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Top 10 soundtracks of 2007

Top 10 soundtracks of 2007

#10- This is England

This is another great soundtrack from a little unknown gem of a film. Clayhill, Toots & The Maytals, Soft cell, The Specials, Strawberry Switchblade and many more.

#9 – Southland Tales

Following up on an amazing soundtrack from his first feature film Donnie Darco; director Richard Kelly once again impresses us with the soundtrack to his new film. Alternative rock giants like Jane’s Addiction and the Pixies, country legend Waylon Jennings, Northern Soul crooner Bertha Tillman, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and more. Unfortunately not all the tracks featured on the film make the soundtrack. A little too much Moby and even Britney Spears. If I could choose, I would have taken her x-Justin (who actually stars in this movie) over her. In any case the music works well with the film as a soundtrack should.

#8 – Talk To Me

Although I have not seen an official soundtrack in stores yet, the film features an all star cast of musical geniuses including James Brown, Otis Redding, Clarence Carter, and more. How could a radio DJ not include this on the list given the film is a biopic of one of the greatest radio personalities of all time,

#7- Black Snake Moan

The film is dedicated to the memory of R.L. Burnside. His digital ghost performs “Old Black Mattie” here, and his tune “Just Like a Bird Without a Feather,” is covered by Jackson with Burnside’s adopted son and sideman Kenny Brown. There are also cuts here by the Black Keys, Jessie Mae Hemphill, Scott Bomar the soundtrack’s producer, John Doe, Outrageous Cherry (covering Junior Kimbrough no less), Bobby Rush, Precious Bryant and the North Mississippi All-stars

#6 – Juno

#5 – Darjeeling Limited

A touch of the Kinks, Indian art music, from celebrated director/composer Satyajit Ray to violinist/singer/composer Shankar. Toss in a little Debussy and Beethoven, a dash of gospel and The Rolling Stones. Enough said. This is all over the map.

#4 – Once

Songs from the key scenes are on this album, including the twangy “Broken Hearted Hoover Fixer Sucker Guy” and Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova’s music store duet “Falling Slowly.” Aficionados of Hansard’s band The Frames will recognize tracks already in their collections; new fans will swoon all over again.

#3 – Hot Fuzz

The soundtrack touches on the film’s police theme without being heavy-handed (no songs by the Police, for example)

Featuring Supergrass’ “Caught by the Fuzz” and XTC’s “Sgt. Rock (Is Going to Help Me)” Also Jon Spencer and the Elegant Too’s heavy, funky “Here Come the Fuzz” feels equally inspired by Jimi Hendrix and the themes to ’70s cop shows. You will also hear the Kinks, The Eels and of course how could you leave out the track “The Hot Fuzz Suite`

#2 – Death Proof

Tarantino soundtracks are often as exciting as the films themselves and Death Proof is no exception to the rule. With the likes of April March, T-Rex, Eddie Floyd, The Coasters, Dave Dee, Dozy, Bich & Tich and the great Ennio Morricone.

The pleasure of this soundtrack is precisely how all the little-known songs create their own fantastical spin on the late ’60s and ’70s, just like how Tarantino does it within the film itself.

#1 – I’m Not There

A double disk with 32 tracks. I’m Not There gels as an album, partially because a good portion of the soundtrack is recorded with one of two different house bands: the dusty, cinematic Arizona outfit Calexico and the Million Dollar Bashers, a super group assembled for this gig featuring guitarist Lee Renaldo and drummer Steve Shelley of Sonic Youth, Tom Verlaine, Dylan’s regular bassist Tony Garnier, Wilco guitarist Nels Cline, guitarist Smokey Hormel, and organist John Medeski.

Have you heard the cover of `Going to Acapulco` by Calexico and (lead singer of My Morning Jacket), Jim James. If not than it mean two things. You have not listened to The Naked Lunch radio show and more importantly you have not seen the film yet.

Special mention

Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten

I may be cheating here, seeing as I did not want to mention documentaries but I couldn’t resist. This documentary gets bogged down with its celebrity eulogies of Strummer, but the soundtrack picks up the slack. There’s still chatter, yet rather than limit itself to cherry picking songs from the former Clash front man’s illustrious past, the album includes songs Strummer aired on his BBC radio show – from Elvis Presley to Nina Simone. For purists, there’s also a strong selection of Strummer’s own output such as “Trash City,” which debuted nearly 20 years ago on the soundtrack to the Keanu Reeves flick “Permanent Record.”

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