After an absence of several weeks, Music 4 Mondays is back with a bonanza issue! Here are five songs from five of my favourite soundtracks.
1. Battlestar Galactica
Right, by now you would have known that I am just a huge fan of the show. It’s dark, gritty, engaging and realistic for a sci-fi show. Unlike other sci-fi shows, there are no pointy-eared aliens chasing after the humans. Instead, we have the Cylons, robots that were created by the humans, whose evolution is now beyond the intelligence and comprehension of their creators. Oh, and the cast is ab-fab sexy too.
The soundtrack is a fusion of many influences, from orchestra to muzak, but the predominant sound is tribal, due to the generous use of the percussive instruments and drums. It’s a wonderful complement to the show, conveying suspense, sadness and hope in all 30 tracks.
One of my favourite tracks is the humorous Battlestar Operatica, which is essentially an Italian opera. But underneath the posh sounds, the translated lyrics just kills you:
Woe upon your Cylon heart
There’s a toaster in your head
And it wears high heels
Number Six calls to you
The Cylon Detector beckons
Your girlfriend is a toaster
Woe upon your Cylon heart
Alas, disgrace! Alas, sadness and misery!
The toaster has a pretty dress
Red like its glowing spine
Number Six whispers
By your command
The characters in the show term the Cylons toasters, due to their shiny chrome finishing. Of course, that was before they realised that the Cylons could now look and talk exactly like human beings.
2. Lord of the Rings
The trilogy has got to be my all-time favourite movie. I recently completed a marathon of all three movies, the director’s cut version, and was seriously awed by the magnificent work. There could never be a movie like LOTR, ever.
One of my favourite tracks from the soundtrack is Billy Boyd’s solo. When set against the background of Faramir’s suicide mission to Osgiliath, which is teeming with enemy troops, it is hauntingly poignant and sombre. Silence can be a most powerful tool when used sparingly and wisely, and in this scene where Faramir are charging towards a rain of arrows and potential death, the lack of instruments prove to be more effective than a cacophony of bangs would have been.
Home is behind
The world ahead
And there are many paths to tread
Through shadow
To the edge of night
Until the stars are all alight
Mist and shadow
Cloud and shade
All shall fade
All shall…fade
3. The Chronicles of Narnia
I had the good fortune of catching the show again and I have to say that I really, really like it. Georgie Henley just grows on you and even Skandar Keynes, the actor playing the silly and misguided Edmund, managed to tug at my heartstrings.
When I stepped out of the cinema, I was humming the show’s main musical motif, just like how LOTR’s managed to get stuck in my head after my repeated viewings. And throughout the show, I was fascinated by how the music helped to bring out the tender and charming moments. When the credits rolled, I heard a distinctly familiar voice bringing the magical world of Narnia to life with her unique vocals.
Imogen Heap.
What a beautiful, whimsical song this is!
It’s just as she sang, “It couldn’t be any more beautiful/I can’t take it in“.
4. The O.C
Okay, so the show is trashy, has not-so-interesting plots but hey, I am addicted to it still. How could you resist the yummy fashion and fairy tale stories? Plus, and that’s a gigantic plus, the show has one of the most kickass music I have ever heard on a television series.
Creator Josh Schwartz has said before that he had based the character of geeky Seth Cohen (played by an adorable Adam Brody, damn what is it with these gorgeous Brody lads?) loosely on himself, which means that he is an alternative music lover. He has showcased bands such as Rooney and Modest Mouse in the show, and used tracks from many others such as Super Furry Animals and South.
Go, Sadness from Swedish group Shout Out Louds is one of those featured in a recent episode and I have to say that this bare bones, minimalistic song is really addictive.
5. My Best Friend’s Wedding
Through the years, this movie has remained one of my favourites. I am a soppy romantic at heart and the whole “let’s marry each other at 28 if we aren’t married by then” best-friend promise was just so touching. Hey, I was just 18 when the movie screened.
Anyway, this album is chockful of Burt Bacharach favourites and was my first introduction to this great songwriter. From the opening scene with Ani DeFranco’s Wishin’ and Hopin’ to the musicalesque I Say A Little Prayer, the soundtrack is just full of gems.
But the outstanding track has to be Tony Bennett’s version of The Way You Look Tonight. It’s subtly romantic and brings a warmth that goes right down to the very tips of your toes.
The Way You Look Tonight (right click and “save as”)[Let's play tag! Battlestargalactica, lordoftherings, LOTR, movies, narnia, o.c]
