Frenchy’s Fracas

General Description
Artist/Band: Outkast
Album Title: Idlewild
Year: 2006

Not a Classic?
 
How I Got Into This Music
Hmm.. First time I saw/heard a track by these guys was The Art Of Storytelling with Slick Rick . It caught my attention: speedy, smart rapping and two guys not really fitting the usual rap star mold. I kinda lost track of them (didn’t even remember the band name), but then Bombs Over Baghdad happened - WOW! Still one of the most incredible things I’ve ever heard in my life.. Just the drum beat programming knocked me off my chair, damn!.
And then, I kinda lost track of them, again - silly me. With the fantastic Speakerboxx/The Love Below album these guys made it to the top and now they’re a household name in rap and pop. Now the soundtrack to their Idlewild movie Project has been released.

Album credits at artistdirect.com || Google Search: Other reviews of Idlewild || Review at Answers.com

Tracks that got my attention:
Intro
It’s a great way to start an album: taking on the critics in one clean sweep. But the sneakiness is in the great music that’s lurking in the background

Mighty “O”
Easy single material - the Cab Calloway/Minnie the Moocher hook works perfectly for the pop charts

Peaches ft. Sleepy Brown, Scar
Outkast has a lot of styles that can be called their own and Typical Outkast. This is one of them: Big Boi’s hi-tempo rap, sweet and lush accompanying vocals and a very, very tight beat. Love it

Idlewild Blue
Second single off the album. Very gutsy video, song’s okay.

N2U
See the remarks for Peaches - it’s smart, how they do this track, people ‘ll be humming this track for weeks

Chronomentrophobia
This one’s more the Andre 3000 flavour but in this case, it doesn’t work for me

The Train ft. Sleepy Brown, Scar
Okay, I should be getting tired of hearing the same style over and over, but like Peaches and N2U, this track really gives me a great feeling. I guess with this album, I’m preferring Big Boi’s work more than Andre 3000’s

Hollywood Divorce ft. Lil’ Wayne, Snoop Dogg
Very strong track, the combo of different rap vocals, the haunting keyboards and ultra-dry hi-hat beat are very tasty. Also a likely candidate for single release

Call The Law ft. Janelle Monae
Very nice vocals from this lady, the retro Roaring Twenties feel fits the theme of the movie

Makes No Sense At All
Andre 3000 genius insanity - love it and hate it at the same time, makes no sense at all..

PJ And Rooster
This is truely Outkast: weird, funny, sharp and witty - that’s what Gnarls Barkley tried to copy and still haven’t mastered..

Greatest Show On Earth ft. Macy Gray
I just love this girl’s attitude, her performance on this track with Andre 3000’s backing vocals help create a great circus atmosphere - offbeat, kinky and fun!

Conclusion
I kinda expected the same new discoveries I made while listening to their previous album, but that’s very silly and contradictory.. These guys have a unique and fresh approach to the production and performance of the tracks. Even if their work is a bit predictable on this album, it still is very high quality stuff. Not really interested in the movie, the album’s good enough for me.

Rating: (being just a wee bit generous..)

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General Description
Artist/Band: Gabriel Yared
Album Title: Betty Blue a.k.a. 37°2 Le Matin (Movie Soundtrack)
Year: 1988

Manic mood swings between joy and sadness
 
How I Got Into This Music
Hmm.. Lemme think for a minute.. Yep, ‘89: there was this TV ad for some brand (Stefanel, clothing). This ad was quite cheesy, girl at the edge of a rocky coast in deep contemplation, blahblahblah. But the tune they used..
I couldn’t get it out of my head, it drove me nuts, I loved it! Took me quite a while to find out who the artist was: Gabriel Yared. Who? Didn’t know.. People told me it was from this French movie called Betty Blue or 37°2 le matin. So what? Didn’t care about the movie then, but a room mate had the soundtrack and when I listened to it, it was instant nirvana.

Google Search: Reviews of Betty Blue a.k.a. 37°2 Le Matin (Movie Soundtrack)

Tracks that got my attention:
Betty et Zorg
This is the main theme in the movie score, this theme was used in different musical styles on the soundtrack. This is the lazy jazzy version, with an excellent saxophone-harmonica combo.

