Two-part film soundtrack special

1. The Royal Tenenbaums
   

It may be cheating to include two soundtracks of films by the same director in this list but Wes Anderson's approach to all his films and their soundtracks is so consistently wondrous that it is only fair. The Royal Tenenbaums is one of the best films of the past decade and the soundtrack goes a long way in helping to achieve this accolade. The suicidal scene of Luke Wilson's character Richie Tenenbaum backed by Elliot Smith's Needle In The Hay (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pyBB7y8fDU) is poignant and indeed almost prophetic. Instead of choosing an obvious tear-jerker Anderson chooses a darker and morbid song to accompany the scene, demonstrating his sensitive and nuanced approach to filmmaking which puts his films head and shoulders above most other American movies and British blockbusters (cf. Love Actually etc.). His apparent obsession with 1960s British pop music threads through all his films, using tracks by the Rolling Stones and the Kinks in The Darjeeling Limited and of course David Bowie in The Life Aquatic. The use of what must be a remastered version of These Days by Nico (compared with my inferior version from the album Chelsea Girl) is possibly one of the best things a soundtrack compiler could do in my opinion, being as it is one of the greatest songs and certainly the most effective cover I have heard. Likewise the use of the Velvet Underground's Stephanie Says which to my knowledge is otherwise confined to a lesser known album of outtakes and b sides released in the mid 1980s. As I (criminally) do not own the DVD of the film I was resigned to using YouTube to examine the use of these songs in the film. Nico's song is used when he meets Margot from the bus, and the shots are slowed with no audio bar the song, bookending cleverly with Elliot Smith's song the decline and renewal of Luke Wilson's character (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bl6FbeoXeHQ). According to Wikipedia, Margot Tenenbaum's appearance is loosely based on Nico, showing the deference Wes Anderson pays to music icons that rightly have pride of place in his films; apparently the scene of Margot alighting the bus was written specifically for the song These Days.

This brief sycophantic splurge cannot be concluded without mentioning Nick Drake's Fly. Another musician on the soundtrack who died too young, Nick Drake's presence brings poignancy to this film about tragedy, loss, humour and the drudge of family life. The song is played by Margot during a scene of immense poignancy and loving interaction between her and Richie, not lacking humour as he reveals his scars from his self-harming.

2. The Darjeeling Limited

Using the infallible combination of Western and Eastern, modern and classical, Wes Anderson once again perfects his cinematic virtuosity with an amazing soundtrack in The Darjeeling Limited. The soundtrack begins with the song played in the short prologue Hotel Chevalier and throughout the main feature film, Where Do You Go To (My Lovely) by Peter Sarstedt, a 1960s French singer born in India. That song has particular relevance to me; after buying the soundtrack my sister played that one song on loop for a number of hours and my endurance of this perhaps fed my enthusiasm for the album (and indeed film). On a recent trip to India with the very same sister the song was played repeatedly on train and bus journeys and in hotels. The extent to which travelling in India differs from the experiences of the Whitman brothers is significant but neither here nor there. The use of this song throughout the feature strengthens the character of Jack Whitman perfectly as slightly anxious, obsessive but shy, as he listens to the song at various points reminding him of his ex-girlfriend and using it to seduce the young Indian train stewardess.

Satyajit Ray's cameo in the film:

The soundtrack is packed with music from Indian films, particularly those of Satyajit Ray and Merchant-Ivory (such as track 14, the delightful Typewriter, Tip, Tip, Tip which appears in the film when the brothers are on a packed Indian bus, an accurate portrayal of the sounds and sights of Indian public transport). This is not simply homage to Ray and pioneering Indian filmmakers but sets the American characters of the film into the surroundings perfectly. Track 7 is perhaps the best example of one of the tracks stolen from Satyajit Ray, Charu's Theme from Ray's film Charulata. This particular song is the background to Jack Whitman's several encounters with the Indian train stewardess. My favourite is track 20, Arrival in Benares from the film The Guru, a brilliantly upbeat and short hook line repeated on sitar, electric guitar, some form of flute and tuned percussion (my knowledge of Indian music and instrumentation is poor). The addictive quality of this short tune is apparent in its position in my iTunes 25 most played. Tellingly, it appears in the film when the brothers come to a form of conclusion relating to their personal journeys and their relationship with their mother and as such has a liberating quality as they finally feel able to return home.

The traditional prayer (track 10) from a Sikh temple in Jodphur is astounding, the emotive nature of Indian spiritual song is incredible and the beautiful percussive of arrangement of the table drum continues into the next track. The use of harmonium in the prayer reminds me of time spent in Hindu temples in India and England and leads me to think that it is one of the most beautiful sounding instruments. The sound is so simple yet so soulful because of the scales used, arrangements and improvisational urges.

