Often the decision about buying a CD comes down to whether or not we fell we would listen to the CD all the way through, or if we would want to hear it more than once. Interest in a single song will get a lot of people to bite, but having more than one likable tune can make a purchase so much more fulfilling when you are putting the CD into the player. With the Moulin Rouge Original Soundtrack, I found something that was great the first time, and to me, hasn't lost its allure in the many, many listens that I have given to it since. The biggest benefit to me though, is that I was one of the people who bought the soundtrack for one main song when it first came out. The smash hit "Lady Marmalade" as performed by Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya and Pink had me singing it everyday, and thus I needed to own it. Did I give the CD a chance at first, or did I even see the movie? No. It was a musical, and not having been a fan of new musicals I didn't even give the film a chance at first.
Finally having seen the film after it was on video a second time, I found myself humming the tunes from the movie, and thinking to myself "wouldn't it be great to own the score of the film." Well, then it dawned on me, that I had bought the CD, played out its hit song Lady Marmalade, and had placed it into my collection to listen to again one day later down the road. Realizing what I had, I popped it in the player, and excitement rushed through me as I realized that I indeed did have a CD of a majority of the songs in the film. I own a 200-disc changer, and since I re-discovered the music from the film, it hasn't left my player.
Bono, Beck, Fatboy Slim, and the ladies of "Marmalade" are the big names that lend tracks to the CD. All of their songs are pretty good, with Bono's Children of the Revolution being one that stands out among them. They all, however, pail in comparison to the songs taken straight from the movie. In fact, when I am listening to the CD now, I don't even care about the tracks designed just to sell copies, instead I skip straight to the singing from the movie. This is where I guess I should interject, that if you were not a fan of the movie, that you will not be a fan of the music either in my humble opinion. The tracks chosen for the CD are straight from the important plot devices in the film itself, and most feature Nicole Kidman or Ewan McGregor (or both) crooning about their love for each other, and the troubles that they are facing.
The music from Moulin Rouge is very deep in its presentation, and is simply beautiful when you are contemplating its interpretations in the film. Now a lot of the songs have been redone, reformatted, or rewritten for Moulin Rouge, and the originality comes out more in the performances rather than the words themselves. But, I feel that the song selection was such a great group, that it helped carry the movie by using lyrics we already knew, in a fashion that appealed to a new audience. My personal favorite in the movie (and on the CD), is El Tango De Roxanne which is a take on the classic song Roxanne. It is done to a tango beat, and sung with Ewan McGregor doing a back song of his mournful cries for Satine. Jose Feliciano does a great job with his interpretation of the song, and it really exemplifies the mood of the film when it is being sung. The other jewel from the film is Come What May sung by Nicole Kidman And Ewan McGregor with great passion that helps carry not only the tune but several scenes in the movie as well.
With a ton of great music from the score, a lot of great songs added to the soundtrack by established artists, and a devotion to keeping the songs identical to the way they were done in the movie, I think the Moulin Rouge Soundtrack does a great job of pleasing its audience. The songs are great to listen to, easy to sing along with, and emotional in their presentation and delivery. The only down-side that I can find with the CD, is that the ending compilation from the movie isn't included. I think the song was probably just too long in the film, but I would have liked to have it in there, just so I could sing along and picture the imagery on screen at the same time. Regardless of that not being in here, I still feel that this is one of those great soundtracks that is a must have in any collection of great movie music. I know that I will be listening to it for years to come, and I highly recommend that fans of the movie also include it in theirs.
1. Nature Boy - David Bowie
2. Lady Marmalade - Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya and Pink
3. Because We Can - Fatboy Slim
4. Sparkling Diamonds - Nicole Kidman, Jim Broadbent, Caroline O'Connor, Natalie Mendoza and Lara Mulcahy
5. Rhythm Of The Night - Valeria
6. Your Song - Ewan McGregor and Alessandro Safina
7. Children of the Revolution - Bono, Gavin Friday and Maurice Seezer
8. One Day I'll Fly Away - Nicole Kidman
9. Diamond Dogs - Beck
10. Elephant Love Medley - Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor and Jamie Allen
11. Come What May - Nicole Kidman And Ewan McGregor
12. El Tango De Roxanne - Ewan McGregor, Jose Feliciano and Jacek Koman
13. Complainte De La Butte - Rufus Wainwright
14. Hindi Sad Diamonds - Nicole Kidman & Cast
15. Nature Boy - David Bowie & Massive
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