To me, one of the most iconic sequences in 21st century cinema comes towards the end of Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill, Volume One. I’m talking about the scene in which Tokyo crime boss O-ren (played by Lucy Liu) walks through the House of Blue Leaves, flanked on either side by her bubble gum-chewing bodyguards. While there’s a lot that makes this scene memorable (the slow-mo staging, Liu’s regal yet fierce persona), what I always remember first when I think about this scene is the song playing on the soundtrack.
Of course, I’m talking about Tomoyasu Hotei’s Battle Without Honor or Humanity. Though the song was not originally written for Kill Bill, it seem to almost perfectly epitomize volume one of Tarantino’s masterpiece. Yes, it’s over-the-top and shamelessly excessive. Yet, much like the best of the grindhouse films that inspired Tarantino, it’s performed with such an undeniable artistry that it’s impossible not to get drawn into it.
Whenever I’m out grocery shopping or walking to my office at the start of my workday, I always imagine that this is the song playing in the background. It definitely brings a little stride to my step.
(The song has other uses as well. A month ago, I wanted to perform a little impromptu dance for a friend of mine. This is the song that I ended up dancing to because I knew that, with this song backing you up, it’s impossible not to look good doing whatever you might happen to be doing.)
The last couple days I have been watching a particular classic Disney animated film not to mention listening to its accompanying soundtrack almost non-stop since yesterday. The song I’ve picked for my latest “song of the day” is the track, “Beauty and The Beast”, and not the Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson version which ends the film.
Beauty and The Beast ranks as one of my favorite films ever. Not just a favorite animated film but a favorite of the medium of filmmaking in general. I saw it the weekend it was first released in the theaters in 1991. I was just out of high school, just turned 18 and eyes full of hope and promise. This film made a huge impact on me and it’s musical score even more so. The score and the songs were composed by musical virtuosos Alan Menken and Howard Ashman.
The score is what I would call classic orchestral. It fit the film and the story it was to accompany. The ballad which marks the turning point in the growing relationship between Belle and the Beast was one of my favorites in the film and truly captures the essence of the story. While I must say that I also loved the pop version of the song by Celine Dion (before she went all Vegas crazy in laters years) and R&B singer, Peabo Bryson, it would be the song as sung by Angela Lansbury (in the role of Mrs. Potts) which I consider the better version.
It is difficult not to listen to this version and not picture in one’s mind the sweeping motion of the scene as we see the ballroom in all it’s detailed grandeur. It was this song which marked the high point in my life when unbridled hope and optimism still ruled my life. I would say that even as an 18-year old I was still innocent when it came to certain things in life. “Beauty and The Beast” symbolized that part of my life and whenever I listen to it again almost 20 years now I reminisce about that innocent time in my life.
We all have a particular song, film or story which brings back fond memories of better days in our lives and this song from one of the best films ever made does it for me.
Beauty and The Beast
Tale as old as time
True as it can be
Barely even friends
Then somebody bends
Unexpectedly
Just a little change
Small to say the least
Both a little scared
Neither one prepared
Beauty and the Beast
Ever just the same
Ever a surprise
Ever as before
And ever just as sure
As the sun will rise
Tale as old as time
Tune as old as song
Bittersweet and strange
Finding you can change
Learning you were wrong
Certain as the sun
Rising in the east
Tale as old as time
Song as old as rhyme
Beauty and the Beast
Tale as old as time
Song as old as rhyme
Beauty and the Beast
The news about Clint Mansell being brought in to compose the score for the upcoming Mass Effect 3 rpg from BioWare has me listening through the score from the previous two games in the series. To continue the jonesing I’m getting from this news I’ve chosen track 25 from the Mass Effect 2 soundtrack to be the latest “Song of the Day”.
“Suicide Mission” comes into Mass Effect 2 around the beginning of the third and final act of the game when the player has gathered and assembled his team of rogues, assassins, berserkers and all sorts of undesirables to make that final jump through the Omega 4 Mass Relay. This track brings together the main theme from the very first game with the brass heavy and hopeful sound of track 5, “Normandy Reborn”, in the second game.
I sometimes just reload the save prior to the jump through the Omega 4 just so I can listen to this particular track of the soundtrack and see the visuals accompanying it. If I don’t feel like replaying that part of the game I’d just reload right before the end credits begins and just enjoy listening to it.
