Haven't been here for years... all new and shiny these days.
Haven't been here for years... all new and shiny these days.
Member since:31.10.2000
Reviews:148
Members who trust:101
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is essential viewing for literally millions these days but for the true Buffy fan there is more available than the video and DVD box sets… yes it’s the album. Personally I can see this being a very lucrative spin-off as there has been a huge number of songs used in the series and whilst only one album has been released to date I, for one, will not be surprised to see several more in the near future. Anyway enough of the speculation and onto the music…
For those who are not well versed in the ways of Buffy, a brief outline of the series will give you a good indication as to what to expect from this album as the tracks were chosen by series creator Joss Wheldon to capture the mood of the program. The series follows the exploits of Buffy and her scooby-do group of friends as they battle the demonic forces of evil and struggle with the altogether scarier emotional turmoil of adolescence. As you can imagine the album supplies a fairly eclectic mix of songs ranging from teenage angst tunes to dark gothic alternative and even finding space for the love theme
music that was heavily utilised in the second series.
Anyway without further ado here are the tracks: -
1. Nerf Herder – Theme tune 2. Guided by Voices – Teenage FBI 3. Garbage – Temptation Waits 4. Velvet Chain – Strong 5. Hepburn – I Quit 6. Furslide – Over my head 7. Bif Naked – Lucky 8. Black Lab – Keep myself awake 9. K’s Choice – Virgin State of Mind 10. Superfine – Already Met You 11. Face to Face – The Devil You Know (God is a man) 12 Kevin Ferron – Nothing But You 13. Alison Krauss & Union Station – It Doesn’t Matter 14. The Sundays – Wild Horses. 15. Four Star Mary – Pain (Slayer Mix) 16. Splendid – Charge 17. Rasputina – Transylvanian Concubine 18. Christophe Beck – Close Your Eyes (Buffy/Angel Love Theme)
I can imagine that after glancing down the track list your first thought is …well I recognise a few names but who the hell are the others… this was pretty much mine too but I’m glad I put aside my worries about venturing into the unknown and picked this up. The album starts with Nerf Herders fantastic theme tune; a superb mixture of gothic influenced organs, fantastic guitar riffs and a prominent drum line all produce the instantly recognisable Buffy theme that kicks things off nicely. After this Guided by Voices, who have been around for years, add a more catchy pop tune to their usual Indie rock and the end result is definitely one you’ll be humming for a long time and a good follow up to the opener.
The third track is by one of the big guns on the album and Garbage don’t disappoint with Temptation Waits, alternative music at its most popular and a fair indication of many of the songs to follow. Distinctive female vocals backed by techno-pop, the theme is continued with Strong. All girl british band Hepburn follow with the lively I Quit, certainly aimed at the younger audience and arguably a little out of place, personally I’m glad of its inclusion as it lifts the album at a point where it could become a little too slow and mournful. That is the order of the day with another female lead in Over My Head before the fantastic Lucky.
This has to be one of the albums highlights, an anthem of a song with a concoction of heartfelt lyrics, sweeping violins and heavy drums. Bif Naked is definitely on my list of bands to check out. Keep Myself Awake fills the space nicely before another superb track in Virgin State of Mind that has wonderful lead vocals and a simple but beautiful melody, this song encapsulates many of the themes in the series perfectly. The album now takes on a slightly heavier rock feel through the next few songs before the seemingly out of place ballad by Alison Krauss & Union Station. I can only assume that this is again necessary to capture the romantic entanglements present in the series, thankfully the next two songs more than make up for this small transgression.
The Sundays wonderful cover of this glorious Stones original is fantastic, in taking the acoustic route they offer perfect accompaniment to the sublime vocals. This is followed up by Four Star Mary’s Pain. A quick mention should be made that Four Star Mary are the band that actually plays when Oz’s band perform in the Bronze and Pain is a tremendous song leading in with a cool guitar riff and followed up by great lyrics. This song best captures the upbeat music in Buffy. The album concludes with the strange cello-rich Transylvanian Concubine and Christophe Becks wonderful instrumental piece that will bring a tear to the eye of many Buffy fans.
So should you buy this… if you’re a fan of Buffy I definitely recommend it, certainly there are better songs from the series missing but this album taken as a whole does a very good job of catching the musical feel of the series. It also includes four or five tremendous songs that have encouraged me to buy the albums of the bands responsible and I’ve not been disappointed. If you’re not a Buffy fan (and why not?) then I’d advise you give this a listen before you buy because it won’t appeal to everyone.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Good review. My favourite is the Alsion Krauss and union station ballad!
comicgirl21 16.10.2002 13:01
Good op! If you liked Bif Naked's track on this one, you should look at her two main albums (Bif is a Canadian solo act btw!) "I, Bificus" and "Purge". Cheers, Kath
BJEEE 10.04.2001 20:27
Good op Simon!! If you liked the Face To Face track at all, I'd definitely recommend the album (Ignorance Is Bliss). The song featured here isn't even one of the best, although I still think its good. Ben
Sarah Michelle Gellar may be saving the world from vampires but her TV show is also ... more
helping a few worthy bands get some much needed exposure. Dayton, Ohio's ridiculously prolific Guided by Voices lead things off with the playful "Teenage FBI," a strong...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Sarah Michelle Gellar may be saving the world from vampires but her TV show is also ... more
helping a few worthy bands get some much needed exposure. Dayton, Ohio's ridiculously prolific Guided by Voices lead things off with the playful "Teenage FBI," a strong...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Buffy The Vampire Slayer Theme - Nerf Herder Teenage FBI - Guided By Voices Temptation ... more
Waits - Garbage Strong - Velvet Chain I Quit - Hepburn Over My Head - Furslide Lucky - Bif Naked Keep Myself Awake - Black Lab Virgin State Of Mind - K's Choice Alre...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Apr 5th, 2001
(Apr 10th, 2001)
very helpful by (96%):
helpful by (4%):
![Merlin (Original Television Soundtrack) [Digipak] - Various Artists](http://imagesb.ciao.com/iuk/images/products/small/409/prod_small-7033409.jpg)
