Girls, why do you buy so many movie soundtracks? I don't get it. In my life, I've only felt the need to buy two (both of them John Williams scores), and I sold one and didn't really enjoy the other. When I buy music, I want to hear a body of work from a creator. Soundtracks (and scores), on the other hand, are compilations (or accompaniment), formats that seem limited by the needs of a movie director. Sometimes they're all over the place, and other times they sound homogenous, and a lot of the time they'll have one or two good songs mingled with a bunch of junk, none of which makes me want to buy them. And I don't think I know any guys that have more than one; most don't own any.So why do you buy them? Some of you have a handful, but some of you listen to almost nothing but soundtracks (you know who you are). Why is that? I'm genuinely curious. Caity Hannon, you need to post your reply! It's exactly what I'm looking for!
26 comments:
Ok,
As a man, I own a few soundtracks. Why? Because I find it to be a portal into the thoughts of the director. Why did they want this in there?
Especially directors who are music-driven ( Sophia Copolla, Francis copolla, and Wes Anderson are really good examples). Plus, there are some film projects that actually produce specific songs solely for the film (I Am Sam).
And how about when M. Night Shyamalan had a girl, similar in age to the main charactor in "The Village", play a violin theme when the charactor appeared on screen, mearly to relate to the angenu's acting through an alternate medium?
These are all good enough reasons to own the right sountracks. John Williams, although talented, seems to have no entertainment value off the screen.
Scott: word up, brother.
Jason: You are the exception, I think, as far as guys go. There are directors with an ear for rare gems, and Wes Anderson and Quinten Tarantino are two of them, maybe the only ones on that level. Full disclosure: after some thought, I remembered that I bought the Amores Perros soundtrack, and Jackie Boyer once let me burn a copy of her Pulp Fiction disc. AP suffered from the "bunch of junk" syndrome. I immediately took the best of the two-disc set and burned them to one disc. Now, I regard only three songs as being worthwhile, one of which is the best, last song Control Machete did before Fermin IV left. But I still don't listen to that disc anymore. Pulp Fiction is a good disc, Tarantino has superb taste, but it has a lot of stuff on it that's unfit for pure listening, I'm not sure it's worth buying.
In the end, I'd still like somebody to explain why every time I open a girl's disc wallet, half the CDs are soundtracks.
Hey Spoon.... if you were to open my cd case you would not find ONE soundtrack!!! I DO NOT like to get any of the soundtracks off of movies... personally I think they are STUPID!! But I can think of SEVERAL guys who have had ummm soundtracks in thier cases... haha and I always found that humorus. But... sorry to say I don't have an answer for you... if you figure it out let me know!!
I am busy and can't respond now, but when I do I am going to unload a fury of rage upon this post.
Butt out Bean
I love you Scott
Caity doesn't "comment," but she does write emails--
"I for one love soundtracks. I think I actucally prefer them. As you know I am not a music lover, being that the radio has been missing from my car for 2 years. Soundtracks are a bunch of different artists, and that is why I love them. Because there are very few and a mean very few artists in which I like all of their music. Actucally in most cases, I only like one or two songs. Therefore a soundtrack is the perfect option for me, a bunch of different artists with just one or two songs."
Scott, your comments make me laugh. IN addition to "Guys don't own movie soundtracks. The End," my favorite was your one-word response to Kirsty's wanting to read Brothers K: "No."
Matt, I'm still waiting for that fury of rage you promised.
Ok,
Yeah some directors have great taste in music, but not all are worth buying the cd. I didn't buy the Amores Peros soundtrack because I already owned Artilleria Pesada Presentes.
Quentin is great for choosing music for films, but again, has no real listening value outside of that medium.
I love Sophia Copola's soundtracks because the music she picks is always a great to listen to later. Did'nt you see Lost in Translation? Didn't you listen to the soundtrack while the movie was playing? Its phenomenal.
The Romeo and Juliete that you have on the post is not the good disc. You need to hear the other one. Thats the one will all of the good music from the film.
A Walk to Remember? Who saw that movie, let alone bought the soundtrack?
I think the worst place to start liking soundtracks is Garden State. Not that the music is bad, but that everyone has it, and everyone born after 1989 loves it.
and Spoon, how many girls do you know honestly that actually listen to music, as opposed to playing for background noise. I for one know many, and those are the wrong people to talk to for music advice. Am I taking crazy pills? These are the same people that think DMB's first album was Everyday.
Sorry about all of the mistakes on the last post.
As a man I think I will answer the question for the ladies. But to preface: Why are the majority of famous chefs men? And why are most modern-day explorers men? I put it to you that these reasons are all linked. From my own personal experience, I would rather buy a CD that I have no concrete idea of what it is like and take the risk of it being horrible since the pay-off is great: "It might be the best ever."