“Suicide Mission” just brings an epic sound to the game and anyone who has played it knows how it brings to rise goosebumps upon hearing it. For those who haven’t played the games this piece of music just brings to mind some of the best in epic, orchestral scores.
Some major news on the video game front was reported today. One of the most critically-acclaimed video game franchises of the last five years will have an award-winning music composer creating the score for it.
The game in question is the third (most likely final entry in the current trilogy) game in BioWare’s Mass Effect rpg franchise. The composer is one Clint Mansell. He is the same Clint Mansell who has created some of the most evocative film scores for the last decade and most of it for Darren Aronofsky’s films (Pi, Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain, The Wrestler, Black Swan).
Mass Effect 3 will be Mansell’s first foray into video game music composing. This is great news for fans of the franchise. It lends an even more cinematic flair to a series whose musical score were already great to begin with.
EA and BioWare are definitely pulling out all the stops to create a worthy finish to this trilogy. I already know that I will be getting the game and I will definitely be buying the soundtrack once it’s up for sale (I already own the first two that were composed by Jack Wall).
PS: Here’s two pieces of music so people understand why I thought the first two game had awesome scores and Mansell being brought in for the third means awesome just went up to 11.
As I type this, it is a little after midnight which means that technically, I did watch the Super Bowl Half-Time Show last night.
Why Was I Watching It?
To be honest, this was the first Super Bowl I’ve ever actually seen. I’m not totally sure but I think this was also the first time that I’ve ever actually seen an entire football game. I wasn’t planning on watching the Super Bowl. As a matter of fact, I had already turned down an invitation to go to a super bowl party at my sister Megan’s precisely because I had decided I had no interest in watching the game. I also turned down an invitation to go watch the game with Jeff’s family. Instead, I thought I’d simply take advantage of everyone else watching the game by spending all of Sunday on a nice, big shopping spree. However, about two hours into that spree, my asthma started to act up so I came home early, turned on the TV, and there was the game. So, I left the game on while I did some online shopping (I nearly bought this until I noticed that it cost $725!) and then once I got onto twitter, everyone was talking about the game so I continued to watch the game and I ended up having so much fun commenting on it that I ended up watching the entire thing. I do have to admit that I was, for the most part, completely and totally lost as to what was going on but no matter. I had fun.
Anyway, once I started kinda watching the game, I realized there was no way I couldn’t watch the Super Bowl Half-Time Show.
What’s It About?
Apparently, every year, some other band plays the Super Bowl during half-time. This year, the band turned out to be the Black-Eyed Peas. I have something of a girlcrush on Fergie. Or at least I did until I saw the half-time show.
What Worked?
Uhmm…maybe this would work better if we start with what didn’t work.
What Didn’t Work?
Pretty much the entire show. The Black Eyed Peas have been performing this exact same show for a few hundred years now and they could pretty much do it in their sleep which is what they appeared to be doing here.
However, just saying that the Black Eyed Peas looked bored — well, that doesn’t begin to explain why this show inspired thousands of people to stare at their TV and scream, “Turn it off, turn it off, turn it off!” like George C. Scott in Hardcore. It’s not just that the show was bad — it was that it was bad in so many different ways and, in each case, it stretched the boundaries of what had previously been considered to be a believable level of failure.
Hence, Will.i.am not only appeared to have been replaced by a robot but he appeared to have been replaced by a robot that was actually Cartman underneath a cardboard box. Fergie — who, in the past, I felt never got enough credit (her performance in Nine was one of the few exciting moments in that film) — was not only pitchy but actually sounded like she was auditioning for American Idol. The two other Black-Eyed Peas were — well, who really cares about them?
Then you had the dancers in the neon costumes who all looked like they had wandered off of the set of Tron. And, seriously, do we really want to be reminded of Tron at this point?
And then, just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse, Usher showed up. “Look,” I said to my cat, “Usher’s still alive.” “Meow,” the cat replied. Usher sang a few notes that pretty much evaporated in the stadium and then jumped in the air and did the splits. Which I guess would have been impressive except for the fact that he’s Usher and guys aren’t supposed to be able to do the splits like that.
I’m sure I could come up with a few more things that didn’t work but, quite frankly, I think my mind is repressing them right now.
What Worked?
Twitter. In the nearly two years that I’ve been on twitter, I have never seen everyone as united as they were in their general ridicule of the Super Bowl halftime show. So, in a strange way, the Black Eyed Peas brought the world together for about 15 minutes.
