Moulin Rouge
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Free Music Notes for Moulin Rouge
Free Music Review: A Bohemian Storm Is Brewing!
Hit: 5 Stars
Moulin RougeThis is an awesome cd, and I THANK Baz Luhrman for doing it and the movie. Although I have yet to see the movie, I'm anxiously wanting to.
1. Nature Boy . David Bowie - The soundtrack begins with a small haunting piece of dialogue given by Ewan MecGregor, while in the background are haunting tunes. Then David Bowie begins to sing, and the background becomes stronger. It's an awesome, haunting song, and is no doubt used in the movie in a great way.
2. Lady Marmalade . Christina, Pink, Mya, Lil' Kim - I cannot express how much I love this song. The collaboration of these beautiful ladies' voices is wonderful, and not to mention very sexy. From Mya's soft, innocent voice to Christina's loud and perfect vocals, Lady Marmalade delivers each and every music taste you could hope for. Pink has a strong and worthy voice, and Lil' Kim gives us a bit of her rapping. Again, the collaboration of these sexy ladies was the only way to go with this song.
3. Because We Can . Fatboy Slim - What do we always expect from master DJ Fatboy Slim? A fast, fun song that never slows down, and if it does, it's only to build up a great explosion in the song which gives you chills. Although the only lyrics consists of the words, Because We Can, everybody, and happy, the rhythmic beats keep the song way alive.
4. Sparkling Diamonds . Nicole Kidman - This song was the first time I ever heard Kidman sing, and I must say, I was surprised at well this lady can sing! She can go from being sexy to having a loud, strong voice. And all the time sounds like she's enjoying singing what she's singing. The song in itself is very fun, and full of girl power. It mixes songs from great legends as Marilyn Monroe and Madonna, and does it well.
5. Rhythm of the Night . Valeria - I want to hear more from this girl! She sounds like a new Gloria Estifan. The Latin beats of Rhythm of the Night will keep you moving throughout the whole song.
6. Your Song . Ewan McGregor and Alessandro Safina - The soundtrack finally slows down after the previous fast beats with this ballad sang with great ease by McGregor. The operatic backgrounds supplied by Alessandro Safina go great with the song, and makes the song more powerful. The orchestra also gives the song a great feeling.
7. Children of the Revolution . Bono, Gavin Friday and Maurice Seezer - Now we go from orchestric ballad to a hard rock song led by the great voices known for their rock. Children of the Revolution will make anyone go for something their willing to do. It's like a victory song, of sorts.
8. One Day I'll Fly Away . Nicole Kidman - Nicole shows us her sweeter, softer side in One Day I'll Fly Away. The song is soft on the ears, and so is Nicole's voice. I never could've imagined how good she can sing.
9. Diamond Dogs . Beck - I've never been a big fan of Beck's music, but Diamond Dogs is better than most of it.
10. Elephant Love Medley . Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor and Jamie Allen - I love this! It combines many great love songs from the past decade into a wonderful medley supplied by Nicole and Ewan's voices. These two have great talent. And neared to the end, the background is full of, I guess, Jamie Allen's operatic vocals, with Nicole and Ewan harmonizing together. It's wonderful.
11. Come What May . Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor- Another song with Nicole and Ewan. Although it doesn't live up to Elephant Love Medley, it's still great. It's more of a ballad here, and really shines.
12. El Tango de Roxanne . Ewan McGregor, Jose Feliciano and Jacek Koman - I can't wait to see how this song is done in the movie. Ewan really shows off his vocal skills here, and the tune to El Tango de Roxanne is great.
13. Complainte de la Butte . Rufus Wainright - A very soft, happy like song. The beginning of the song is sung in French, I believe. And the accent of Rufus Wainright is great.
14. Hindi Sad Diamonds . Nicole Kidman, John Leguizamo, and Alka Yagnik - This is one wild song! The beats are right out of India, and Nicole Kidman's voice is used superbly! It's a fast and wild song.
15. Nature Boy . David Bowie and Massive Attack - This is a remix of the first track, and is done to the tune of a more hard rock song than the first haunting tunes.
Moulin Rouge marks itself as one of my favorite CDs, and will probably do the same to any fan of musicals, Nicole Kidman, or any music lover.
