Departed, The - Various Artists

The Departed Soundtrack

I have always been a huge fan of Scorsese and Goodfella's is probably one of my all time favourite films, I was however not as blown away by this film as I hoped I would be. Don't get me wrong it's a great film but no masterpiece as some critics have labelled it. I have now been to see it a couple of times but it doesn't live with you for weeks after the closing credits in the same way a film like Goodfella's ...
...soundtrack to Martin Scorsese's The Departed provides as ever with a Scorsese soundtrack an eclectic mix of musical genres and styles.
I think it is one of the best aspects of Scorsese's films is that he uses the soundtrack to propel the story line, never consigned into the background but up front adding something extra to whatever mood he is trying to convey.
Unlike Goodfella's which took place over a thirty year time frame, apart ... more

The Departed Soundtrack

I have always been a huge fan of Scorsese and Goodfella's is probably one of my all time favourite films, I was however not as blown away by this film as I hoped I would be. Don't get me wrong it's a great film but no masterpiece as some critics have labelled it. I have now been to see it a couple of times but it doesn't live with you for weeks after the closing credits in the same way a film like Goodfella's did. Anyway on to the Soundtrack

The soundtrack to Martin Scorsese's The Departed provides as ever with a Scorsese soundtrack an eclectic mix of musical genres and styles.
I think it is one of the best aspects of Scorsese's films is that he uses the soundtrack to propel the story line, never consigned into the background but up front adding something extra to whatever mood he is trying to convey.
Unlike Goodfella's which took place over a thirty year time frame, apart from the opening sequence the Departed takes place in a contemporary Boston setting therefore the Soundtrack is not used so much to convey a sense of time and place, put it still manages to fit the film very well.

My initial disappointment with this soundtrack is that it didn't feature probably one of the best pieces of music used in the Film! The opening sequence were Jack Nicholson narrates the background to the story is heard over the Rolling Stones 'Gimme Shelter' one of their most powerful and iconic songs (As anyone who has seen the Documentary of the same name will attest to) this song sets the mood for the whole movie and apart from licensing difficulties I can see any reason why it was excluded.

Track 1 Comfortably Numb - Rodger Waters, Van Morrison & The Band
8/10
Probably the standout track on the album, this version of Pink Floyds Comfortably Numb taken from Rodger Waters's album The Wall live in Berlin recorded in 1990 is an epic in every sense (8 minutes long). I wasn't aware of this concert or that Van Morrison and Rodger Waters had ever appeared on the same stage together, it sounds like a marriage made in hell but they pull it off I think largely because Morrison puts real emotion into the song more so than the Floyd original. It is used in one of the most emotionally charged scenes in the film involving Leonardo DiCaprio's character, but im giving away no spoilers here!

Track 2 Sail on Sailor- The Beach Boys
7/10
Not what you might expect from the Beach Boys, not the surf sound of the sixties but a more mature 70's sound taken from the album Holland, without Brian Wilson's distinctive lead vocals (It was sang by band member Blondie Chapman) it's a piano driven number which really grows on you after a couple of listens, the distinctive harmonies are still there but deeper in the mix. Good song!

Track 3 Let it Loose- The Rolling Stones
7/10
Taken from the Rolling Stones best album of the 70's the epic double album 'Exile on Main street' This starts of slow but builds in the way that many Stones records of the era did, similar in a way to the classic 'Angie'. Nice song featuring some nice sax but not a Stones classic

Track 4 Sweet Dreams - Roy Buchanan
5/10
I'm not a great fan of instrumentals; I don't even like it when vocals are too far down in the mix, however this is quite good some beautiful guitar work from Roy hailed by many as a guitar genius, he may well be but after a few listens I've already start skipping this one on the CD. Just not my type of music

Track 5 One Way Out - The Allman Brothers Band
5/10
Blues rocker from probably the greatest white blues band of them all, again a nice song driven along at a nice pace, played live, sounds similar to a lot of other Allman brother's songs I've heard over the years. Bit forgettable really, another skipper!

Track 6 Baby Blue - Badfinger
6/10
Know very little about Badfinger, in fact the only song I knew of theirs before this was 'Come and get it' an early 70's hit in the UK. This is a mid tempo rock song, good singing nice guitar riff, a grower, I found myself liking this song more than I think I should although the bridge is a little to early 70's for my liking. Not a skipper

Track 7 Shipping out to Boston - Dropkick Murphy's
7-10
I like this song and the way it is used in the film, not for the faint hearted this one, think of the Pogues crossed with Sham 69. Vocals raucous in the extreme but still a very powerful track and the most obvious song in the film given the location and Irish themes.

Track 8 Nobody but Me - The Human Beinz
8/10
Great piece of 60's garage rock and The Human Beinz biggest hit(Only hit?) which I first heard on Tarintino's soundtrack Kill Bill Vol.1, driving R&B rhythm a classic song would make a welcome addition to any compilation.

Track 9 Tweedle Dee - LaVern Baker
7/10
This along with the following song feature the only female contributions to this album, both feature great female vocalists from the 50's, in very different styles. This is straight up Rock 'N' Roll, raised above the ordinary by LaVerns incredible vocals

Track 10 Sweet Dreams - Patsy Cline
8/10
Not a great deal to be said about this song should be familiar to anyone who has listened to music over the past 50 years. Greatest female country vocalist, one of the greatest country songs

Track 11 Departed Tango- Howard Shore
5/10
Familiar to anyone interested in Film, Howard Shore has been composing scores for over 30 years, nice piece of music, bit forgettable really! Perhaps another skipper, I think so!

Track 12 Beacon Hill- Howard Shore (Performed by Sharon Isbin)
5/10
Another piece of classical film score music here, can't help thinking these were stuck on the end as filler, or to advertise the Score which is available in December. Again nice piece of music but not my cup of tea.

Conclusion

That's it then! A reasonable album some good tracks, some OK and some filler. The album as a whole seems a bit tacked together even down to the running order which seems a bit pecular, could and should have been a lot better. I don't think I can recommend this unless you are a real fan of the movie. Maybe if 'Gimme Shelter' had been featured it would have made a better buy, its also a bit short with a running time of only 45 mins

 

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