Clockers (1995 Film)

Worth it for the first four tracks alone...

I would actually rate this at 4 1/2 because I think the first four tracks go very far to redeem the 6 or 7 weak/wack hip-hop tracks that make up the rest of the album. Marc Dorsey's "People in Search of a Life" and Chaka Khan's "Love Me Still" give a great first and last impression of the film as they appear in the opening and closing credits to the film, respectively. Marc Dorsey's voice is reminiscent of Stevie Wonder at his most earnest and sincere, and his opening track sets the mood for a gritty tale of urban blight. Upon hearing this song I WANTED to like the movie (and I did, very much). Chaka Khan's ballad evokes a certain tenderness that serves to complement the hardness of the characters and their environment. It adds another dimension that enhances and augments the human quality expressed in its dramatic counterpart. Desiree's "Silent Hero" is another life-affirming, feel-good piece which is delivered in that typical breezy style that made her a sensation in '94. But it is as catchy and less corny than "Gotta Be", and more powerful, given the context of the film. Seal is great at creating an atmosphere. He is soulful without being a straight-up soul singer. Only Seal's throaty croon could deliver lyrics like "like a bird of freedom, you ain't got no dues to pay" and make them not sound forced. His vocal performance matches the song content, in that it DOES soar. Unfortunately, the euphoria ends abruptly with the Crooklyn Dodgers, and about five or six other forgettable hip-hop/R&B tracks. I don't say this to be dismissive--the rest of the songs are definitely more up-tempo, but they do not measure up to the beauty of the first 19 minutes of the CD. I don't need anymore reminding that Mr. Lee is from Brooklyn, and they sometimes call it "Crooklyn", etc. The movie already already does a decent job conveying this. I love hip-hop, but these songs sounded dated even in '95. Still worth it for the first four, and as a memento from a great film. September 6, 2008

Something for everyone

As long as I live, I'll never forget the bone-chilling opening sequences to the 1995 Spike Lee Joint from which came this soundtrack. The sequences were apparently made up of real-life crime scene photos and the stark portrayal of the gruesome, needless waste of young black male life was difficult to watch. The movie, which gives a snapshot of one young man's navigation through the perils of the drug trade, starred Harvey Keitel, John Turturro & Delroy Lindo, and introduced us to (now "ER" star) Mekhi Phifer.

The opening sequences were given an added haunting quality by Marc Dorsey's performance of "People In Search Of A Life", one of the best songs I've ever heard. The song, which features some very mournful strings and a soprano sax performance of sheer beauty, was written, produced & arranged by Raymond Jones. I felt sure Dorsey's career would go into the stratosphere after that and although he did collaborate with Lee again and eventually went on to release an album in 1999, it did not include this track and overall, (despite his cover of the Stevie Wonder song "All I Do"), was a bit of a let down. He didn't release any further albums so I'm guessing I'm not the only one who felt that way.

Anyhoo, this soundtrack not only offers that particular gem but a host of others, including: "Love Me Still", a beautiful ballad by Chaka Khan that became one of her biggest hits at a time when she was keeping a bit of a low profile; "Silent Hero", a guitar-driven ballad by Des'ree, (who was red-hot at the time); "Bird Of Freedom", a brilliant Trevor Horn-produced ballad by Seal; and the DJ Premier-produced "Return Of The Crooklyn Dodgers" by Crooklyn Dodgers '95 - one of my favourite hip-hop tunes of all time. (Just listen out for what they call Barbara Walters. I don't think they like her very much!). I'm a nut for practically anything Premo and this one gets me jumping every time.

"Bad Boy No Go A Jail" by Mega Banton (a ragga tune, if you like that kind of thing); "Blast of the Iron" by Rebels of Authority, a lively hip-hop banger (literally) that reminds me of Naughty By Nature; and "Reality Check" by jazz/hip-hop amalgamation Buckshot LeFonque, are also all interesting, noteworthy tracks. "Changes", Dorsey's other tune on here is very different to the first one and much more in line with what was popular in r&b at the time. It's an okay tune but it's dated now (at least to these ears) and doesn't utilise his voice well enough, in my opinion.