Here’s a few of my own tweets from the Half-Time Show:
Uhmm…is the half-time show a tribute to Tron? Where’s Jeff Bridges?
lol, Fergie couldn’t wait to get away from the rest of the Black Eyed Peas.
The Black-Eyed Peas are reminding me of that Stop Smoking Act from that episode of South Park.
The reason the crowd is cheering is b/c they can’t hear the Black Eyed Peas. That stadium is huge.
Oh good. I was just thinking that only Usher could save the half-time show.
And so, sadly, ends my girlcrush on Fergie.
Oh My God! Just Like Me! Moments
I can’t sing that well either.
Lessons Learned
The Black Eyed Peas are about to reach that point where they end up with a reality show on VH1.
For today’s “Song of the Day,” I couldn’t decide between two tracks I had in mind—so I decided to feature them together. This time, it’s not just a “song of the day,” but “songs of the day.” Once you hear what I’ve chosen, you’ll understand why they belong side by side.
The latest selections come from film score composer Basil Poledouris, taken from what many consider his finest work and one of the greatest film scores ever written for the big screen: Conan the Barbarian (1982). The two tracks—Anvil of Crom and Riddle of Steel/Riders of Doom—especially in the Varese Sarabande release, form the powerful and unforgettable musical introduction to the Hyperborean world Conan inhabits.
Anvil of Crom opens the film with thunderous intensity. Timpani drums drive the rhythm while a massive ensemble of 24 French horns and bold brass deliver an overwhelming sense of might and grandeur. This introduction has become synonymous with Conan the Barbarian, earning fame well beyond the film itself—it’s often reused by other filmmakers in trailers for its commanding energy. Even though the piece runs under three minutes, Poledouris’s composition immediately establishes the epic tone audiences should expect from the journey ahead.
Following it is Riddle of Steel/Riders of Doom, which introduces the musical motifs for Conan and his nemesis, Thulsa Doom. The track begins peacefully, gradually building into Conan’s theme—the “riddle of steel” referenced in the title. This serenity is soon shattered as Riders of Doom emerges, dark and orchestral, marking Thulsa Doom’s presence. The second half bears a clear resemblance to Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, and while some critics suggest Poledouris leaned too heavily on Orff’s influence, I disagree. He may have drawn inspiration, but his execution stands triumphantly on its own, resulting in one of the most iconic pieces of film music ever composed.
Heard back-to-back, it’s evident why these two tracks must come as a pair. Anvil of Crom and Riddle of Steel/Riders of Doom are inseparable—an epic one-two punch that gives real force to the film’s opening narration by Conan’s chronicler, who speaks of “the days of high adventure.” The music doesn’t just accompany the words—it drives them home with a surge of raw, mythic power that perfectly captures the spirit of ancient legends and the world’s forgotten ages.
It was either 3 or 4 years ago that I first heard this song playing over the end credits of an episode of The Sopranos. Other than recognizing the iconic and deadpan twang of the late William S. Burroughs, I had absolutely no idea who performed this song or even what the song’s title was.
However, this previous Christmas, I received a copy of The Sopranos: A Family History from my sister Erin and as I was reading through it last night, I came across a reference to the very song. I discovered that the name of the song was “Seven Souls” and that it was performed by an “experimental” group called Material.
I then proceeded to do even more extensive, deep-digging research and … well, okay, to be honest, I’m lazy so I just looked it up on Wikipedia. And according to Wikipedia, Seven Souls was released in 1990 and it features William S. Burroughs reading passages from his book The Western Lands.
Anyway, here it is…”Seven Souls” by Material and William S. Burroughs…
Since I have been in a metal state of mind since finding out that The Big 4 of thrash metal would be appearing together on-stage this coming April 23 at Indio, CA I just had to pick a metal song for the latest “Song of the Day”. The song picked was an easy choice. It was Diamond Head’s classic metal track, “Am I Evil?”, from their 1980 debut album Lightning to the Nations.
Taking inspiration from the openings of both Black Sabbath’s “Symphony of the Universe” and Gustav Holst’s “Mars, the bringer of war”, the beginning of Diamond Head’s “Am I Evil?” has become one of the most recognizable and beloved of all metal songs. Right from the start the song just oozes an aura of heavy evil and the lyrics of a young boy who witnesses his mother’s witch-burning and his quest to avenge that death just adds to the doom and gloom of the song.
