The Darjeeling Limited

Music plays a huge part in director Wes Anderson's meticulously crafted world. For this movie set in India, he's come up with a typically wide-ranging, mind-boggling soundtrack largely culled from the mid-'60s and early '70s, despite the fact that the film is set in the present. Though Indian cinema has come to mean Bollywood for most Americans, Anderson pays tribute to art filmmaker Satyajit Ray by including music from some of his movies, mines the early (1963-1970), lesser-known oeuvre of James Ivory, and features traditional Indian tunes. This may throw fans of Bollywood's more frantic style at first (even if the upbeat go-go "Typewriter Tip, Tip, Tip," co-sung by superstar Asha Bhosle, gets close), but the music's eerie charm works in insidious ways. British Invasion pop, an enduring love of Anderson's, is represented by obscure songs from well-known combos (three cuts from the Kinks' 1970 album Lola versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One), as well as obscure songs from obscure performers, like Peter Sarstedt's 1969 nugget "Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)." Add a fantastic Rolling Stones pop tune from 1965, a couple of Western classical tracks, a popular French hit by Joe Dassin, and you have a CD that's all over the map yet oddly consistent in its eccentricity. --Elisabeth Vincentelli Amazon.com

interesting mix and dive into old movie music

You will become addicted to this soundtrack. It actually surpasses the movie in that respect (although the movie is great too). I'm ready to start searching the cable channels or Netflix looking for these old Satyajit Ray movies. April 27, 2008

Stop the train

Loved the movie, the soundtrack is not that great. The quirkiness of the movie does not translate well to the CD. The indian music selections on the disc leave much to be desired. March 16, 2008

Less original than it would seem

Granted, granted, This Time Tomorrow and Strangers are fantastic songs desperately thirsting for greater attention, probably two of the best you've never heard. However, all of the Kinks songs on this soundtrack are from Lola vs. the Powerman, The Kinks most famous (not saying much) album. That album is a moving experience in itself and a better purchase than this album. In fact, go buy the old Kinks catalogue (at least Arthur, Village Green, and Face) if you're turned on by this stuff. Wes has great taste, but this is somehow lazy in selection (for the love of Pete, Tea plays an enormous role in the the movie and the Kinks classic, 'Have a cuppa tea' is not used because it's on a different album). At least take this as an opportunity to be guided to one of the great albums of all time. Great music, but you can get it in a better form. March 16, 2008

So worth it

I have found a new artist to like because of this movie and soundtrack. Peter Sarstedt is amazing. I love the Kinks in this soundtrack along with some of the "room" tracks. LOVE IT! March 10, 2008

Where do you go to my lovely?

I have to admit that I haven't seen THE DARJEELING LIMITED. The reason I have picked up the soundtrack is for the music, especially by Sathajit Ray. I am fascinated by Indian music and that fascination is what led me to pick up THE DARJEELING LIMITED. I love how the soundtrack is mixed between Satyajit Ray's film scores, classical music, and classic rock songs by The Rolling Stones and The Kinks. Surprisingly enough, the combinations of these diverse sounds really worked for me. I love how the soundtrack starts off with the lovely folk song "Where Do You Go to (My Lovely)" by Peter Sarstedt. There isn't a single song on the entire soundtrack that made me want to hit the skip button on my stereo. February 13, 2008

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