Free Music Review: "At the Moulin Rouge, you'll have fun!"
Hit: 5 Stars
The biggest criticism of this cd -- and a valid criticism, certainly -- is that a lot of the great music from the film was left out. And while Volume 2 does much to correct that oversight, there STILL are several songs I wish they had included, or left in their original movie form. However, the selections on this cd stand out on their own, maintaining a constant upbeat feeling that makes it great for dancing or listening to in the car with your friends. :) My take on the individual tracks:1. NATURE BOY: This is the song that opens the movie, but here it is performed by David Bowie rather than John Leguizamo (Toulouse-Lautrec). Whether you like Bowie or not (and generally I don't), his voice gives it a very poignant touch. A fitting song for the first track. 4.5 stars.
2. LADY MARMALADE: Sung by Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya and Pink. I hated this song when I initially heard it, but it's grown on me quite a bit; you have to admit, it's pretty darn catchy! 4 stars.
3. BECAUSE WE CAN: Fatboy Slim's frenetic techno piece, with Jim Broadbent's Zidler screaming, "Because we can-can-can!" The version from the movie (during the Can Can sequence) was SO much better -- considerably faster and overlaid with a sped-up "Lady Marmalade," but this one is a lot of fun, too. 5 stars.
4. SPARKLING DIAMONDS: Showcases Nicole Kidman at her singing best, with "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" and "Material Girl." However, I prefer the original film version, which is bolder and more brassy. Ah well... 4.5 stars.
5. RHYTHM OF THE NIGHT: It hardly appears in the movie at all and its inclusion in the soundtrack is kind of random, but it's an enjoyable dance song anyway -- more "mainstream" than the rest of the cd. 5 stars.
6. YOUR SONG: Ewan McGregor's first number...God, if only a guy would sing like that to ME. *sigh* I think I was about as astounded as Satine when I heard this. An operatic tenor backs him up, which works surprisingly well. 5 stars.
7. CHILDREN OF THE REVOLUTION: Maybe I'm biased because I don't like Bono's singing, but I find the tune of the song annoying anyway. A track I tend to skip over. 2 stars.
8. ONE DAY I'LL FLY AWAY: Kidman doesn't quite pull this one off as well -- her voice comes out sounding on the weak & breathy side. The song itself is lovely, though. 4 stars.
9. DIAMOND DOGS: I believe this is originally a Bowie song, but it's performed here by Beck. I especially like the instrumentation and guitars here. 4 stars.
10. ELEPHANT LOVE MEDLEY: There are so many different songs cobbled together in this duet, I can't count 'em all. Christian tries to woo Satine, who has her own cynical view on love...but that's about to change! The editing here really works to make it one unified, fluid track, and all the songs they picked are great. 5 stars.
11. COME WHAT MAY: The emotional high point of the cd. The original orchestral version in Vol. 2 is more moving, but this one here actually works better as a song, with a more defined beat and structure. Also Ewan's voice dominates over Nicole's in the film version...not that I don't like listening to Ewan sing :) but this track is more successful as a real duet, with both voices melding together seamlessly. 5 stars.
12. EL TANGO DE ROXANNE: The decision to put "Roxanne" to tango music was a stroke of genius. Ewan just oozes with jealously and despair in this track as Satine is forced to meet with the Duke in the tower. 5 stars.
13. COMPLAINTE DE LA BUTTE: It's, um, nasal French. Actually, I do like the song, but it sort of wrecks the flow (and mood) of the cd. 3 stars.
14. HINDI SAD DIAMONDS: One instance in which the cd version is superior to the movie's! It has a dark, driving beat accompanied by Hindu vocals, and its strangeness might not appeal to all listeners, but I LOVE it. 5 stars.
15. NATURE BOY: Massive Attack's remix...I don't know why it's here. It's a really boring remix that doesn't add much to the soundtrack. 1 star.
So there you have it. :) Overall, a simply fantastic soundtrack that's bound to spend a lot of time in your cd player. But I recommend Volume 2 of the soundtrack as well to give you a "fuller" Moulin Rouge experience.
Free Music Review: Great Film: Great Score
Hit: 5 Stars
There will always be two schools of thought concerning the film MOULIN ROUGE There will be those who hate it and those who love it. I am in the later category.