3. Ghost World

It's difficult to round up the best soundtracks. Near misses included Little Miss Sunshine for introducing the world to DeVotchKa (in particular the amazing song How It Ends), Lost In Translation (anything Kevin Shields touches turns to genius) and Juno (for songs like Dearest by Buddy Holly, Anyone Else But You by the Moldy Peaches, Sonic Youth's glorious cover of Superstar and I'm Sticking With You by The Velvet Underground). In fact the reason Juno misses out is the awful first track that is sickening and overplayed and just bloody horrid (it's called All I Want Is You) and the fact they included two songs by the sub-par Belle and Sebastian, I suspect just to attract the kooky indie kids and middle-aged wankers.

Also an honourable mention to De Battre Mon Coeur C'est Arrete (The Beat That My Heart Skipped) which drew on classical music, French techno, Bloc Party and what must be the Kills finest composition, Monkey 23. But this next soundtrack is not just an overpriced mix CD of some good songs like many of the best soundtracks are; like The Darjeeling Limited it saps niche music relevant to the film. In this case the relevance is blues and jazz from the early 20^th century which the hero of the story, Seymour (depicted perfectly by Steve Buschemi) is obsessed with in the nerdiest possible way – notice the way he slips the LP Enid buys from his stall into a yellow plastic bag early on in the film at their first proper meeting.

The finest song in the film is one that is eulogised by Seymour in the film, Skip James' Devil Got My Woman. There is something about this song that captures pain and hurt and converts it into a fresh and defiant blues song.

The opening scene is of Enid dancing in her room to a song by an Indian pop musician, Jaan Pehechaan Ho by Mohammed Rafi. In encapsulates her taste in the unconventional which is pastiched during the film (especially by the anti-Semite who criticises her 1970s punk look).

The rest of the soundtrack is amazing early 20^th century jazz stuff which I would otherwise never have discovered, you can hear the crackle of the records and even though the characters in the film are fictional, listening to the soundtrack makes you believe you are listening to the music through Enid's ears. There are two joke songs on the album, the Graduation Rap (a painful performance by Enid's classmates) and Pickin' Cotton Blues (a truly awful song by Blueshammer, the 'authentic' blues band whom Seymour cannot stomach). The theme at the end by David Kitay is incredible. Like the theme from Amelie it is a haunting piano piece that goes perfectly with the scene of the old man leaving on the bus. Sentimental without being mawkish it finishes the film perfectly.

4. Trainspotting

Nothing screams nostalgia quite like the 1996 cult hit film Trainspotting. Its popularity is based not just on the excellent story (based on Irvine Welsh's novel), brilliant acting et cetera but perhaps on the disgust with which mums, dads and The Daily Mail view it. The soundtrack captures well its cult appeal, the counter cultural music of the time, the House beats and indie tracks that define that generation (see Primal Scream's contribution entitled Trainspotting). New Order's finest song, Temptation, is used in the scene following Renton's dalliance with a school-girl - as he uncomfortably waits for her, she is heard singing along to the song in the shower.

The highlight of the soundtrack is easily Blur's Sing from their debut album Leisure. At first the song struck me as rather pedestrian and dull (unlike the manic Popscene and subsequent album Modern Life Is Rubbish). But it is subtle and it grows, throughout the song with the various build-ups and the more it is listened to. The verses are deep and dark and the chorus is a bit of an anti-climax, but in the best possible way.

Nearly as good as Sing is Born Slippy by Underworld. Granted, the song is overplayed especially if you listened to Radio 1/watched MTV for much of the 90s but not only is the song amazing but it fits perfectly with the film. The optimism of a new start is encapsulated in the euphoric delayed chords at the beginning (which out of, and perhaps in, context could easily be found on an Ibiza compilation CD). But the hectic and pulsating nature of the song taps into the decade that saw so many technological advances, the feeling that anything was possible and that progress was inevitable. This track probably got Tony Blair out of bed every morning.

Also, who wouldn't enjoy the inclusion of Iggy Pop and Lou Reed on a film soundtrack?

This week Rosa has been getting over Glastonbury festival both emotionally, spiritually and physically...

Quote of the Week (courtesy of the Daily Mail's website) comes from Chloe Madeley, daughter of Richard and Judy:

"I went through a stage when I was 12 of wearing slutty clothes – tiny denim skirts and boob tubes – and he'd say to Mum, 'Don't worry, she'll grow out of it,' and I did." Er, did you? Quick Google image search of 'Chloe Madeley' might refute this.