Haunting and heartbreaking: a musical tribute to David Lynch
So it's well-deserved that David Lynch received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Film Festival yesterday. His films (and brief television work) have uprooted the staid cinematic landscape and the power of his images continue resonating years and even decades later. But as powerful as Lynch's images are, there's another element to his films that deserves ample credit. Without the equally jarring and memorable music selections, Lynch's works would lose a lot of their punch. A lot of that is clearly due is to Angelo Badalamenti. His eerie scores have given films like Lost Highway and Mulholland Dr. that extra undercurrent of darkness. He was also the one responsible for Twin Peaks' haunting theme. But even beyond his great scores, there's a lot of music that is either performed or used in the movies themselves. There's the unforgettable nod to classic film noir when Isabella Rosselini simmers through "Blue Velvet" and there's Rebekah Del Rio's powerful translation of Roy Orbison's "Crying." There's the diverse craziness of Wild At Heart whose soundtrack features everything from rockabilly to big band to speed metal. There's the heavy use of mid-90s rock (and even Marilyn Mansion in a porno and Henry Rollins as a prison guard) in Lost Highway. In fact, the only other current directors who use music as centrally and evocatively are arguably Tarantino and Jarmusch. Along with being the youngest person ever to receive the Golden Lion and keeping us up to date on the weather, Lynch also continues to challenge and confound with his work. The reports from Venice are trickling in on his new shot-on-digital (!) film Inland Empire and according to GreenCine Daily's David Hudson, "[s]o far, all critics seem able to agree on two things: the new film is enigmatic as hell and it's three hours long." And even better is the quote by exasperated British critic James Christopher who calls it "one of the most impenetrable films ever made." No matter what the final result looks or sounds like, chances are good that it's yet another Lynch creation that will be tough to shake from our minds. Blue Velvet (1986) * MP3: "Blue Velvet" - Isabella Rossellini * MP3: "Blue Velvet" - Bobby Vinton [Buy it] Twin Peaks (1990-1991) * MP3: "Twin Peaks Theme" - Angelo Badalamenti * MP3: "Laura Palmer's Theme" - Angelo Badalamenti [Buy it] Lost Highway (1997) * MP3: "The Perfect Drug" - Nine Inch Nails * MP3: "This Magic Moment" - Lou Reed [Buy it] Mulholland Dr. (2001) * MP3: "Llorando" - Rebekah Del Rio * MP3: "Silencio" - Angelo Badalamenti [Buy it] Music inspired by David Lynch films * MP3: "Promising Actress" - John Vanderslice from Cellar Door (inspired by Mulholland Dr.) [Buy it] * MP3: "People Like Frank" - Amon Tobin from Permutation (inspired by Blue Velvet) [Buy it] |
Comments on "Haunting and heartbreaking: a musical tribute to David Lynch"
You forgot one!
My favorite score of Badalamenti is the main theme for "A Simple Story". Would love if you could post that one.
Great post, I'm a big lynch fan. Lost highway is one of my favorite movies of all time.
Hi there,
My name is Ilaria and i work with the JopRec (www.joprec.org) a little
indipendent label from berlin.
I find your blog over http://hypem.com/ and i will like to send you a
live set from one of our artists (Fernando Poo
www.myspace.com/fernandopoo) to put in free download over your blog...
http://joprec.org/dl/fernando%20poo%204%20charles/live_fernando_new_york.mp3
And, if you want "spend" some words about Fernando new release, a
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kids save the rainforest (http://kidssavingtherainforest.org/), to buy
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You can find more info about in the web page:
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or download the press info here:
http://joprec.org/dl/info_about_plant_an_mptree/
I hope you like fernando music and the project that we are organizing,
and that you will help us to promote it.
That's all...
I wait 4 some newz.
Thanks, Ilaria
ps
If you will support our project we can put a link in plantanmptree web
page to your blog, so we will support your blog too...;-)
ps2
there are some more live sets from Ferny in the same directory, if you
like you can use all of them
http://joprec.org/dl/fernando%20poo%204%20charles/