Joe Carnahan, director of Smokin’ Aces, probably best summed up the film’s soundtrack in his blog: “It's a pretty eclectic collection of stuff.  Old R&B and funk. Rock. Hip-Hop. Punk. We've got something for virtually every sonic taste out there.”

And I’ve gotta agree with the guy.  It’s probably one of the most random assortments of genres and artists I’ve seen in a soundtrack, which features such artists as The Stooges, Common (who also happens to be in the movie), and British indie rock group The Bees.  No, there isn’t any Alicia Keyes, though she’d probably fit right in there somewhere.

There are a number of classic tunes featured, such as Ennio Morricone’s “Morte Di Un Soldat,” from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, but also some newer songs, like one of The Prodigy’s latest techno beats, “First Warning.” 

It was almost jarring to go from listening to John Cale’s romantic “Big White Cloud” to the next track, Motörhead’s adrenaline-charged “Ace of Spades.”  But somehow it worked, and it prepared me for the rest of the soundtrack, with all of its changes in genre and pace.

Some other songs include Joe Bataan’s soulful “Under the Street Lamp” and some original compositions by Clint Mansell.  The Smokin’ Aces soundtrack has a little bit of something for everyone.  Or at the very least, there’s a little bit of something for every mood.  To me, it was like turning your iPod on shuffle.  I don’t know that it’s worth it to buy the soundtrack if you could make a playlist like that on your own, but I have to give Carnahan credit for his song selections.