MOULIN ROUGE is without question, a landmark achievement of a film. The first 45 minutes alone,rank as some of the most exhilarating moments ever captured on celluloid. Director,Baz Luhrmann creates a world full of color, sound and movement that effect the senses completely. It's impossible not be swept into it and impossible not to step back and note the greatness Mr.Luhrmann possesses as a director.
Luhrmann takes every old musical comedy cliché (From "Love me tonight" to "Babes in Arms" and even "Viva Las Vegas") and mixes it with operatic storylines (echoes from "Boheme" to "Traviata" abound) and injects them all with a invigorating sense of freshness. The effect is as if Mr. Luhrmann had never seen a musical comedy or opera before and had come up with all this by himself while drinking a cappuccino at Starbucks.
The inventiveness doesn't end there. Luhrmann sense of music knows no boundaries. He will take a piece of music by Offenbach and insert Nirvana's "Smells like Teen Spirit" into it. The amazing thing is it makes sense and comes off as if Mr.Offenbach and Mr.Cobain had been formally introduced.
During the "Diamonds are a girls best friend" production number, the music morphs for a few moments into Madonna's "Material Girl" thus pointing up the structural similarities between two pieces of music written 40 years apart as well as paying homage to the original performers who performed it.
It's a statement, within a statement, within a statement and that happens often in this film and that's called genius, folks.
All the actors are quite good with the two leads more than up to the task at hand.
From the moment Nicole Kidman enters the frame, one realizes one is watching an honest to goodness "movie star". The word "movie star" has both good and bad connotations and Ms. Kidman is aware of that. She delivers a performance loaded with a screwball comedy timing and offset by touching vulnerability. More importantly, she looks like she's having fun up there and her serviceably pleasant singing voice works to her advantage. This is the surest and most likable performance she's given on film to date.
The real revelation, however, is Ewan MacGregor. A performance with this much charm, energy, earnestness and naiveté would normally be considered obnoxious in any actor over the age of 11. What MacGregor does though, is imbue every moment of his performance with enough heart and sincerity to make it real. He believes totally in what he's doing thus making you believe. It is that sincerity that gives the film it's foundation to rest upon. Also, MacGregor, is one hell of a singer. His untrained but robust voice is used with a fine sense of musicality and when he volleys up to one of the many high notes in his role (up to and including a rock solid high A), the sheer sense of glee he gives off is infectious.
So, in a summer made up of what looks to be mostly mindless fare, where does Moulin Rouge fit in? Nowhere really. However, it is more than likely that Moulin Rouge will be discussed, analyzed, probed and used as inspiration long after the "Mummy returns" and "Tomb Raiders" of the world have become but a distant memory.
...and that's the important thing.
Free Music Review: Come What May...
Hit: 5 Stars
...for Moulin Rouge as a movie but the soundtrack is absolutely wonderful. I have to admit that Moulin Rouge, the film was not as good as I anticipated, except for the last hour and the excellent music numbers, though. I knew I had to buy the CD immediately after. It turned out better than I thought. It's a wonderful mixture of pop and musical-almost Brodway-like numbers. 1. Nature Boy
This is an excellent song, and almost tells the story of Moulin Rouge or at least how it starts out-a boy traveling to a distant land and not expecting to find what he did at the Moulin Rouge.
2. Lady Marmalade
Probably my favorite on the disk. I have yet to hear a better pop song. Without this song and Christina, Pink, Lil' Kim and Mya, Moulin Rouge wouldn't be half as bright.
3. Because We Can
This is a very fun song from Fat Boy Slim, that might take getting use to at first, but you'll become obessed with it after.
4. Sparkling Diamonds
Nicole Kidman sings great! She goes from soft to loud in this perfect pop-like version of Marilyn's song.
5. Rhythm of the Night
A pretty good song from Valeris-not the best track on the CD, but it's fast paced and adds to the others with it's hip-hop theme.
6. Your Song
Ewan McGregor sings wondeful as well, I was so surprised, even though I saw the movie. This song is great, even though I've never heard the original by Elton John, I can tell from this version of it.
7. Children of the Revoultion
Okay addition, but hardly heard in the movie. They could have replaced it with "Spectacular, Spectacular", which I was dissapointed was not on the soundtrack.