Diamond Head was part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWBHM for short) bands which bridged the Atlantic from the mid-to-late 70’s all the way into the early part of the 80’s. While they were not as successful as other groups who came out of the NWBHM scene like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Def Leppard they were a huge influence on another growing subgenre of metal that was about to give birth in the U.S.
I speak of the rise of thrash metal and how it’s four horsemen (Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer and Megadeth) would look to Diamond Head as one of the NWBHM bands which influenced their sound with all four looking at Diamond Head’s “Am I Evil?” as one of those songs which taught them what heavy metal really meant.
It’s no surprise that during the concert tour season of 2010 these four giants of thrash metal would tour together and do seven shows with the show in Sofia, Bulgaria ending with three of the four bands sharing the stage to cover this Diamond Head classic.
Whether played by Diamond Head, Metallica or the Big 4 just listening to “Am I Evil?” definitely makes one feel like their soul just got darker and their heart colder. Just the way heavy metal should affect anyone and be glad that it does.
Am I Evil?
My mother was a witch, she was burned alive Thankless little bitch, for the tears I cried Take her down now, don’t wanna see her face Blistered and burnt, can’t hide my disgrace
27 every one was nice, gotta see them, Make them pay the price See their bodies out on the ice, take my time
Am I evil, yes I am Am I evil, I am man
As I watched my Mother die, I lost my head Revenge now I sought, to break with my bread Takin’ no chances, you come with me I’ll split you to the bone Help set you free.
27 every one was nice, gotta see them, Make them pay the price See their bodies out on the ice, take my time
Am I evil, yes I am Am I evil, I am man
On with the action now, I’ll strip your pride I’ll spread your blood around, I’ll see you ride Your face is scarred with steel, wounds deep and neat Like a double dozen before you, smell so sweet.
27 every one was nice, gotta see them, Make them pay the price See their bodies out on the ice, take my time
Am I evil, yes I am Am I evil, I am man
I’ll make my residence, I’ll watch your fire You can come with me, sweet desire My face is long forgotten, my face not my own Sweet and timely whore, take me home
First news that 70,000 tons of metal wasn’t a scam and thus automatically becoming the greatest cruise ever to put out to see. Now, news of The Big 4 doing a show in the US a week after the Coachella Music Festival in Indio, California.
Who are The Big 4 and why do I sound excited about this news. Well, The Big 4 are the four greatest thrash metal bands and one could say four of the greatest metal bands to ever grace the land of heavy metal. The Big 4 show will include the bands Anthrax, Megadeth and Slayer with the biggest of the four in Metallica looming over everyone. Yes, these four bands will be performing together for the first and only time on U.S. soil. They had done a similar tour over in Europe last year and each show were sold out and were a headbanging success.
While I won’t be able to make the show (already committed to attending Anime Boston which will occur the same weekend) I’m sure there’s enough people who read this site who live in California and wish to partake on this very metal of an event.
Tickets will go on sale on January 28, 2011 so metal fans who want to attend better get to buying them tickets and raise the horns!
*I’m sure necromoonyeti wishes he could attend this show as well as 70,000 tons of metal.
*Also, the fact that the Coachella Music Festival seems to be lacking in the metal department makes that 3-day event an #epicfail
For the latest entry to the “song of the day” feature I go back to my younger years. I’m talking about when I was still barely into my 20’s. My choice for the new song of the day is Japanese composer Uematsu Nobuo’s main title theme for the Squaresoft (before they became Square-Enix) fantasy role-playing game Final Fantasy VI.
The song is “Terra’s Theme” (in the original Japanese it was called “Tina’s Theme”) and starts off the game. The version above is the piano solo version which Square-Enix produced as part of the special “Final Fantasy Piano Collections” cd releases which took all the video game music for each game in the Final Fantasy series game and remade them into piano solo pieces. Uematsu’s original composition for Final Fantasy VI (also for most of the game’s in the series he composed the music for) were very heavily-influenced by classical music traditions and one can really hear it in this main theme.
While the piano solo version is quite a haunting melody which gives some clues to the character of Terra Branford. The two versions below are the original video game music which is really a well-done MIDI file to allow it to be encoded into the game cartridge when it was first released for the SNES system. The other one is a live recording of Uematsu himself conducting an orchestra. While all three have become one of my favorite pieces of music of all kinds (not just video game music) it is the piano solo which solidified “Terra’s Theme” as one of the best songs I’ve ever heard.
Through the Shattered Lens 