A lot of time on my hands, and a lot of money to raise, hope this'll help slightly
A lot of time on my hands, and a lot of money to raise, hope this'll help slightly
Member since:01.12.2005
Reviews:3
This album is all too often referred to as a U2 album, and therefore it gets compared with the masterpieces they have churned out of the years. This is, as stated, the soundtrack to the film "The million dollar hotel" and is arguably the best thing about the film. Bono was the executive producer for this album but only 3 of the songs on the soundtrack are U2 songs. It features collaborations with Daniel Lanois and Milla Jovovich (who starred in the film) as well as the Million Dollar Hotel (MDH) band, which comprises of various other musicians.
I feel the need to highlight some of the best tracks to really delve into the quality of this record
The Ground Beneath Her Feet: Written by Salman Rushdie and features in his book of the same title is a sad love song and it is an extremely strong track which featured as a bonus track on the UK version of their critically acclaimed 10 studio album "All that you can't leave behind". From the first note this song sends tingles down your spine. It whispers its way into the world before a stunning vocal performance by Bono carries it to a powerful finish. Lyrically strong, melodic and moving which fits in perfectly with the film but works just as well on its own.
Never Let Me Go: Perhaps my joint favourite track on this album (together with stateless), this is Bono's song, as none of the rest of the band worked on it. A haunting sound with a long introduction that features a sound byte from the film, then the beautiful lyrics kick in for a truly incredible piece of music, "You run from love and don't believe, Unless it catches you by the heel, And even then, you struggle". The chorus is sung in an almost pleading, extremely emotional voice. Simply stunning tune. The only disappointing thing about this song is that it finishes far too soon, and a long outro is frustrating at the first listen as you expect there to be more.
Stateless: Another underrated U2 song, with a similar sound to the other 2 (obviously, as it is for the same film), opens with a simple introduction and strong opening lyrics "I've got no home in this world, Just gravity, luck, and time, I've got no home in this world, Just you, and you are not mine", this song is clearly linked to the main character of the film and makes a lot more sense if you've seen the film, but I don't listen to it that way and it is still a fabulous song. A common theme here but a really strong melody equal with the lyrics makes it a strong U2 effort.
Falling At Your Feet: Duet between Bono and Daniel Lanois, is a very melodic and intimate sounding song with a charming quality. "Every chip from every cup, every promise given up, every reason that's not enough, is falling, falling at you feet." A very merry tune that can't fail to bring a smile, and is very appropriately placed in the film but not needed to be enjoyed.
Other notable tracks are "The First Time" taken from the 1993 album Zooropa, which is not my favourite, but is by no means bad, a slow builder with poignant lyrics, and "Dancin Shoes" which is bluesy, with some wild vocals form Bono.
Unfortunately, the rest is just filler, mostly instrumental tracks, a unique rendition of "Satellite Of Love" with Milla on lead vocals, and a truly unnecessary version of "Anarchy in the USA" by Tito Larriva.
It really is a shame, because a few of these songs will have been missed by so many people because the overall album isn't that amazing unless you have seen the film, I would suggest downloading the noted tracks if buying it is too much of a risk.
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Hi, my favourite is still "Stateless" and of course "The First Time", unfortunately U2 haven't played that one much on the tour ... I like the version of "Satellite Of Love" with Milla singing ... I also like the version of "Anarchy In The UK" named as "USA" instead ... Best regards, Sven (Zoobremia)
baby_uk 01.12.2005 22:34
Well written xx
Tansi53 01.12.2005 22:27
I've always thought that the biggest problem in buying albums is the fact that you can end up buying a few tracks that you like and loads that you are not so keen on. Sue
Dec 1st, 2005
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