There are tons of albums that I know I would like and yet do not possess since I sacrifice those CDs for the search of something better. Usually I am disappointed, but every once in a while I get rewarded for my efforts and money. Kristin (my wife) is utterly bewildered as to why I would rather buy something I am not sure about. So there it is, a soundtrack is a known quantity; it might not be great, but you know what is going on. When you buy a soundtrack you are going to Chilies, or seeing the movie again. It's not risky, you've been there before.
Here's to those willing to die to find it, make awful food in the quest to make something delicious and those who will listen to 9 crappy CDs to find the one that is good!
I hadn't considered The Musical. Is there a distinction between movie soundtracks and those of Broadway adaptations, such as Evita, Chicago, The Sound of Music, or Rent? I'd say maybe. Then again, I don't own any of those, either (but I knew girls who owned Rent and a rap-loving guy that owned The Sound of Music). And then there's Moulin Rouge. That's a compilation, and what's more, a compilation of covers. Additional food for thought: While that movie is great, does its virtue atone for the aural transgression of "Lady Marmalade," which was perpetrated on us via the radio, 24/7, for months on end?
Whoa, Colin snuck a comment in whilst I was spell-checking.
Colin, I gotta buy you a brew sometime. That was, as they used to say, an Epic Take.
"I would rather buy a CD that I have no concrete idea of what it is like and take the risk of it being horrible since the pay-off is great." Me, too, which is why I peruse the clearance rack at Half Price Books.
"There are tons of albums that I know I would like and yet do not possess since I sacrifice those CDs for the search of something better." Word to your mother. This is why I still haven't purchased dcTalk's "Free at Last," Ben Folds Five's "Naked Baby Photos," or Dr. Dre's "The Chronic."
"When you buy a soundtrack you are going to Chili's, or seeing the movie again. It's not risky, you've been there before. LOL and Amen. Chili's...Ha!
Well, Amen insomuch as that's my philosophy. Obviously, it's not the only philosophy, and I'm trying to understand what the others are, lest I get a superiority complex. Your answer on behalf of the women seems logical; familiarity seems to be strong motivator for a lot of women I know. Ladies, is this generally true about the fairer sex?
Scott, let me hold some ends so I can buy you and Colin a brew at the Ginger Man, OK?
haha spoon I have to give it to you... only you could get this many comments about one topic. What's so bad about sound tracks though?? Not manly enough for you?? haha however, like I said before... I don't own any but have known guys that have them in thier cases... I ACTUALLY saw some this past summer in CD cases in the DR!!
Spoon,
my points have yet to be addressed. Moulin Rouge? Lady Marmalade? Give me a break. There is a reason that God made skip buttons. Both discs to Moulin Rouge are great. Just skip past the teen bop, and see the rest for what it is.
Until you mentioned Coppola, I had completely forgotten about the Virgin Suicides soundtrack. It's singular in that it was composed entirely by Air (perhaps the I Am Sam soundtrack was made the same way?) I like the idea of a commissioned work like that, and I really liked the single "Playground Love" that came out of it. I haven't yet listened to the whole thing, so any admiration I have for it is strictly hypothetical. Lost in Translation really made me want to know (and kinda fear) what else is in the teaches of Peaches. I haven’t listened to the soundtrack for The Village, so I can’t speak to that.
That Romeo + Juliet disc might not be the good one, but it's the one that I see the most often. And I believe a lot of people, especially Christian people, have seen A Walk..., because I know ladies that own that track. I liked Garden State the movie, but that doesn't make Iron & Wine (or any other ultra-down-tempo, acoustic, breathy-voiced band) any easier on the ears. I posted those images because I wanted a visual reminder for my female readers (all three of them) of what they own so they could tell me why.
Anyway, back to Coppola and M. Night. The music for Lost in Translation might have been phenomenal, but is the soundtrack disc significant without the context of the movie? The same goes for The Village. Having a violinist whose person approximates that of the character is a great idea, but does it mean anything without the character? I haven’t listened to these soundtracks because, brilliant as they might be, I don’t think soundtracks generally hold up as standalone works. For me, they lack an intrinsic raison d'être, but instead have to be considered in relation to another, more complete product: the film itself. For this reason, soundtracks are incomplete, and therefore do not generate their own pure listening pleasure.
Let the record show that I love Moulin Rouge and its music. I even like “Lady Marmalade” in context. I just wouldn’t pop the disc in while doing laundry or driving I-35.
And in case you were wondering, that comment had 190 more words than the original post.
I also want to say that my goal here is not to diss soundtracks, but just to gain an understanding of why they are popular with the average Jane (or average Joe, if I'm mistaken in my exclusivity). Statements like "soundtracks are incomplete" reflect my opinions, not what I regard to be incontrovertible fact (although I suspect as much). ;^)
I find it funny that this post has recieved over four times the ammount of comments that your abortion post received.
