Hedwig and the Angry Inch
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Free Music Notes for Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Free Music Review: Revive this!
Hit: 5 Stars
I just re-listened to this album/soundtrack after being away for awhile. Oh, do I love it! Even if you hate the themes, or the play/movie for that matter, you must admit that this is great rock music. I would think that the only reason one would be turned off by this great work of art is if that person is prejudiced against the gay lifestyle to begin with. Well, you can wallow away as the rest of us enjoy ourselves with every single track. I'll admit, I don't really like Stephen Trask's voice, especially compared to John Cameron Mitchell, but he is a great songwriter. The wonderful lyrics, musicianship and pure talent exhibited are fabulous, but then you have the larger-than-life character of Hedwig to boot. She/he really lifts you up to great heights, the lowest of depths, and seething rages like a magnificent conductor (or a flaming queen!). Also, it is nice to hear Bob Mould shine again. I would have loved to see this cast perform on stage, but since I can't have that, this album will have to do. And it does more than do, believe you me. What are these people doing now, and to whom do I send the check?
Free Music Review: Glam rock at it's best.
Hit: 5 Stars
First thing that must be said: John Cameron Mitchell is an extroidnary talent. His passion for this project completely gave it life. The music and lyrics, composed by Stephen Trask, speak for themselves. Fantastic.1. "Tear Me Down" - This song evokes the image of Hedwig in her glittering cape, reading "Yankees Go Home" on one side, and "With Me" on the other. One of the more "rock" songs. It's got a great beat, and some smashing guitar. The right way to start off the album.
2. "Origin Of Love" - This song is based of a story by Plato, playing with the idea that there were once beings that looked like two people fused back-to-back. When they were split into two seperate people, the longing for your other half is what we now know as "love". It's a beautifully-written song, a nice pace change from track 1.
3. "Angry Inch" - THE Hedwig song. Serious guitar and drums going on here. Explains the origin of Hedwig's anatomy situation. It is HARD not to get sucked into this song. Real upbeat and rock-ish.
4. "Wicked Little Town (Tommy Gnosis Version)" - sung by none other than the composer, Stephen Trask. If you've seen the movie, this about sums up the Tommy/Hedwig relationship. Again, a great pace-change from the previous song. I personally like the Hedwig version at the end of the cd, but it's still a good song.
5. "Wig In A Box" - My second fave on the album. Once you know the lyrics to this song, you'll put it on loop and sing it for hours. So freaking catchy. Alot of John Cameron Mitchell's personality comes through in this song. Great tempo change towards the end of the song. Really picks up.
6. "The Long Grift" - A song that was in the original run of the movie, but got cut in post-production. (You can hear it in the background of an added scene, in the DVD version.) Stephen Trask is singing, I believe. One of the songs you could probably skip if any... just a connecting piece, really.
7. "Hedwig's Lament" - the intro to Exquisite Corpse. Her final performance. Fabulous lyrics in this song, and with John Cameron Mitchell's melodious voice, it's a great peak in the movie.
8. "Exquisite Corpse" - probably the hardest song on the album. Imagine the strobe lights and spastic jumping in this part of the film, and that's a good description for the feel of this. A little eccentric, with a good rock feeling.
9. "Midnight Radio" - I once heard this described as the "manditory lighter song". Hell yah... pull out those lighters. The absolute perfect song to follow Exquisite Corpse. This is my favorite of the album. Heartbreaking, and completely beautiful.
10. "Nailed" - This was meant to be a track by Tommy Gnosis, the rock star in the movie. I believe it's sung by Stephen Trask as well. Not much to do with the movie, but it's an alternative-sounding song that picks up the pace after Midnight Radio.
11. "Sugar Daddy" - Just a fun, campy song. It's got acoustic guitar reminiscent of country music, with a little tamborine in the background. Another one to sing along to. ^_^
12. "Freaks (With Girls Against Boys)" - From one of Stephen Trask's bands, I believe (I might be mistaken in that.) Not in the movie, but it's upbeat, and carries on a gay-pride theme.
