Popular Music and Local Identity: Rock, Pop and Rap in Europe and Oceania

March 27, 2008 | By Doug In Pop Music |

List Price: ?4.99
Amazon Price: ?3.97
Used Price: ?4.05
Read more..

List Price: ?11.99
Amazon Price: ?9.98
Used Price: ?11.49
Customer Review: Brilliant Soundtrack
I have followed the work of Nick Cave and his wide range of associates for many years. Over this time a number of soundtrack albums have been released. “Ghosts of the Civil Dead”, “Alta Merea / Vaterland” being amongst them. The two recent soundtrack albums for “The Proposition” and “The assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” both Cave / Ellis offerings are very similar in content and theme. Not suprising given both were for large-scale films, set in wide open spaces (Australia and the USA) with storylines involving themes of violence, retribution, family, etc. The soundtrack in both films made a decisive and positive contribution to the experience - involving limited instrumentation, long, slow, melodic passages punctuated by violent action. So buy the soundtrack, watch the film, but do not be suprised if you find the individual tracks from this album are, by and large, interchangeable with that for “The Proposition”.
Customer Review: The Finest Release Of 2007.
“The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford” : A huge, sprawling, operatic western movie that brings to mind the very finest offerings from Sergio Leone. With regards to Leone’s westerns, how integral was the music of Ennio Morricone to the finished product? VERY integral! Put simply, those films would not be the same without the stirring music infusing each sweaty, elongated scene. The thing is, to my mind, Cave and Ellis have actually bettered the soundtrack maestro Morricone with this release. This music is remarkable. Each tune is dripping with emotion, featuring melancholy minor chord changes executed on piano and strings. Warren Ellis’ violin work is stunning - he makes the instrument ache and sob and scrape and cry. I have listened to these compositions on repeat play and literally weeped like a baby! I was going to use this review to pinpoint highlights from this album, but - to be honest - I can’t. Every tune is a winner. Just when you think the sounds can’t get any more heartbreaking…THEY DO! This is the kind of music that evokes feelings of nostalgia, loves lost; a beautiful, irredeemable past. I listened to this album with my brother last night. As the last tune “Song For Bob” played out, my bro uttered (without any kind of irony): “That is one of the most beautiful pieces of music I have ever heard.” And d’you know what? He was right. I urge you to buy this album. No, scratch that - I IMPLORE you to buy this album! A final word - thank you to Nick Cave and Warren Ellis for enriching my life. I will take this music to the grave with me.
Read more..