Is it possiable that we are reading into this too much? Maybe Ilike some soundtracks because I always have ( this obviously is any kind of real reason), and maybe you don't like them because you don't. Thats just the way it is.
I like musicals. I always have. If I remember correctly, you don't. Maybe you never have, or never will. I belive this correlates to the reasons why I like some soundtracks. I have, and probably will listen to the Moulin Rouge soundtrack while driving down I-35. Thats me. But who knows why girls do anything? ( just kidding. we all do somethings right).
again sorry for all of the mistakes in that last post. How can I spellcheck and grammer check these things before I do th eword verification?
Ok I have a few minutes to comment now. First of all, this post is ridiculous. Second, it is completely untrue. I don’t want to sound like a femme-Nazi, but your theory with girls and soundtracks is a load of horse hockey (that is as dirty as I can get with out my internet filters sounding off alarms). I think Jason said it best with “Because I find it to be a portal into the thoughts of the director. Why did they want this in there?” I totally agree. The reason you state you don’t like soundtracks is the very reason I do like them. When an artist makes a CD they put a good mix of stuff that will sell and stuff that no one but the band themselves like because they think it is “art”. It may be art, but it usually sucks. Take Sting for example, the guy is a brilliant musician and writer. His album Mercury Rising has great songs like “I Was Brought to My Senses” and “Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot” but the rest of the album is just ok. Sting always fuses things together that no one would think of, resulting in a couple cool sounds and then the rest of the album that leaves you wondering if the guy is actually deaf. Soundtracks and compilations on the other hand let people pick the best of the best, granted it is not always the best.
I am totally surprised that you have the Garden State soundtrack listed on your pictures because that is an excellent soundtrack (if you like that check out the music on Scrubs, the best TV show ever made, sorry for the plug). There are many movies that I can’t separate the music from because they have such an impact. That is the reason I love the Magnolia soundtrack because that music is what made half of that movie. And who can hear Lovefool by the Cardigans with out thinking of Romeo and Juliet (another I was surprised you picked and I also refuse to use + instead of a good old fashioned “and”).
I just don’t see how you can say, “Soundtracks (and scores), on the other hand, are compilations (or accompaniment), formats that seem limited by the needs of a movie director. Sometimes they're all over the place, and other times they sound homogenous, and a lot of the time they'll have one or two good songs mingled with a bunch of junk, none of which makes me want to buy them.”
How can you not say that about musicians? I would like to challenge you and anyone who agrees with you to find an album that you can listen to over and over without skipping any tracks. It is really hard, in fact I can think of four off the top of my head: Weezer’s Blue album, U2’s Achtung Baby and Unforgettable Fire and Pink Floyd’s Division Bell. Who’s with me ladies!?!
And because this blog has become a chat room........
Spoon,
Magnum is amazing1 (sorry. My Serbo-Croation keyboard makes me hold shift to type "1." Just pushing the key gives you "!")
I watched the interactive essay for Chernobyl. I am really glad to have found it.
And......31
Chrispix, thanks for taking time out of your once-in-a-lifetime trip to comment on my blog.
scott, The Wall? are you kidding? Did you not hear the soundtrack to "Days of Thunder?"
jason,
I like musicals more now than I used to. Part of that I attribute to the general improvement of the form. What I never liked about them was the absurdity of a person spontaneously breaking into song while having a conversation, watching a horse race, or talking about billiards. Now, musicals have changed a bit. Moulin Rouge breaks so many rules who cares if the characters sing? And all of Chicago’s music takes place on stage or in Roxy’s mind. But I’ve come around to more traditional musicals, thanks to Amanda and Ebert. My Fair Lady rounds out my top three, and I liked Singin’ in the Rain, too. A Singin’… soundtrack reverses the question, however; “Singin’ in the Rain” was a hit long before it had a musical written around it. Did you check out elliotterwitt.com yet? Oh, and Days of Thunder? jason’s past as a mullet-sportin’, Rude-Dog-t-shirt-wearing 7th-grader is revealed.
jackie,
I limit my Coldplay intake to one listen per month. That way, it doesn’t get old. Who says you can’t drive I-35 while watching movies, isn’t that right, Mark Gross?
max,
Horse hockey sounds like polo on ice. Is this true? OK, so you and Jason enjoy a musical portal into the thoughts of the director. That doesn’t make you girly-men. It just seems to me that soundtrack ownership is generally weighted feminine. I think Colin’s philosophy applies to albums, too; the thrill of finding a great song outweighs the disappointment of an otherwise mediocre CD. And let me clarify that I picked those three CDs (GS, AWtR, and R+J) because they are so most popular. I wasn’t making a statement about quality.
Didn’t Madonna’s Evita bomb with critics and audiences? Scott must be correct by default (I’ve never heard either woman’s version). ;^)
Thanks to ya'll, I had "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina" (and, randomly, "Chim Chim Cher-ee") stuck in my head over the weekend.
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