I have quite a number of movie soundtracks but this has always been one of my favourites. I hadn't played it in ages until it came up in conversation with my good buddy Derek. I thought it definitely merited a review. My only (tiny) problem with the soundtrack was that it didn't provide more detail about the music on it. We don't know who performed the sax solo on "People In Search Of A Life", for instance (although I suspect it was Branford Marsalis). Minor quibble aside, there's something for everyone here and I can't recommend it highly enough.

Also worth checking out is Terence Blanchard's Original Orchestral Score From The Motion Picture Clockers. A must for any Blanchard fan. April 20, 2008

Clockers Soundtrack

"Clockers" (1995) was a memorable movie, enhanced by some great music. The relatively short soundtrack consists of thirteen tracks; my personal favorite is Crookyln 95's classic "Return of The Crookyln Dodgers". On this joint the Crookyln 95 crew consisted of Jeru The Damaja, O.C., Chubb Rock, with DJ Premier lacing the cut with some of his finest production (The Original Crooklyn dodgers were- Buckshot, Special Ed & Masta Ace, With ATCQ producing). I love the way this track vibes, its timeless, and the MC's shine on it. Mark Dorsey's delivers a heartfelt track with the deep "People In Search Of A Life" and Chaka Khan delivers a strong romantic joint with "Love Me Still". Des'ree's "Silent Hero" flows through well, then Seal delivers a powerful cut with "Bird of Freedom". Reggae type joints from Mega Banton & Rebelz of Authority bring some variety to match some raw grimy cuts from Buckshot Le Fonque, Strictly Difficult, and the Brooklyntes. Marc Dorsey closes the soundtrack off with the smooth "Changes". A successful blend of Hip Hop, R & B and Reggae cuts make "Clockers" a soundtrack worth having in the collection.

March 18, 2006

Music from the inner cities that cries out.

As I've said in one of my Listmania lists, "Clockers", as a movie, grabbed hold of my heart when I saw it the first time. The hold was so powerful that I had to see it a second time within the same weekend. With the movie still fresh in my mind the following Monday, I went to a local music store and ordered the soundtrack.

This is the first soundtrack I've ever owned in my collection to have an explicit lyrics label on it. I think it's worth noting that the clean tracks on this CD come before most of the explicit ones. (to cushion the ride for sensitive listeners, perhaps?) Even after writing papers in college against censorship of the music industry, I still wince every now and then when I hear the F-word in these songs. This album is not for the faint of heart. No disrespect toward any artists is intended.

The profanities in the gangsta rap tracks notwithstanding, I agree with the reviewer who says that the soundtrack covers a wide variety of genres. The biggest reason I bought this one, if you want to know, was so that I could own "Love Me Still" by Chaka Khan (with Bruce Hornsby on piano).

Yet I will always remember this movie, and its songs, when I think of the things black people went through in the past, and in some ways, still have to go through today. I am white; whenever I hear "People In Search of a Life" by Marc Dorsey, I know what's coming next: a wave of sorrow that flows across all time periods, simply because black people have been treated like second-class citizens throughout history. It makes me wish I could do something to help. February 8, 2001

Great varied soundtrack

Spike Lee has always made a big deal of music in his movies. Music in Lee's "joints" has always functioned as score. And that having been said, the "score" for "Clockers" is chosen excellently.

The soundtrack pools from all corners of black music. From the soulful desperation of Marc Dorsey's "People in Search of a Life," to the thug-core stylings of Strictly Difficult's "Illa Killa," lots of genres are represented here.

And the songs chosen certainly don't disappoint. Check the unexpectedly heavy bump of Seal's "Bird of Freedom," the acoustic and hopeful "Silent Hero," by Des'ree, and the DJ-Premier-engineered brilliance of "Return of the Crooklyn Dodgers '95," featuring Chubb Rock, O.C. and Jeru the Damaja.

And the list keeps on. Dancehaller Mega Banton growls his deepest all over the simple piano-and-bass riff of "Bad Boy No Go A Jail," and Chaka Khan contributes a completely beautiful ballad, "Love You Still," only to be crushed under the creepy "Blast of the Iron," by Rebelz of Authority.

There are a couple throwaway's here, though. The Rebelz' second contribution, "Sex Soldier," suffers from a boring loop and second-rate lyrics, and Marc Dorsey's second cut, "Changes," sounds like a bad Bobby Brown song (ugh).

But all in all, this is a moving soundtrack to a great film that is well worth your dollars. December 14, 2000

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