popular sci-fi title. This time around, the plot revolves around Sam (the son of Jeff Bridges’ original character, played by Garrett Hedlund) entering the digital world in search of his father (and eventually playing in the field against him).
The movie is one of the first ever set to be released in RealD 3D. Hey, is there any single title that would lend itself best to such technology?
And Tron: Legacy’s OST (by French musicians Daft Punk) can already be ordered from this website. You can either buy it in MP3 format for $ 10, or as a physical CD for $ 35. In the second case, you are also getting a Daft Punk poster as part of the package. Continue reading →
The First Installment Of The Elizabethtown Soundtrack Was Issued In 2006. Two Different Covers Were Used, You Can See The Other One Below.
Cameron Crowe’s 2005 film didn’t turn out to be for Americana what “Almost Famous” was for rock and roll. But the comparison should not be drawn that quickly. Look at it like this: just everybody knows what rock and roll music is all about, no matter where he lives. However, many people outside of the States haven’t got an idea what Americana actually is. I live in Uruguay, and few are acquainted with the concept. As a matter of fact, not even the people in charge of the two biggest import stores in the country knew that such a genre existed when I asked them. They had no idea My Morning Jacket was an Americana band, for example. They just associated the band with rock.
I think that such a fact showcases the main hurdle “Elizabethtown” faced, and I am talking about the music – the story was beautifully narrated and uplifting in every sense (look for the review of the movie in the next couple of days). But the music featured on the film lacked the general appeal that the songs on the soundtrack to “Almost Famous” and other films by Crowe like “Vanilla Sky” and “Jerry Maguire” had. The Elizabethtown soundtracks (there were two of them) were to be more specialized by definition. And that is always a barrier that repels a lot of people.
Anyway, those who are keen on the sounds hailing from the southern regions of the US couldn’t ask for a more enlightening album. Both discs are true mini-encyclopedias that touch upon artists both old and new – from Tom Petty and Lindsey Buckingham to Ryan Adams and My Morning Jacket, the old and the new mingle and swap places in a very supple way. Besides, the presence of songs by Patty Griffin only makes the link between past and present stand stronger – her career might have started in earnest in 1992, but she has been around since the late ‘70s, and she has associations with emblematic figures like Emmylou Harris and Ellis Paul.
In any case, many classic rock and pop performers are featured. As far as the first volume goes, these include The Hollies’ excellent “Jesus Was A Crossmaker” (the first song that is featured on the film, during the helicopter sequence) and Elton John. As you know, Elton stole the show on the “Almost Famous” soundtrack with the song “Tiny Dancer” (originally found on “Madman Across The Water”, one of his first truly necessary records from 1971). Suitably enough, the song of his featured on “Elizabethtown” was “My Father’s Gun”, from “Tumbleweed Connection” (his 1970 record devoted to Country and Western themes). In my humble opinion, Elton provided a movie by Cameron Crowe with its most memorable composition once again, although it can’t be negated that the song plays twice, and during key scenes at that (it is actually played during the journey at the end, in the most cathartic moment for Drew, the protagonist).
And Crowe also found room for some oddballs and left turns along the way. The most obvious example is “Let It Out (Let It All Hang Out)”, a one-off hit for a ‘60s band named The Hombres that was never heard about again. The song is disorienting at first (it is lodged between Buckingham’s unendurable “Shut Us Down” and Eastmountainsouth’s “Hard Times”), but it all eventually gels together. Continue reading →
Once's Original Soundtrack Album Is Dominated By Glen Hansard's Songs. Marketa Irglova Has Two Songs In, And The Band "Interference" (With Glen In Tow) Contributes "Gold"
This new section (Original Soundtrack Albums) should have been added to MusicKO last month. I knew that the first album to be featured had to be the OST to “Once”, arguably the most striking musical I have ever seen. And that was what held me for so long. I have lived with the CD for the past month, trying to convince myself that it is every bit as good or essential as the film. And it is not. It is a fine album. But the movie was more than fine in every sense.
The problem might as well lie in Marketa’s solo songs. “The Hill” is not played fully in the movie. It is used in a very specific scene towards the end, and if you take the scene away you are also taking its weight with it. And “If You Want Me” is completely insipid. It dawns on you that what matters is how the song comes to be (the phenomenal street shot), not the finished song. The impromptu “Broken Hearted Hoover Fixer Sucker Guy” is a toss-off, and while it is too short to cross anybody it is irrelevant.
Besides, “Say It To Me Now” is somehow limp if you didn’t watch the scene in the movie, with the camera slowly closing in and the Girl clapping as the shot ends.
Still, the album has its fair share of brilliance. I don’t need to tell you about
“Falling Slowly” because the song speaks for itself. I would kill to get my hands on the Oscar performance. All I could find was the performance embedded above, and the moment when Glen and Marketa get the coveted statues. Notice how they cut poor Marketa off. It is a good thing the host brings her back after the break. You can watch it here. Continue reading →
What would you say is the soundtrack to your life? Have you ever really taken a minute or two and thought about it? If you have never done that, this site will make you stop in your tracks and ponder on your musical past.
In essence, it is a community site that lets anybody share his music-related memories such as the first concert he attended, the first album he bought…. If you become a user you will be able to keep your own journal, write reviews of those pieces that have left a mark on you, and recommend them to other people who also visit the site. It is even possible to engage that people by creating lists and competing in music trivia games. Of course, that is a top way of creating bonds. Continue reading →
