In honor of Devil's Night, a fictional Holiday popularized by one of my favorite movies of all time, The Crow, I wanted to make a post showing my appreciation for a HUGE reason why this movie was and still is incredible, the impecable soundtrack.DISCLAIMER: This is a blog where I clearly stated to my fellow proprietor that I'll probably ramble on extensively. This is one of those instances. So, if you don't like to read, the link is at the bottom. Enjoy~~
Mind you, I started reading comic books regularly and got into rock music at a very young age, with the influence and helpful exposure by my gracious and generous older brother and his tape collection. I saw the Crow when it came out in 1994 and had to find the graphic novelization of the original James O'Barr comic series shortly after. One thing I was intrigued by was how great the songs on the soundtrack were and how O'Barr incorporated themes from the Cure and Joy Division into the characterization and idea of Eric Draven himself and even subliminally threw in lyrics to songs in the dialogue of the book. The songs featured in the film added a perfectly fitting backdrop and never ceased to flow seamlessly with the action and drama of every scene.
"Burn" - The Cure – 6:39 - Apparently, this was a re-recorded working of a song the band had already previously written and recorded...Which album it was on, I do not recall and I am a huge Cure fan, top 10 favorite bands of all time status even, but, whatever. I'm glad this is the only version of the song I've ever personally heard, because anything short of it wouldn't have been as perfect as this version. I feel like it sets the entire mood of the movie. Robert Smith's voice and someone ominously preparing to start a spiritually cleansing and death-obsessed journey of the soul, go hand in hand like spaghetti and meatballs. My favorite part about this song is how in previous Cure songs, as present as Smith's wide vocal range and projection may have been, there was never a HUGE and as dramatic song as this one, instrumentally. The pairing of the vocal arrangements and the BIG instrumentals, particularly, the catchy lead guitars, makes this song timeless.
"Golgotha Tenement Blues" - Machines of Loving Grace – 4:01 - This is such a great song. MOLG were a semi-well known hard rock band from the early/mid 90s, but never truly broke the mold. I heard this song and immediately knew I'd always remember its importance to the corresponding scene in the film. It's such a dark, grizzly, foreboding and welcoming entrance piece for Draven to dive into Funboy's heroin-den/bedroom, you'd think someone purposely turned the song on on a stereo somewhere in the movie and said "HEY, this song would be perfect to be played right now while this psychotic ghost-person murders you, man!". Enough said.
"Big Empty" - Stone Temple Pilots – 4:56 - STP is one of the best hard rock bands of all time. Period. Not my personal opinion, not a generalization or exaggeration...They just did it right. Their career was already huge at this point, but, I'm sure this song vitalized their stature in the 90s alt/grunge/rock history books. Scott Weiland has one of the most distinct and recognizable voices in the genre and it sounds nothing short of booming in this song. I feel like the filmmakers even used the lyrics to the song as a subliminal metaphor, having it be played immediately before a car-chase scene. It was also important enough of a song to be featured as the song that was played in the original theatrical trailer. One of the most interesting parts about the usage of this song for the soundtrack was that it was, to my knowledge, the only song not exclusively used for it (it's also a track off of STP's 1994 masterpiece, "Purple"...even though this film and soundtrack were released first), because, the song that the band was originally going to contribute, before the completion of the film and Brandon Lee's untimely (and accidental???) death, was a song from their "Mighty Joe Young" demo sessions, called "Only Dying", which was, I guess, deemed inappropriate and possibly disrespectful to the fallen actor. Anyways...one of the best STP songs.
"Dead Souls" - Nine Inch Nails (originally by Joy Division) – 4:54 - Not to knock the original version by Joy Division, but, this is one of those instances where I prefer the cover over the original. I'm a biased and avid Trent Reznor fanboy. I love everything this man does, no matter what. This song is no exception. He basically took a defibrilator and sparked ten times more life into this already exceptional song. Again, a very ominous and fitting placement of the track and its corresponding lyrics was chosen. This time, for the scene where Draven/Lee is scouring the filth-ridden streets of a fictionally exaggerated Detroit for his and his wife's murderers. Reznor/NIN's signature buzz-saw guitar (more present in his earlier albums), along with his deeply-rooted bellowing rendition of Ian Curtis' already haunting vocal arrangments, gave this song new light, respectively and tremendously.
"Darkness (Of Greed)" - Rage Against the Machine – 3:41 - This song was a slightly different spin on an already awesome RATM song. Rage, in their earlier, primal years, were a formidable foe to be reckoned with. There's just no band who has ever come remotely close to being as influential, original and groundbreaking as they are. Admidst my admiration of the band in general, leaving that aside, this song is great and makes perfect sense to be included in the soundtrack to this film.
"Color Me Once" - Violent Femmes – 4:09 - This song caught me offguard and seems like a bit of a wildcard. I'm not saying it doesn't fit the movie. There are plenty of different scenes that call for different kinds of music, so, I get it. I've never really been much of a fan of this band. Just not my cup of tea, I guess. But I guess this song, in particular, with its strangeness and eeriness, serves its purpose well.
