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New Releases

Rating Scale: to

Artist:	VARIOUS ARTISTS
Title:	"THE BIG LEBOWSKI" Music from the Motion Picture Soundtrack
Label:	PDG/Polygram
Reviewed By:	Colette Engel
Rating:

If you're familiar with the Coen Brothers' films, then you're probably anticipating their latest release, "The Big Lebowski." I've had the good fortune to be able to listen to the soundtrack and if you can get a window in through the music, it's going to be a good movie. The movie is described as a Raymond Chandleresque comedy drama caper. The music on the soundtrack is a mixture of everything from rock, to opera, to a latin-ish cover of "The Eagles" "Hotel California." I love soundtracks. I think that it's a way to bring back memories of a movie that you've enjoyed and also get a lot of great songs together on one record. The movie plot provides a thread to interconnect the music and I love to just sit back, listen, and remember what was happening when a particular song played. I haven't seen "The Big Lebowski" yet (it's not playing yet) but it's definitely on my "to see" list. As for the soundtrack, there are several things that make it worth picking up, one factor being the new song by "Elvis Costello," "My Mood Swings." Costello describes it as "just a rock'n'roll song, not any more or any less than that." They wanted the song to fit in with all the other music that was slated for the soundtrack and not "stick out like a brand-new pin." The resulting song is great. It's a bang-out guitar track, a fun song, a nonsense, whimsical tune. This song alone is reason enough to pick up the soundtrack but I really can't imagine recommending this based on one song alone. Let me give you some more to go on before you make up your mind. The "Gipsy Kings" do an interesting cover of "Hotel California" that breathes new life into an already classic song. This was always a favorite song of mine---the lyrics created pictures in my mind. This version is done partially in spanish (I think it's spanish) and it just puts a twist on the song and the result is a really fun version that's fun to listen and dance along with. Can you remember the old "Kenny Rogers and the First Edition" song, "I Just Dropped In (to see what condition my condition was in)?" Well, here it is again. I'm not a fan but this song is a sort of silly one that is fun to listen to if you don't hear it too often. "Townes Van Zandt" does a cover of the "Rolling Stones" classic, "Dead Flowers." This is a song that has always been a favorite of mine and Van Zandt does a great version here. There were a couple of things that I didn't really care for on the record, like a sampling of opera (I'm not big on opera), but overall this record is one that I'm really glad to have in my collection. Pick it up, give it a listen. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

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