RECORD REVIEWS
Being John Malkovich
Soundtrack
Virgin
The soundtrack for undoubtedly the year’s most original/weird/best
movie almost manages to be as original/weird/good.
You have to admit, the music guys were facing an uphill task to match it
with the movie. And they do a very good job, almost pulling it off with
a nice collection of instrumentals, vocals, weird mixes of the two and interviews.
Carter (Fargo) Burwell was responsible for this and as he always, always
does manages to find a nice mix that gets the feel of the movie - in this
case, complete and utter strangeness and originality, unlike the vast majority
of the 1999 crop.
It is only appropriate the bizzare Bjork starts the soundtrack with the
typically strange and even more typically infuriating Amphibian. Apologies
to Bjork fans, but that performer just can never win this reviewer over.
Sorry, but its true.
The next song, Malkovich Masterpiece Remix, is said to be by John
Malkovich himself. Now I’m pretty sure that's a woman doing the main
vocals, but with Malkovich’s soft voice, can you be really, really
sure it is? I’m not convinced.
From there, the majority of the songs are from the various parts of the
movie – such as when John Cusack is dancing the puppets, the chase
through Malkovich’s sub-concious and so on – and they help recreate
it for you.
There is also a recreation of Bartok’s Allegro, which is very nice,
and a recording of Burwell explaining a scene to the orchestra.
All in all, this is a fine soundtrack – a perfect mix of sadness, happiness
and haunting music. And you can really picture the parts of the movie that
each piece of music relates to; Burwell seems to be a master of this.
Ahh, if only the movie had scored a best picture nomination ... it should
have been there.
Bug rating: 4/5
- Michael Gordon-Brown
Various Artists
Liberdae - Viva East Timor
Mushroom
Surely, surely, even the most jaded and cynical reviewer could not
be too harsh on this brilliant collection of songs.
Not only are each of the songs performed by totally classy Australian and
overseas performers, but album sales benefit (or were benefitting, anyway)
the people caught up in the violence of East Timor.
The dramatis personae reads like a veritable who’s who of Australian
music.
Midnight Oil jumpstart this swinging and lively album with the truly excellent
Say Your Prayers, and are rather appropriately followed by the Dili
All Stars, straight from East Timor, with the titular Liberdade,
a very funky song with a great beat and rhythm. And, if I’m not mistaken,
a gum leaf.
And the standard doesn’t drop after that. Other performers include
Powderfinger, Garbage, Natalie Imbruglia, The Cruel Sea, Blink 182, Paul
Kelly and so on and so on.
But just in case you don’t believe, others include Ben Lee, Yothu Yindi,
Kate Cebrano. So that should be proof enough of the class of the performers.
So there it is. This album is a fine, and rather stirring, tribute to a
trodden-on people. So if you want to criticise it, do it. I dare you.
Bug rating: 4/5
- Michael Gordon-Brown
Morphine
The Night
Mushroom
It is a little eerie listening to this CD; not only is the music very
dark in nature and eerie in itself, but more so considering Morphine frontman,
Mark Sandman, died on-stage from a heart attack shortly after the CD was
completed.
Morphine’s music is dark and different enough to make for an unusual
and interesting listening experience.
It is very moody and while it probably shouldn’t be categorised anyway,
it does come off sounding like angry blues or jazz.
The titular The Night is undoubtedly the most haunting song. Souvenir
features a long but excellent guitar sequence, while other highlights are
the jazzy (at least compared to the other songs) Top Floor, Bottom Buzzer
and the alternately mellow and brooding Rope on Fire.
Morphine’s brand of music is definitely – repeat definitely –
not for everyone. If you like your songs dark, as in pitch black, then this
is the music for you.
Bug rating: 3/5
Michael Gordon-Brown
Queen
Greatest Hits III
EMI
Boy, Queen just keeps on going, don't they?
Even though their lead singer is tragically long since departed and the
band has been disbanded for many years, they are back with their Greatest
Hits III, a compilation of songs divided into two categories – great
and damn great.
The CD includes several of Queen's best, done with some new bands and vocalists,
including the calibre of David Bowie, Wycleff Jean, Elton John, George Michael
and more.
Brian May, Roger Taylor and Faroukh Bulsara gave birth to Queen in 1970.
In the same year, Freddie Mercury sang in the band for the first time and
the rest is history. One of, if not the, greatest bands of all time. In
the best band section in some British music thingy, Queen came second only
to the Beatles. Freddie also was voted among the top 10 male singers. Bohemian
Rhapsody was song of the millennium. Sadly, Bohemian Rhapsody
is on Queen's Greatest Hits II.
