Angelo Badalamenti, David Lynch - Mulholland Drive: Original Motion Picture Score

Director David Lynch's affection for kitschy lounge music and emotionally overwrought mid-century pop has long since proven to be more than trend or irony; indeed, it's often the uneasy spiritual axis of his films. The soundtrack of Mulholland Dr. turns on the usual Lynchian motifs (the brooding atmosphere of Angelo Badalamenti's ominous synth-and-orchestra cues tossed with a dash of Lynch's own off-center compositions), yet manages to evoke a sense of foreboding that's distinctly its own. Badalamenti leads off with a curve, the nervous orchestra swing-romp "Jitterbug," before descending into a dark soundscape that becomes murkier and more avant-goth at every turn. Bubbling through that morass are pop nuggets variously cheesy (Dave Cavanaugh's lounge-ready "The Beast"), lugubriously bluesy (Sonny Boy Williamson's take on Willie Dixon's "Bring It On Home"), and alternately innocent ("I've Told Every Little Star") and liturgical ("Llorando"). Three tracks of the director's own (cowritten with John Neff) skulking Lounge Music from Hell ratchet up the tension even further; it's the perfect garnish for this darkly delicious film-music cocktail. --Jerry McCulley Amazon.com

Like Film, Like Soundtrack

There are a few lesser tracks, but all in all every bit as entertaining, quirky and surreal as the film itself. Moody, dark '50s-'60s L.A. period piece, film noir. February 10, 2008

In this dream, you are Betty Elms

The reviews here simply don't do justice to the soundtrack. It's very hypnotizing and elevates you to this reality that you indeed have the same mental energy displayed by the first character of Betty Elms, who Diane Selwyn identifies with as herself in a dream she is having. The dark scenery conveyed by this music puts you in her place, where through darkness you hold to your innocence. The movie and music interplay in this way to the effect of putting you in that darkness where you are the same girl that Diane is seeing in her dream, the girl she knows herself to be without the hellish reality she is in as a sort of resolve to the hell she's in. This Naomi Watts specifically conveyed what I thought is a part of me that may also be a part of you, and you will notice it in the way you look at things and how your face expresses your innocence to a dark world. Then there is the music for Rita. I also reviewed the movie, which I also recommend. My favorite track is the 9th one in this respect. Secondly, which you may find suitable for your funeral, is the last song. The rest I almost prefer watching the movie and appreciating it all while viewing, but it's music you must have after you've seen it. January 13, 2007

Badalamenti does it again.

If you're a fan of Angelo Badalamenti's scores for David Lynch, you'll want to add this to your collection as well. Haunting synth pieces lull you into the dreamlike world Lynch created with this film, and there are some other types of music to jazz it up a little. Particularly striking is Rebekah Del Rio's cover of Roy Orbison's "Crying." November 17, 2006

Take a drive through David Lynch's musical hell and deluding darkness...

To start of, I regard "Mulholland Dr." as David Lynch magnum opus, his most masterfully created cinema of deceit, lust and darkness. Compelling, totally deranged, original, sometimes hilarious funny, and three minutes later scary as hell.

David Lynch's movies are always heavy set on atmosphere, and this is partly caused by the director's long time musical collaborator Angelo Badalamenti. From the jazzy, loungy tunes for the t.v. series "Twin Peaks" to the dark overtones of "Blue Velvet", Badalamenti knows wich buttons to push to make an eerie composition, a few notes of estrangeness and give the audience an unsetteling feeling.

"Mulholland Dr." is filled with music. Most of it is purely on the soundrack with Badalamenti's score coming very close to high quality dark ambient acts like Lustmord, Raison d'Etre or Hazard, others are sung "live" in the movie, like Linda Scott's sweet bubblegumish "I've told every little star", two very hip tunes ("The beast" by Milt Buckner and Sonny Boy Williamson's "Bring it on home") and of course Rebekah Del Rio's acapella performance of "llorando", the Spanish version of Roy Orbison's evergreen.

But the greatest surprise to me were three tracks by David Lynch himself in collaboration with one John Neff. And these three pieces are to be find on a solo cd by David Lynch called "Blue Bob".
I never knew before seeing "Mulholland Dr." that David Lynch is also a guiter player and singer. Now I know and I must say that his song "Mountains falling" is the most brooding, creeping, swirling and erotic sounding piece of electric guitar music I have ever heard.

So play this album and hit the road, Jack. And pray that indeed you will come back...
June 26, 2006

dark and (often) beautiful

anyone who has seen mulholland drive knows that the soundtrack lent a very important hand to the overall vibe of the movie. so you would think that it would be hard to enjoy one without the other, but this soundtrack suceeds very well on its own. alot of film scores are fine and enhance the movie while yr watching it, but are trash when taken alone and this sndtrk is kind of above that. i'm not really big on any of the lynch/neff tracks, but they work fine in the movie. the other songs that weren't written by badalamenti are pretty good and are a nice change of pace. my favorite tracks are dwarfland/love theme (especially the latter half), mulholland drive/love theme, llorando, and diane and camilla. i dont believe that diane and camilla was in the movie, but its a very beautiful piece that i think sums up the diane/camilla relationship quite well. anyway, i really like this cd and anyone who enjoyed the film would do well to pick this up November 25, 2005

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