September 25, 2006

Burn THIS, Pal! CD: Director's Commentary

For those of you who chose to join in the fun in our first "official" CD exchange, here's a treat - the popular director's commentary for the disc. It's a noir-ish mix of tunes entitled "Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know" - consider it a soundtrack for the coolest crime film ever made.

(Please note - I have a new CD burner. If your CD is out of whack, please let me know, and I'll send a new one)

Heart of Darkness - Pere Ubu: I was tempted to conclude the disc with "Final Solution"; however, it was a bit too bleak. Even "My Dark Ages" might have been a great opener, but the dual tracked voices in the beginning, singing "Maybe you can see further than I can see/maybe you can see things differently just hit the right tone.

Run Through the Jungle - Creedence Clearwater Revival: Yes, it's the same riff as Fogerty's "Old Man Down the Road", but that opening sets the tone - you could almost see the title credits run past...

Scooby Snacks - Fun Lovin' Criminals: A few well-placed Tarantino sound bites, and a slightly Wire-ish guitar riff make this a pretty cool listen.

Bad Girl - New York Dolls: Any song with the lyrics that begin, "A new bad girl/Moved into my block/I gave her my key/I said don't bother too knock" simply screams femme fatale. Plus, Thunders' guitar rules.

Psycho - Sonics: A little bit of old-school Pacific Northwest garage rock that was very well used in this movie. Trust me on this. Plus, doesn't love drive everyone a little psycho?

Somebody Got Murdered - the Clash: Maybe a little too obvious, but it is a little mini-movie in and of itself. A slight shift in tone, but moves the concept further.

Johnny Was A Good Boy - Mystery Trend: An entry from the Nuggets compilation, this is one of those songs that should have been covered at some point in the '90s. Enjoy.

53rd and 3rd - Ramones: A quick little number about scoring heroin, male prostitution, and murder. Great couplet: "Then I took out my razor blade/Then I did what God forbade"

(Is this disc starting to sound a little depressing, or is it just me?)

DQ Blizzard - mc chris: Every crime drama has at least one night club scene; consider this one of those scenes. This song hits you like a body slam and doesn't stop.

Hash Pipe - Weezer: Best use of the Peter Gunn riff.

Before They Make Me Run - Rolling Stones: Off the Some Girls album, it's the almost stereotypical Keith song: "guns and pills" feature prominently. It has a defiance about it, and helps clean the palate for more.

Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White - Standells: Although mostly about class, I sometimes wonder what would have happened if Johnny Cash covered this song. Trust me, it's that good, and would fit his style.

Der Komissar - After the Fire: I like this version over Falco's version, and here comes the law - part of every noir-ish film.

Dream Police - Cheap Trick: Because it's my disc, my rules. So there.

Shot by Both Sides - Magazine: I love the riff (later reused in a Buzzcocks song), and the lyrics concern a person who's going to "worm my way to the heart of the crowd" and discusses how "they must have come/to a secret understanding." If that's not the heart of noir, I don't know what is.

Chinese Burn - Curve: a little techno number which helps break up the styles. Plus, it's like having another nightclub scene. Or even a chase scene.

Sleepwalk - Santo & Johnny: originally, I was going to have this track end it - it's a simple instrumental that's been overused. However, listen closely, and you'll honestly believe the guitar is crying.

Big Shot - Earl: Saw this band a few years ago with a pal. Love this song to death. A rockin' little country number that has a backbeat that can hammer nails into wood.

Brisbane (Security City) - Saints: A little Aussie punk is good for you. Plus, the way that guitar just snakes in and out, just creates a total mood.

Slip Away - Clarence Carter: One of the best we-shouldn't-be-doing-this songs ever written. Plus, just listen to that backbeat.

For What It's Worth - Buffalo Springfield: A calm, almost stately expression of urban turmoil. Although it's played to death on oldies stations, it has a subtle beauty and danger at the same time.

Night Rally - Elvis Costello & the Attractions: The closing song to the British edition of This Year's Model, it's an abruptly closing song that helps bring the disc to a close. Most bone chilling line, in more ways than one, "It's just the sort of catchy little melody to get you/Singing in the showers."

Down in the Tube Station At Midnight - The Jam: We end on a song about a man caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. Almost Springsteen-ish in its tone, it's a sharply written tune, and Raymond Chandler couldn't have expressed the antagonists better as people who "smelt of pubs/And Wormwood Scrubs/and too many right-wing meetings."

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