Entertaining Yet Mediocre: Zombie's Soundtrack
Written: Apr 19 '03 (Updated Nov 08 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: "Little Piggy," "Brick House 2003," clips.
Cons: Some Zombie originals mediocre; score bores.
The Bottom Line: If you have seen "House" this is a more sensible purchase. However, if you have not I do not suggest you buy this.
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| ssteveszykk's Full Review: House of 1000 Corpses [PA] by Original Soundtrack |
If you haven’t read my review for the House of 1000 Corpses, the film this soundtrack accompanies, you wouldn’t yet know I loved the film completely. I thought it worked like a charm, but I don’t want to get off track, so to the music. The first song I heard off this album was Rob Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses, the films theme song. The song had me salivating; the lyrics, the mood, the clips – creepy stuff that got me ready to see the film. When I saw the movie the soundtrack clicked. It fit the film perfectly; the scenes of musical contrast were brilliant. The score was eerie, and set a nice atmosphere. I was excited to pick up the soundtrack, and can’t say it was as good as I expected.
// The Original Songs // 3 // As I mentioned, I love House of 1000 Corpses. After seeing the film the clips make more sense, and bring back some of the great visuals from the film. Zombie’s vocals are creepy as all hell, and the lyrics are a horror fans wet dream:
She had a corpse under her bed
She had her fun but now he’s dead
Her momma say come feed the sire
Her brother said hey throw it on the fire
Definitely a perfect song to sing around the campfire with the kids. Not exactly… the tracks morbid, and fits the tone of the film perfectly.
Zombie’s next track on the album is Everybody Scream, beginning with a clip from the film’s television program “Creature Feature Show.” The track’s nothing more than mediocre. It’s loud and with loud screams and more clips from the program it is another creepy little song, however nothing that stands out.
Next we get Run Rabbit Run, opening with a quote by Bill Mosley. The song’s not much to my liking. Again it’s loud in typical Zombie fashion, but it’s really not much more than mediocre. Nor is P.ussy Liquor, another Zombie original this time opening with Sheri Moon screeching “WHATS THAT SPELL!!” You guessed it, the tracks loud, and works with the film nicely:
One, Two, Three
Who should I kill?
Every mothaf.cker
Runnin’ up the hill
Again, gather the kiddies and have a party. The song goes on to describe Otis, a character from the film in a verse I greatly enjoy. Having seen the film my appreciation for it’s a little higher than if I hadn’t.
The gem of the bunch is Little Piggy. Bill Mosley opens the album with a disturbingly creepy clip from the movie, and the song is unlike anything Zombie’s ever done. It’s a smooth and gentle (by his standards) with a sexy melodic chorus. A woman sings:
Little piggy, little piggy
What do you see?
You’re looking at death when you’re looking at me
Little piggy, little piggy
What should you do?
I am the devil and I’m coming for you.
It’s deliciously eerie, and the best track on the album. A new style from Zombie, his vocals are quiet and mundane, adding for a creepy as all hell mood.
Last but not least is Brick House 2003, not an original song, but a cover of the classic “Brick House.” Rap diva Trina, Lionel Richie, and Zombie team up, and astonishingly pull it off. It’s loud, it’s fun, and I think I’d take this one over the original. Richie and Zombie’s vocals blend quite well, Zombie’s being loud and rough, Richie’s being soulful and smooth. I am a fan of Trina’s voice; she’s got personality and flair and it shows her. Top that with pornographic orgasmic sounds and you’ve got one helluva good time.
02 // House of 1000 Corpses // 4
04 // Everybody Scream // 3
12 // P.ussy Liquor // 3
21 // Little Piggy // 4
24 // Brick House 2003 // 4
// The Not So Original Songs // 4 // While watching the film I greatly took appreciation to the use of vintage music over morbid scenes. The first track of this kind to appear is Buck Owen’s country tune Who’s Gonna Mow Your Grass. It’s a little catchy old-fashioned country folk “diddy,” that will not appeal to you one but if you haven’t seen the film. Seems out of place, but actually fit’s nicely into the mess of violence and bloodshed.
Next up is the ancient Helen Kane song I Wanna Be Loved By You. Where Rob Zombie found this track is beyond me, but it’s appearance in the film is one of my favorite scenes from it. It’s a cute little, harmless and catchy track that seems completely out of place. Guilty pleasure? I think so.
After that the next unoriginal track is a not so vintage Ramone’s classic: Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue. Can you say brilliant writing? The lyrics contain more depth than I ever believed possible:
Now I wanna sniff some glue
Now I wanna have something to do
All the kids wanna sniff some glue
All the kids want something to do
Of course I’m joking, but this is a hysterical, fully entertaining punk track back when punk wasn’t completely horrible. Fit’s nicely.
Lastly, Slim Whitman’s otherwise boring I Remember You has become a favorite of mine. A classic little folk tune that takes a whole different meaning after seeing the film. And that’s why it’s a favorite. The scene this song graces is one of the greatest things to hit horror cinema in years. It’s the biggest example of musical contrast in the film and alone the song is nothing special unless you are a folk fan, however after viewing this scene the song will possess memories of brilliance. Nice track.
Overall the unoriginal tracks are the best part of this disk. Fun, contasting, and entertaining.
07 // Who’s Gonna Mow Your Grass – Buck Owens // 4
11 // I Wanna Be Loved By You – Helen Kane // 4
15 // Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue – The Ramones // 4
18 // I Remember You – Slim Whitman // 4
// The Score & Clips // 3 // There are some scores, like that of Requiem for a Dream that can stand alone. That even without the images it’s meant to accompany it tells a story; even without seeing the film emotion can be felt. Rob Zombie and Scott Humphrey’s score for 1000 Corpses is not one of these. It goes from techno to louder to gentle to smooth, however at times is mostly just boring. Stuck in the Mud is a moody piece that works great in the film, but here it just slows down the loud and fast pace the original songs and clips have built. Into the Pit works a little bit better as it is loud, brooding, and with it’s choir like melody in the background is as scary as ever. Mary’s Escape is a techno, club dance track that, again, works in the film but not so much here. It’s a fine score technically, just nothing exceptional unaccompanied. As for the clips, they are creepy and fun, and bring back memories of the film. However, if you have not seen the film, they will most likely be uninteresting and confusing.
Overall this is not a bad soundtrack at all. It has its memorable pieces, but much of it is mediocre and/or falls flat. If you have not seen the film I do not recommend purchasing this, unless you are a Rob Zombie fanatic. If you have seen the film the chances you will like it are increased, and you will certainly appreciate the vintage tracks and the score that much more. B
SIMILAR PRODUCTS:
Movie: House of 1000 Corpses (8/10)
http://www.epinions.com/content_95900896900
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
ssteveszykk
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Member: Steve
Location: NY
Reviews written: 50
Trusted by: 12 members
About Me:
It's funny to grow up with this site - my old reviews are horrifying/embarrassing/hilarious/nostalgic.
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