OST OCD - A Two-fer

You may not even have noticed, since I did post the other day, but I’ve been having some ftp problems. But with the help of the DreamHost support team, I was able to get all issues resolved and get going again. Every time I’ve had a problem or needed help, they’ve taken care of me. A lot of times I even hear back from the support people within an hour of the time I’ve submitted my question. If you’re looking for a host, these guys really are great.
Moving on.

I just got my hands on a couple of soundtracks that are, in a lot of ways, very similar. That’s the reason for my “two-fer” post today. “Kurt Cobain: About a Son,” and “Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten” are both from recent movies about the two rock icons. And both disks go fairly deep into the music that inspired Kurt and Joe’s respective bands.

Interestingly, though, while “The Future is Unwritten” includes some solo Joe Strummer as well as some previously unreleased Clash demos, “About a Son” is strictly about Kurt Cobain’s influences. The soundtrack is filled with bands such as Mudhoney, Scratch Acid, and the Melvins. There were some surprises, though, such as the inclusion of Arlo Guthrie (coincidentally, the Strummer soundtrack has a song by Woody Guthrie) and CCR.

Rolling Stone’s RockDaily describes the film as such: “You’ll hear only one voice in ‘About a Son’ – Cobain’s – and there’s no footage of Nirvana or even Kurt himself in the film,” which (co-producer Michael) Azerrad reiterated isn’t a documentary but a retelling of Cobain’s life in his own words. ‘It was more about bringing him into the realm of a three-dimensional human being, not the cartoon rock icon,’ says Azerrad, who drew from a bank of more than twenty-five hours of previously unheard audio tape for the project. ‘It’s not a look back at Kurt, it’s a look into Kurt.’”

Alternately, sort of, is Julian Temple’s tribute to Joe Strummer. Along with interviews and such, “The Future is Unwritten” draws a lot from archival footage of The Clash and the Mescaleros. The soundtrack also includes a track from the 101’ers, Strummer’s pre-Clash band.


A reviewer on IMDB writes that “Temple – who filmed the Clash at one of their earliest rehearsals – has assembled a truly impressive array of footage, including 8mm family films from Joe's childhood and a performance from the 101ers, his pre-Clash R&B/pub-rock band. There are interviews with Joe's squat-mates from the early 70s, Mick Jones and Topper Headon of the Clash, and numerous other people (musicians and other) who either worked with Joe or were influenced by him. My only reservation is that the movie might be overwhelming to someone who was unfamiliar with Strummer's work, or the broad outlines of his history, but I think even a complete novice would have to come away impressed by the sheer scope of Joe's legacy, both in terms of music and the influence he left on his friends and admirers.”

There’s so much good music on both of these disks that it was hard for me to pick just a couple from each. I ultimately picked songs I liked and thought were interesting.

from “Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten”

White Riot (demo).mp3 The Clash
Crawfish (from King Creole).mp3 Elvis Presley
Keys to Your Heart.mp3 The 101’ers

see the trailer


from “Kurt Cobain: About a Son”

The Motorcycle Song.mp3 Arlo Guthrie
Owner’s Lament.mp3 Scratch Acid
The Man Who Sold the World.mp3 David Bowie

see the trailer

Labels: demos, rock, soundtracks

posted by aikin @ 9:10 PM