cdm72's Full Review: Tank Girl by Original Soundtrack
I’d say maybe 90% of the soundtracks in my collection were random finds. They weren’t anything I was seeking, but I happened across them, they were cheap, and I picked them up. Or I knew someone who owned it and I burned it from them. TANK GIRL is an entirely different matter. I ordered it from Amazon. On purpose. Meaning I specifically wanted this CD and paid full price for it. Why? Because it’s TANK GIRL.
Loosely based on the semi-popular comic book TANK GIRL by Alan Martin and Jamie Hewlett, the 1995 film resembled the comic book only about halfway and unfortunately did not become the phenomenon it was supposed to be. I remember seeing the movie for the first time, but what I remember MOST is the soundtrack, which I didn’t encounter until about 1997. This particular time in my life is rooted in music, a certain rotation of CDs including Prince’s EMANCIPATION and to a lesser extent Cake’s FASHION NUGGET, No Doubt’s TRAGIC KINDGOM and Nine Inch Nails’ “The Perfect Drug” single. But also this time was very much into TANK GIRL. When I recall that year of my life it is peppered very heavily with a dose of Prince, but also when I think of that year I see yellow and that’s because of TANK GIRL.
Compiled by Courtney Love, this soundtrack rules. We open with “Ripper Sole” by dance troupe STOMP! then segue into one of my favorite songs, “Army of Me” by Bjork.
This industrial tune is very weighty, dark and pounding as Bjork offers a message of self-reliance and responsibility:
stand up / you've got to manage / i won't sympathize / anymore / and if you complain once more / you'll meet an army of me
Although originally from Bjork’s second CD POST, the theme of the song fits so well into the idea of Tank Girl the character it’s almost like fate calling it home. Plus the music is awesome.
Devo’s “Girl U Want” is another great one, not only musically but thematically as well. I never thought I’d say it, but Courtney Love knew what she was doing the day she tracked this cd. This song, coupled with “Mockingbird Girl” by the Magnificent Bastards form a perfect duo, solidifying for the listener this image of our title character as someone who not only lives her life on her own terms, but is also someone you can’t help but be drawn to.
She flys without no feathers / A fool to try and catch her / Well I don't know / 'Cause I don't know - I'm a fool / Yeah, a visionary's daughter / She don't care that you want on her / She'll kill you once / You won't mind / You'll ask her twice
Now, I won’t pretend that I love every song on TANK GIRL. I think every song here fits the theme, sure. But that doesn’t make them all good songs. L7’s “Shove” for instance . . . it’s not the worst thing ever, but I’ve heard better L7. This one’s a pretty serious hard rocker with some very dirty guitar and frantic drums along with Donita Sparks’s vocals which can only be described as fierce and painful. Yeah, the song rocks, but in relation to most of the rest of the soundtrack, it’s one of the lesser moments for me.
Hole’s own “Drown Soda” follows L7, which, let’s face it, in the realm of rocker chick bada**ness, Courtney Love thinks she can follow L7? Sure thing. As for the song . . . next up “Bomb” by Bush. Okay, I’ll give Hole a little more consideration than that. “Drown Soda” isn’t a horrible song, but musically it sounds very reminiscent of lots of other songs, most notably “Earthcrosser” by Veruca Salt. Since the Veruca tune came out two years later, obviously “Drown Soda” isn’t a copy, but it is a million times better and will leave the Hole song in the dust.
That Bush tune is from their debut CD, SIXTEEN STONE and I’ve never been a big fan of either the band nor the song and it’s certainly nowhere close to the best that record had to offer. Overall, I’ve always thought this song sounded very out of place on this CD.
But finally we get back to the things that make TANK GIRL a great CD with Portishead’s “Roads”.
This is an amazing song. Taken from the band’s debut album, DUMMY, “Roads” is simply one of the most beautiful and sensual songs I’ve ever heard. Musically it’s very subtle, but strong, while Beth Gibbons’ vocals have an incredible vulnerability to them, a very tender quality that only makes this song all the more powerful and when she asks “How can it feel this wrong, from this moment?” you want to melt. Of all the songs on the TANK GIRL soundtrack, it’s “Roads” that most often puts me back into that year of my life and it’s never an easy transition. If any song here held some very personal connections, this is the one.
And then we have to laugh when Joan Jett and Paul Westerberg break out with their cover of the Cole Porter song “Let’s Do It, Let’s Fall In Love”. I love this song. I know Joan’s done a ton of covers in her time, but never one so seemingly out of step with her normal repertoire and that makes this one rule all the more. You can almost see the duo swing dancing as they sing.
Belly’s “Thief” is one of the TANK GIRL tracks I’ve never paid much attention to until recently and for that I am regretful. Such a great song under my nose all this time and I never even noticed. It is my opinion Tanya Donnelly doesn’t get near the credit she deserves as a vocalist.
I wanna know why the monsters that hurt you so / Don't look like those things that we battled so long ago / And I thought I did my part when I pulled you out of there / That night you left bruise marks on my wall / You are my liar / So I will be your thief / Because of you I came / Because of you I leave / Be calm, baby / We are home now
Veruca Salt makes an appearance next with “Aurora”. Another beautiful song, almost a precursor to the band’s “Benjamin” from EIGHT ARMS TO HOLD YOU, this has always been an album favorite of mine, mostly thanks to the harmonies between Post and Gordon, but when viewed lyrically, the song doesn’t offer much more than just being pretty. Finally, Ice-T wraps things up and this is the song that, “Bomb” aside, feels most out of place.
“Big Gun” is a great song, I’m not saying it’s not. It’s one of my favorites from the album. But it also stands out like a sore thumb. Thematically, however, it fits right in and in fact if ANY song on TANK GIRL brings this character to lyrical life it would be Ice-T’s.
It's goin' down. Yo the girl got a gun,
best run. Because she's quick to flip and empty out the clip,
and make a man understand where she's comin' from.
The hardcore's connected to the base of her fate.
She just breaks and bring drama to the situation,
ejaculation of my projectile, she's buck wild.
Better recognize when she comes she comes correct.
Collects respect and if not, you catch a broken neck.
Buddy look down and your shirts all bloody,
looks like she caught you with a bad one for messin with da mad one.
Told you bout this girl before, you didn't listen to me.
As I talk, now you're stalked by the hunter of the fronter,
who's size five and sexy.
Quick, they catch your body and another one next week.
Huh it doesn't matter cuz the girl stays strapped
she says she had enough of men and now she's lookin for payback.
And there's no way you can fade her son.
She walks softly but she carries a big gun.
Or drives around in one. TANK GIRL the movie is a very unique experience if I remember it correctly, and I admit not everyone is going to get it. On the plus side, the soundtrack isn’t so movie-specific that you can’t enjoy it outside the confines of the film. Yes, 75% of the songs wear that character like a glove, but they’re not married to it, you know? TANK GIRL the soundtrack is a CD that can be loved for years and years without ever having seen the movie because it doesn’t matter what the background is; the point, at the end of the day, is that this CD is awesome.
From Bjork to Belly to Portishead to Devo to Jett and Westerberg, it’s just great stuff, rocks out when it needs to, and reels it in for the softer stuff at just the right moments. TANK GIRL is absolutely a top 5 favorite of mine and I can’t imagine that ever changing.
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