But that doesn't mean Greatest Hits III is a let down.
Of the 17 songs, some are redone but some classics performed solely by Queen
remain, such as one of their most famous songs, Another One Bites The
Dust sung by Wycleff Jean. All the songs are classy, but if highlights
must be singled out, it would probably have to be Barcelona, Somebody
to Love and No-One But You.
As expected, the CD is a class act all the way. Only one question remains
- when will the Greatest Hits albums stop? Queen Greatest Hits III has now
gone platinum in the UK, Ireland, Portugal and double platinum in Italy,
so the prognosis is very good indeed.
Bug rating: 4/5
- Chris Gordon-Brown
Marcy PlayGround
Shape shifter
EMI
After 1998's excellent Sex and Candy, it certainly appeared as if Marcy
Playground were going to be the next big thing, musically speaking.
Then after that, nothing at all happened. More or less.
And while the band's new album, Shapeshifter, is a reasonably entertaining
effort, it still doesn't entirely convince that the band won't have the
doomed, "one hit wonder" label attached to them.
John Wozniak, singer and song writer, had a rather interesting childhood.
It was not unusual for him to wake up to be greeted by medicine men and
Tibetan monks wondering around his house. Really, that is pretty normal
for anyone. The point is this album relates to his childhood experiences.
And the more important point is that the album really isn't all that great.
Sure it has some great moments. "It's Saturday" has a yodeller
in it (uh huh) and is a fine song, as is "Secret Squirrel", "Wave
Motion Gun" and "Pigeon Farm".
It just seemed, when all was said and done, that all the songs did sound
kind of the same and really weren't in the same league as Sex and Candy.
Over all, the CD didn't have that much to offer for non-fans, particularly
the loud type like me. Which is a shame, as Sex and Candy was an excellent
song and the band seemed destined for great things. They still might, though.
Maybe.
Bug rating: 2.5/5
Chris Gordon-Brown
Jimmy Barnes
Love and Fear
Mushroom
Dinkum Aussie blokes can rejoice, as it appears that even though Barnsey
must be about to become an octagarian he can still rock with the best of
them.
His latest album, Love and Fear, proves beyond a doubt that the rocker who,
in my opinion together with Bryan Brown, personifies all things Aussie,
is not finished being finished.
OK, so the album isn't anything earthshattering and by the time track four
rolls around a creeping feeling of dejavu had consumed this reviewer. But
there is something about Barnsey that... makes you proud to be an Australian.
Yep, that's it.
But his growling lyrics have not been tarnished by age and the music still
sounds ok too.
Love and Hate and Time Will Tell are great starters to the album, while
songs (and titles) such as By The Grace of God and Love Song provide a glimpse
as to the future, religious mininster Barnsey.
His slower songs don't, as expected, have the same impact as his rocking
numbers. But there is enough here to suggest there is a bit in the tank
yet. Even for an old, old, old, old man.
Bug rating: 3/5
- Michael Gordon-Brown
Soundtrack
Stigmata
Virgin
As you might expect, the soundtrack for a movie about all things supernatural
was full of light and fluffy songs, by the Spice Girls, Backstreet boys
and so on.
Only kidding.
This soundtrack was rock solid, with contributions from Massive Attack,
Australia's own Natalie Imbruglia and Chumbawamba, who may yet prove not
to be one hit wonders with that hideous Tubthumping from a few years ago.
Surprisingly, the songs are not pitch black, but they all have an interesting
gothic quality to them.
The soundtrack is divided into two parts - the first consists of songs with
lyrics, while the second is mostly instrumentals composed by the Smashing
Pumpkin's Billy Corgan, together with Mike Garson. And both parts blend
well together, though the instrumentals do get a shade boring.
From the first part, Chumbawamba kick things off with the impressive Mary
Mary (Stigmatic Mix). Remy Zero perform the excellent Gramarye, while Bjork,
who would have to be one of the ten weirdest celebrities on earth, sings
the decent All is Full of Love. David Bowie is brilliant as always with
The Pretty Things Are Going to Hell, as is Massive Attack (the suitably
titled Inertia Creeps) and Natalie Imbruglia (Identify, a nice change of
pace for her). The most interesting song is Release, by Afro Celt Sound
System featuring Sinead O'Connor, which blends a host of different instrumentals
with unusual lyrics.
With its subtle dark influence, Stigmata proves to be an interesting soundtrack
that features a diverse array of sounds from a diverse collection of bands.
Which is rather nice.
Bug rating: 3/5
- Michael Gordon-Brown