"Ghostrider" - Rollins Band (originally by Suicide) – 5:45 - I'll be honest when I say that I don't remember exactly which scene of the movie this song was played during, BUT, I'd be lying if I said that it wasn't a perfect song to include. I'd also be lying if I said I'd ever heard the original version by the band Suicide. Pretty cool that Suicide wrote a song about one of my favorite comic characters, that said-character shares similar characteristics with Eric Draven and that this song was chosen for the film. Regardless, it's a Rollins Band song/rendition, which cancels out the importance of the original, to me at least. Henry Rollins' lunacy is and has always been one of the most memorable qualities of any lead singer from the entire punk rock and hard rock community, since the inception of his vocal style and stage persona in the 1970s. He updated this existing song with his trademark nuttiness and his band provides a great instrumentalization. The song crescendos into a complete mind-fuck, appriopately, fitting as perfectly on the movie's soundtrack as a figurative boot to the ass of anyone who disrespects any of Henry Rollins' works and writings.
"Milktoast" (also known as "Milquetoast") - Helmet – 3:59 - What a perfect choice for this movie's soundtrack. Helmet was one of the best things to happen to music in 1990s. They were one part alt rock, one part punk, one part nu-metal, one part general heavy metal, and did all this subtly and beautifully. That being said, their credentials, I'm sure, were a clear indicator to have this song in this movie. Heavy, catchy, raw and relentless, just as any early Betty or Meantime-era Helmet songs were.
"The Badge" - Pantera (originally by Poison Idea) – 3:54 - It would take me forever to express how much love and respect I have for this band. The impact Darrell Abbott's songwriting and guitar-playing has had on my life is unmeasurable, but, that's not what I'm going to talk about right now. I'll save that for a completely separate post. All I want to do right now is talk about this ass-walloping of a song that was contributed by Pantera, to the soundtrack album of the Crow. Poison Idea wasn't and still isn't a band I'm EXTREMELY familiar with to this day, but, I have a general idea of their sound. I've heard the original version of this song and do think they're a great band and play a huge part in the early punk and heavy metal crossing over period of the 80s. That's all fine and dandy, but, let's be serious, Pantera made this song sound like it was their own. You can't beat the precision of the brothers Abbott's sychronistic playing abilities, the booming that is the great Rex Brown and the hellishly and unforgiving metaphorical punishment that is Philip H. Anselmo. The Badge does what any equally or greater Pantera song will do, that Poison Idea, respectively lacked, kicks your ass from start to finish. I promise if you put this on, having never heard the original, you'd just think this is an awesome Pantera song, all the way until the trailing off soundclip from Taxi Driver at the end.
"Slip Slide Melting" - For Love Not Lisa – 5:47 - Not a whole lot I can truly say about this song besides that the band as a whole sounded very much like Pearl Jam, minus Eddie Vedder's signature croons, of course. Solid alt rock band, great selection for the soundtrack.
"After the Flesh" - My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult – 2:59 - Here's one band I wasn't very familiar with, outside of maybe one or two songs, including this one, that I was intrigued by as a direct result of this song. Following the trend of industrial hard rock along the likes of fellow pioneers Nine Inch Nails, KMFDM and Ministry, TTKK ('The Thrill Kill Kult abbreviation the band had later coined) actually makes a cameo in the movie, yet again, providing, this time, a literal backdrop during one of the film's biggest scenes, the huge shootout between Draven/Lee and Top Dollar/Wincott's troop of gang affiliates/personel. It pulls out lots of audial twists and turns as hails of gunfire fly across the screen. A very appropriate synthy, gritty and heavy rock song anyone would find suitable for the already fantastic emsemble soundtrack.
"Snakedriver" - The Jesus and Mary Chain – 3:41 - The only other song I don't have a whole lot to say about is this one. It's cool, yeah, just seemed like a generic alt rock song they threw in to have playing in the background during a bar scene in the movie, if I remember correctly. So, even as unimportant as it was, the song serves a purpose.
"Time Baby III" - Medicine – 3:52 - This band and the song they contributed to the soundtrack are the biggest wildcard of them all, in my opinion. Medicine was another band the filmmakers chose to include in the movie, in a live concert setting, performing for what looked like a crowd of junkies and cretins, all lost in their own personal drug-binged euphorias. It's a pretty light and happy song, almost like a lullaby, appropriately sung by a female vocalist with a mantric like voice, to half-awake commentators, about to collapse on the dancefloor. Touche, James O'Barr and Alex Proyas.
"It Can't Rain All the Time" - Jane Siberry – 5:34 - As the movie comes to an end, this song coincides with the closing credits. The lyrics and title are a theme commonly used throughout the movie and story, and are sung beautifully by Ms. Siberry, who I'm not particularly familiar with, outside of this film's soundtrack. Oh well, because if this is the only recollection of her work I'll ever have, at least it's a peaceful and serene closing theme, following the main protagonist of one of my favorite movies of all time, finally finding piece and ascending to his final resting place.
To sum things up...I guess I could've handpicked a few of my personal favorites from the soundtrack...but then, I would be staying in my comfort zone of only talking about things I already know I like. I'm glad I spoke about every song on this groundbreaking story's soundtrack and I hope you can now enjoy all of them, as I have been for the last 19 years.
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