Des Orages Pour la Nuit
Stormy weather indeed.. Often told anecdote: I used to program my CD player with my favorite tracks of this album, put it on repeat and go to sleep. I messed up once and programmed this track too and woke up in the middle of the night, totally freaked out, still fresh out of the nightmare I care not to describe.

Cargo Voyage
Second theme in the movie also performed in different styles. This version is a beautiful harmonica thingy, love it!

La Poubelle Cuisine
Funny tune, an Italian flavored dish in a French movie

Humecter la Monture
Now THIS is what elevator music should sound like!

Le Petit Nicolas
Variation of Des Orages Pour La Nuit (wiping the sweat from my brow..)

Comme Les Deux Doights de la Main
This theme was the one they used in the TV ad that started my whole love affair with this album

Chile con Carne
Delicious Brazilian variant - love the sweet whistling!

Maudits Maneges
Carnival or circus theme, beautiful and haunting at the same time. Like I was a little kid again..

Conclusion
Didn’t do a track-by-track review coz like I wrote before, this score uses three or four themes and uses different versions of those themes. Tracks like La Poubelle Cuisine and Humecter La Monture stand on their own and offer a nice break from those theme variations. Enough with the clinical crap already!
This is one of my favorite albums because it was and still is to me one of those great little discoveries in music. I never heard music that way before (or at least, never payed any real attention) and I never thought an instrumental soundtrack would be strong enough to work on its own merits. Let alone make we want to go see the movie.
And the movie? Depressingly beautiful, but that’s another review..

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General Description
Artist/Band:Soundtrack
Album Title: Round Midnight
Year: 1986

Monk and Hancock: great combo!
 
How I Got Into This Music
Incredibly difficult for me to remember, which came first: the movie or the soundtrack? Must be the movie (this time). I can remember the story (but that’s another review) and I can definitely remember the music that was used. When I bought the album I was just starting to listen to jazz so I wasn’t really aware of the history behind the music and its composers.
Herbie Hancock scored the movie and composed some of the tracks, but the most important part is the tribute to the works of that incredible genius, Thelonious Monk.
So, here’s my review..

Album credits at artistdirect.com

Tracks that got my attention:
(well, all of them actually..)
‘Round Midnight
Hmmm.. Always a smile on my face when I listen to this track, coz it took me quite some time before I realized that the vocals are by that music fanatic extraordinaire, Bobby McFerrin. So sweet.. so sweet.. The original is on of Monk’s classic tracks.

Body And Soul
If there is such a thing as a French style of jazz than it sure as hell is the guitar strumming on this track. The late Dexter Gordon takes you for a great walk in the park..

Bérangére’s Nightmare
Heheh.. I had this thing with CD’s for a while: I’d select the nicest and slowest tracks and program them in a loop. I’d go to sleep while enjoying some nice music. This track is one of two tracks I accidentally programmed that woke me up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat..
The tempo and the bass just got to me, and yes, the title really is appropriate.

Fair Weather ft. Chet Baker
You will believe in angels when you hear the sweet vocals of Chet Baker

Una Noche Con Francis
Great sax and trumpet solos!! And that walking bass..

The Peacocks
This one took me a bit to get used to, but now it’s one of my faves. The alt-sax (I’m guessing..) builds a great tension - slow, soft, intense..

How Long Has This Been Going On?
I remember this song being performed in the movie by the excellent Lonette McKee . Later on, I found out that this lady’s performing the vocals on the track too.
This is one of those songs I can hum or sing anytime and anywhere (sometimes causing some embarrassing moments), I really enjoy the lyrics and the fantastic voice!

Rhythm-A-Ning
Another track of Monk in a great big band mood.

Still Time
Jazz Legend Ron Carter on bass and Hancock’s piano slowly but surely warming your heart, body and soul..

Rhythm-A-Ning
Another track of Monk in a great big band mood.

Minuit Aux Champs-Elysees
Things to do in a next life: learn to play the vibraphone like mister Bobby Hutcherson

Chan’s Song (Never Said)
Sweet finale to a great album: again, Bobby McFerrin’s beautiful falsetto vocals almost bringing tears to me eyes (getting more sentimental by the year, yes, I am..)

Conclusion
This album still to me is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever heard in jazz music.

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General Description
Artist/Band: Joe Hisaishi
Album Title: Joe Hisaishi Meets Kitano Films
Year: 2001

Scores o’ emotions! (ouch, bad pun alert..)
 
