Romeo and Juliet get hip (Romeo + Juliet - Soundtrack)

Member Name: TigerTiger

Product:	Romeo + Juliet - Soundtrack
Date:	22/04/01 (1947 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A good mix of styles of music; great for those romantics out there

Disadvantages: There are a few bad tracks as with any compilation; may have difficulty getting hold of a copy now

A few years back in 1996 Baz Lurhman remade Romeo and Juliet, one of the greatest love stories ever told, into a hit film starring Clare Danes as Juliet and Leonardo Dicaprio as Romeo. He blended old with new, using Shakespeare’s language in a modern day setting. I actually really liked the film, I felt it was quite fresh and although it took me a few minutes to get into the language, it soon all became clear. As I was sitting in the cinema the first time I watched this film I noticed there were a few songs in the film that I really quite liked and so decided to buy it. After all, surely such a fresh and slightly quirky film had to have a soundtrack to match? Didn’t it?
Well, yes and no in my opinion. There are a couple of tracks that I will always love, like “The Cardigan’s Lovefool” and “Desree’s Kissing you”, however, about half the cd is comprised of tracks that I really don’t like. Thank heavens for the skip button it all I have to say on that one!

The Romeo and Juliet soundtrack contains 13 tracks ranging from dance tracks to the ultimate in cry your eyes out ballad, yes it has it all! Here is my mini guide to each track, it’s style and most importantly whether it is a case of play or skip!

1. Garbage – Crush

A slow and moody song to begin with, typically Garbage. It also has a slightly haunting feel to it. It is all about all the things the person would do for the other person that they have a crush on, like feel pain for them, lie for them and steal for them. I think personally I would have started the album with a more up tempo number, but it is a good song to relax and be mellow to. 6.5/10 - Play

2. Everclear - Local God

This comes from one of the classic hanging out scenes of the 2 rival gangs. I don’t know the band who sing this, but it is rocky and catchy. It talks of a local god, who I take to be Romeo from all the lyrics. Not a
great favourite of mine even though it is surprisingly infectious.
5/10 - Play

3. Gavin Friday – Angel

Taken from the party scene at which Romeo and Juliet meet. For me I think this is quite a chilling track, even if it is more up beat than the previous numbers. Gavin Friday has a pretty feminine voice it has to be said, to be honest I hear this and I think of the singer from The Wedding Singer, you know the one I mean! Angel is a nice song though and although I won’t be reaching to play it on a daily basis I always like it when I hear it. I can see the scene vivdly where their eyes meet when I hear this and so for me it definitely makes me think of falling for someone and those moments when you see someone and you just think wow.
6/10 – Play (albeit occasionally!)

4. One Inch Punch – pretty piece of flesh

Ok, I hate the title, but I gave it a chance. The words pretty piece of flesh all seemed so caveman to me (oops there’s the feminist in me coming out to play again!). Actually the song is worse than I hoped. It is very rocky with lyrics that at times are barely distinguishable. Not one of the pluses of this cd I’m afraid!
4/10 - Skip

5. Desree – kissing you

Now if there was one reason for me buying this cd it is this song. I often do that and end up regretting it, but I haven’t on the whole with this cd. Desree always had a lovely powerful voice and this song does it real justice. This is one for all you romantics out there and definitely not one to play after a break-up, from personal experience it can be quite traumatic! The track is quite slow paced with a piano in the background and it talks about how it feels to be kissing the other person, that it is the best thing in the world. This accompanied a real tearjerker moment in the film and that just seems to add to the whole tragedy to the song. Brilliant, very moving indeed and I am not a big
fan of Desree it has to be said.
9/10 - Play

6. Butthole Surfers – Whatever

If you can get over the name of the group, then read on. I had heard of this band, but didn’t actually know any of their music. This isn’t really my kind of music, however, I think it fits in well with the film as it has a real edge to it and it actually talks of Romeo and so from the lyrics you get some further insight into the whole situation. A mellow rocky track with some mean guitar sets in it.
5/10 - Skip

7. The Cardigans – Lovefool
If there was ever one song that will be associated with this film it is the hit single by the Cardigans, Love Fool. This was one of those songs that I heard all that summer and reminds me of my holiday a great deal. I really like the Cardigans, I like there slightly innocent sound and the light style of their music, this is much more me than some of the rock style tracks. It is also one of those songs that once you hear you will have difficulty getting out of your head. The track itself talks of being in love and how it affects your whole life and wanting to know that the other person feels the same way.
9/10 - Play

8. Kym Mazelle – Young hearts run free

If ever there was one song that could get everyone on the dance floor, then this is a serious contender. Instantly it comes in bold and brassy with powerful lyrics. Kym Mazelle certainly can belt out a good tune. When I hear this I have visions of me and my friends on a dance floor singing away as we know all the words, well, most of them, but give us a few “beverages” and we think we know them all. “Young hearts run free” is about love and how when the heart first finds love everything goes mad and you end u
8/10 – Play

9. Quindon Tarver – Everybody’s Free

Ok, I hate the operatic style opening. However, once those few seconds are over we are left wit
h a beautiful of rendition of “Everybody’s free”. It is a gospal style number with Quindon Tarver leading with quite a childlike sound and a choir in the background. It is quite a short piece, about 130 seconds, but hauntingly listenable.
6/10 Play -(once again occasionally)

10. Mundy – To you I bestow

If you like mellow style guitar numbers then you will like this track. It is almost like David Gray would sound if he was a little more cheerful!! This track fitted in really quite well with the young feel to the film, it had some traditional, even Shakespearean style lyrics combined with a young and fresh style. Very easy to listen to.
6.5/10 - Play

11. Radiohead – Talk show host

I have a bit of a love/ hate relationship with Radiohead (call it Freudian slip, or whatever, I just typed Radiohate there first, hmmmm, spooky). I always think that I don’t like their music, but then I seem incapable of getting them out of my head. I find them quite depressing on the whole and I have to admit this definitely is quite depressing. It isn’t even catchy depressing like some of their tracks. Not really worth listening to, unless things have got really bad, not much more I can say to be honest.
2/10 - Skip

12. Stina Nordenstam- Little star

Stina Nordenstam is like no singer I have heard before. She sings with a real childish style, that in one way sounds like someone lacking some confidence and singing quietly, however, in another sense it is quite chilling. I like it when the background music kicks in with the piano and trumpet. If anyone is familiar with the music from Twin Peaks, then this would not be out of place. Haunting and chilling, but really quite lovely and a piece that I find very easy to chill out to.
6.5/10 - play

13. Wannadies – You and me song

A truly appropriate song to end the cd on, as it is another track that was reall
y successful the summer the film was released. There is something nice in the title “The you and me song”, as let’s face it we all have “you and me” songs of our own. It talks about how these two people (you and me) will be together always. Nice and very Romeo and Juliet-esque!
9/10 – Play (continuously).

~~~Overall thoughts~~~~

So, out of 13 tracks there are 10 worth playing, even if 2 are only worth playing occasionally. That’s isn’t bad value for the £14.99 that I paid for it I believe. I have bought soundtrack compilations on the basis of one or two songs before and as it turned out they were the only 2 songs that I ever listened to. It really is suitable for all moods, if you want to dance, cry, get as little “intimate” or just have something playing in the background, then it offers it all.

This soundtrack is a little old now. I saw a copy of it the other day in HMV, however, it may not be the easiest cd to get hold of. I guess though it could be one of those cd’s you get to pick up for a good price in the sales. Worth a listen to anyway if you can get your hands on a copy.

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