13. "In Your Arms Tonight" - Another Tommy Gnosis track. Ever-so-slightly repetitive after a while. It's a slower song, with a great guitar melody.
14. "Wicked Little Town (Hedwig Version)" - My other favorite song on the album. A beautiful piano accompanies this piece, which fits John Cameron Mitchell's voice really well. You can almost feel the emotion running through Hedwig. A flat-out beautiful song, music and lyrics. The whole deal.
The whole collection fit together perfectly. Knowing the movie puts a reason to the rhyme, but even a first-time listener could appriciate the talent and heart behind this. But the movie is beautiful - highly, highly recommended.
Enjoy. :)
5 STARS
Free Music Review: Great music!
Hit: 5 Stars
The Broadway smash Hedwig and the Angry Inch hit theaters in late summer 2001 and a campy selection of songs accompanying the film also showcased the story's zany appeal. It's delightfully poppy with a dazzling glam rock twist, and John Cameron Mitchell's scowling vocals provoke a naughty disposition similar to the likes of David Bowie and the New York Dolls' David Johansen. It's fantastically sassy with riveting guitars; a desire to compose another vision of one's self fully takes form like the film project. "Angry Inch" and "Exquisite Corpse" thrive on T. Rex-like swagger and crunchy licks and define the escalating mood of the movie itself. Hedwig and the Angry Inch's Stephen Trask, the film's Tommy Gnosis, swivels his way into lead vocals on "Wicked Little Town" and "In Your Arms Tonight"; Bob Mould plays lead guitar, a nice surprise among these particularly soulful tracks. Girls Against Boys' "Freaks" echoes post-punk desire quite like the Stooges' angry rock chants, but it's the hidden trails of love throughout this warped story of self-acceptance and discovery that makes Hedwig and the Angry Inch enchanting like The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Moulin Rouge.Free Music Review: Rock & Roll and Broadway DO Mix
Hit: 4 Stars
We'd just about given up on so-called `rock musicals'. The penultimate straw may have been "Rent". For months before it reached Broadway, we kept hearing how finally there existed a musical which really captured the spirit of Rock and Roll. Well, unless the spirit of Rock and Roll is personified by Rogers and Hammerstein, such was not the case. After hearing the disappointingly ...soundtrack, we concluded that show tunes and rock and roll don't mix. Alas, here is proof we were wrong. Hedwig and the Angry Inch is/are the real deal. The songs, written by the show's/movie's producer Stephen Trask, sung mostly by the star/director John Cameron Mitchell, and performed by genuine rock&roll musicians including Trask and Bob Mould (formerly of Husker Du), are rock gems, which, if it weren't for the fact that they mostly pertain to transsexualism and a botched sex-change operation, would stand up perfectly well out of context and on their own. Blistering but, thankfully, not blustery rock&roll (think Ziggy Stardust) sung and played with passion and conviction. And the movie is terrific too. (Although would someone please explain the ending to this reviewer. It appears that we may be as lame as that soundtrack to "Rent".)Free Music Review: A Must Own...
Hit: 5 Stars
I don't just throw five star ratings around, but this record honestly earns it...and how! It is one of the best rock/pop albums of the last several years. For me, it evokes David Bowie, circa Hunky Dory. Mitchell's voice is superb, Trask's songwriting is unparalleled, and the Angry Inch's (featuring Bob Mould) musicianship is all top drawer, flowing between grinding rock (Angry Inch, Exquisite Corpse, Nailed) and epic balladeering (Origin of Love, Wicked Little Town, The Long Grift) seamlessly, while most other tracks shine brilliantly somewhere inbetween. There are too many standout tracks on this record to note only a few for evidence; there is literally not a single weak track. The album stands strongly on its own without requiring the listener to first see the film, however the film certainly provides a background for the songs that provide an added depth and resonance. This was my single favorite album of 2001.