How I Got Into This Music
Well, during one of my early visits to the International Film Festival of Rotterdam I was lucky enough to go see one of Takeshi Kitano ’s movies and I liked the stuff very much. When I saw the “Hana-Bi” movie it dawned on me that it’s not only the visuals: the score is incredible!
Around the same time, I also started watching movies by the excellent director, mister Hayao Miyazaki . And then it really, really hit me: I recognized the score as being from the same composer, but who was the composer?!?
Some quick scanning on the Net gave me the answer: mister Joe Hisaishi .
And by another coincidence I came across this album.

Tracks that got my attention:
Intro Office Kitano Sound Logo
Short Sweetness: not the type to use a gimmick ringtone, but this one would be the first I’d consider..

Summer
From the Kikujiro movie, a great theme to make your gloomy day a bit lighter.. Even though one part reminds me a bit too much of Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day”. Love the typewriter tempo piano bit!

The Rain
Part of the package: a bit of cinematic drama with a very sad violin, begging for some Valium

Drifter… In LAX
A good score reminds you of the scenes of a movie or at least of the movie itself. This track from the Brother movie works..

Ballad
Typical JH, sets the mood for the scene, even though I can’t remember the specific scene ;o)

Brother
Main theme from the movie, confusing intro but perfect followthrough.

Bus Stop
Soundscape, landscape, no difference..

Play On The Sands
Haven’t seen Sonatine yet, but I do love this piece. It’ll be weird to see the movie now, I’d be like a big kid when this score is played: “Yep, that’s the one!”

Thank You.. For Everything
Ooooooooooo.. MAN!
This one’s so powerful, before the end of the track you get yanked back to the scene in Hana-Bi. One of my favorite scenes ever!! (hmm.. sounds like a great blog topic!)

Conclusion
It’s fun and kinda weird to review a movie score compilation album, but that’s okay ;o)
What I like about JH’s work is the great combo of sounds and images you get by listening his work. Now, I know that that’s what you kinda expect from a film score, but not every score accomplishes this seemingly simple task. Remember, most people know film scores that work with memorable scenes, like the first time That Shark Gets His Lunch or The Girl Gets Stabbed In The Shower. Ah, but does anyone remember the rest of the music? I wonder.. Not ultimately important for the movie-seeing experience, but still..
Some of this composer’s songs are awfully sweet and cliched, but the overall effect is, at least to me, a very memorable and pleasant experience. Love it!

Rating: (and hours of bliss..)

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General Description
Artist/Band: Soundtrack
Album Title: Love Jones
Year: 1997

How I Got Into This Music
So it’s already more than seven years ago.. Wow..
Anyways, a guy I worked with had this CD and it was one of our favorites to play during office time. I never saw the movie, still on my To Do List, I guess..

Tracks that got my attention:

Dionne Farris - “Hopeless”
This one’s one of my favorite “dream away” music. That voice melts down the toughest of souls, incredible! Gotta start checking this lady out for any other goods she’s delivered

Lauryn Hill - “The Sweetest Thing”
Here’s an artist that never impressed me with her talents, other than the incredible beauty she radiates, but that really ain’t enough in my book.. But this song was perfect.

Groove Theory - “Never Enough”
Soulful track, performing great music in a time that crapola R&B ruled

Cassandra Wilson - “You Move Me”
Ooooohh.. on your knees and thank the creator of choice for such a great talent and great track!

Marcus Miller and my girl Me’Shell NdegeOcello - “Rush Over”
Some songs are worth a lifetime of happiness and inspiration and this track’s one of them: crazy jazz/slaphappy/funky bass lines with the incredible dark and luxurious voice of Me’shell - Happy Puppy, me!

BNH - “I Like It”
Brand New Heavies at the peak of their powers - groooovaay..

Kenny Latimore - “Can’t Get Enough”
If you gotta have some smooth R&B to accompany some romantic nastiness, look no further! Shmoooooov..

Duke Ellington and John Coltrane - “In A Sentimental Mood”
Perfect, nuff said..

Conclusion
Soundtracks don’t really work for me but sometimes you come across a gem like this one. Great collection of tracks performed by excellent artists
Doesn’t hurt your brain with existential dread, it just mellows out your day for you. Nothing more, nothing less!

Rating:

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