8. One Day I'll Fly Away
Again, Nicole Kidman sings so well, and this is one of the bet tracks on here. It's very slow moving at first, and then builds up to a daring climax, where Nicole Kidman belts out against the orchestra.
9. Diamond Dogs
May take some getting use to, but the beat is very unique and the song original.
10. Elephant Love Melody
Also one of the best. It's superb how they put together these classical love songs into one melody. Without this number Moulin Rouge wouldn't be the same.
11. Come What May
I didn't expect to like this song as much as I do. It's brillant and a real masterpiece.
12. El Tango De Roxanne
This song is so intense it's scary. When this song hit in the theatres you knew Moulin Rouge was getting better from it's first half hour of frivolous, silly song and dance-routine (although I'm still dissapointed at the absence of "Spectacular, Spectacular", it was kind of a good song.)"Roxanne" will give you chills.
13. Complanite De La Butte
You don't know what they're saying, but it's a calm, slow- paced, nice song.
14. Hindi Sad Diamonds
This will also give you chills because of the intensity of the song. Yet it's funky and shines a light on the whole story.
15. Nature Boy
So-so, almost haunting version of the first track. Really not too much to say on it.
If you're considering buying this soundtrack, don't waste another minute. You won't be dissapointed in the least. It never leaves my CD player and brightens up my day. It will make you completely obessed with Moulin Rouge!
Free Music Review: An Astonishing work of Art
Hit: 5 Stars
It is rare when an album comes out of the blue and blinds you with its' beauty. The only ones I can think of are 'The Broadway Album' by Barbra Streisand, and 'Selmasongs' by Bjork. However, the sheer brilliance of 'Moulin Rouge' puts those two in the shade. As a collaborative effort, its better than anything put out in the last ten years. And thats no small achievment. As a musical piece, it soars way above anything on the airwaves right now, and evokes Sondheim, Hammerstein, and even Dvorak. I must admit that I am not too fond of soundtracks, and am extremely suspicious of anything that is marketed widely. The current commercialization of 'Moulin Rouge' put me off the film at first, and I wasn't expecting anything of the soundtrack, but one listen was all it took to show me that here was an album that was an instant classic. Each song is a gem, and by the end of it, you'd probably hold the CD in your hands and acknowledge that its one of the best things you ever bought.
Yes, THAT good.
The most sparkling compositions here are sung by Nicole Kidman, who at once makes her impression as a singer to contend with. Vastly better than any of the current crop of singers ruling the charts, Nicole's breathy vocals are the best female renditions I have heard all of this year (if you're still going ga-ga over Nelly Furtado and Dido, get over them. Nicole is where its at). Her 'One day I'll fly away' is better than anything Dido, Sarah Mclachlan and Jewel have put out combined. Again, yes, THAT good.
I expect 'Moulin Rouge' to land Nicole a recording contract - it would be criminal to let a singer of such depth and beauty pass us by. The same can also be said of Ewan McGregor, though we all knew that he could sing. His vocals in 'Velvet Goldmine' were pretty good, and he is best remembered for his 'Somewhere' from 'A Life Less Ordinary' (they cut his version off the soundtrack). But on this CD, Ewan proves that hes grown as a singer, evoking Marc Cohn, Joshua Kadison, and even Bruce Springsteen. I always thought movie-stars who attempted singing were kidding themselves and their audience, but believe me, Ewan and Nicole are true talents.
If I were to compare the songs sung by Nicole and Ewan to anything previously released, then I would have to choose 'The Phantom of the Opera'. Nicole's musical numbers are wonderfully based on Andrew Lloyd Webber's work, and she really shines.
The other monumental songs on this landmark CD, are by Bono, Fatboy Slim and Beck (his 'Diamond Dogs' bring back memories of 'Odelay'), giving 'Moulin Rouge' a feel and look that hasn't quite been captured by anyone else out there, ever. The only blemish, if I may say so, is the inclusion of Christina and gang's 'Lady Marmalade'. Even so, the soundtrack is a wonder, and an essential addition to your music collection.
This could well end up being the best soundtrack this year, or dare I say it, the best album of the year. Whether you're into trance, hip-hop, or Broadway musicals, 'Moulin Rouge' delivers on all counts. A masterpiece of the finest order.