Zabriskie Point: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
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Free Music Notes for Zabriskie Point: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Free Music Review: Great soundtrack
Hit: 5 Stars
In all honesty, The soundtrack is better then the actual movie.Free Music Review: From the Standpoint of a PF Fan
Hit: 4 Stars
This album is a sort of "cult classic" that tends to be enjoyed mainly by Grateful Dead or Pink Floyd fans, and I am of the latter group. I'm afraid I'm not that much of a fan of the non PF stuff on here (though that "Dark Star" bit is quite enticing), but what drove the rating up from the 3 stars I considered giving the album as a whole, was the quality of Pink Floyd's work. Some of the other bands' works are not very enjoyable at all, and the liner notes, when describing Pink Floyd's work, seem inaccurate in places. These are notable flaws, and if I could give a 3.5, I would--but, given Pink Floyd's output, I chose to round *up*."Heart Beat, Pig Meat" seems in a strange way to foreshadow some of Mr. Waters' later interests in television and politics. Put in the form of a musical soundscape, however, it takes on a whole different flavour from his later lyrical harangues in Amused to Death. But, the ultimate message seems to be the same: the utter inanity of it.
"Crumbling Land" is a beautiful ballad that, although I can't hear clearly enough to be sure, seems to benefit from multiple layers of vocals including both Mr. Gilmour and Mr. Wright (the same combination that makes "Echoes" or "Burning Bridges" so beautiful). Unfortunately, no lyrics for this or any other song come with the album, so on some of it we're left to guess! But, what I can hear sounds beautiful, and the music certainly is wonderful. It doesn't seem at all "country-and-western", as it is described in the booklet, however. Other (non PF) songs on this CD seem more suited to that title.
"Come In Number 51, Your Time is Up" is a remake of the Pink Floyd staple "Careful With That Axe, Eugene." But transposed into the key of E (from the original D), and given a slightly different arrangement, this song takes on a unique character all its own. Rather than the frenetic stalking sensation of CWTAE, "Come in Number 51" seems to alternate between numb shock and explosive anger at the cataclysm it seems to indicate.
"Country Song" is not that remarkable, as far as Mr. Waters' ballads go (that's who I'm assuming wrote these lyrics), but has certainly got a more hopeful outlook than some of his later works such as those in Animals. It also features a very rare vocal combination--what sounds like a duet between Mr. Gilmour and Mr. Waters, in some parts of the song. This hardly occurs again except in "Another Brick in the Wall, Part II", and so it does make a piece of interest, as well as the rather unique guitar tone and technique used.
"Unknown Song" is a beautiful combination of the folkish guitar of "The Narrow Way, Part I", and a bass riff that later appeared in the "Atom Heart Mother Suite". What makes this piece particularly interesting is that these two components seem to play at odds with each other--layered on top of each other, they even seem to be in two different keys! The effect is to create a somewhat atonal, and VERY "Floydish" piece that is underrated and well worth the listen.
"Love Scene, Version 6" is a pretty standard Pink Floyd blues piece like what you'd hear in their live concerts, or in songs such as "More Blues" or "Biding My Time". Not THAT remarkable, but enjoyable. The last track, however...
The most amazing piece here, is "Love Scene, Version 4". This is probably one of the best piano pieces Mr. Wright has ever recorded. I have no idea why the entire band is credited; it has all of the marks of a Rick Wright solo effort. This sometimes delicate, but always passionate composition conjures up images of a romantic candlelight dinner...a very different sort of "love scene" than Antonioni had in mind, perhaps, but you still have to wonder how he could have in his right mind rejected this piece. To drive home my point, another song by Mr. Wright that (somehow!) didn't make the cut later became "Us and Them". I suppose we should be grateful this jewel went to Dark Side of the Moon, but it ought to say something, that "Love Scene, Version 4" comes from the same creative burst.
In the end, despite Pink Floyd's wonderful contributions, I would give the overall album a 3.5...but for the sake of the Floyd, I've rounded up to a 4.
Free Music Review: A cautious recommendation
Hit: 4 Stars
I was always a great fan of this film, thought it was treated with vast indifference and unfair cruelty on its release. The "love scene" at Zabriskie Point is astonishing as cinema, and was very well complimented by Jerry Garcia's acoustic guitar playing. Fans of the film, and of that piece of music in particular, will be pleased to know that the four Garcia outtakes added to the soundtrack are very much of a piece with the version that was used, and since they run consecutively, can be set to repeat on your CD player (which they are currently doing on mine, as I type). These, for me, remain the high point of the disc -- and I'm not even particularly a Deadhead. They work quite nicely with John Fahey's piece, too ("Dance of Death"), which perhaps is no surprise: the detailed liner notes tell how the late Mr. Fahey was to score the love scene, but actually got into fisticuffs with Antonioni over an artistic issue, and had his music mostly pulled from the score. The late Mr. Garcia was sort of following in Fahey's footsteps here; it sounds that way to me, anyhow -- there's something of Fahey in his playing at times. There is, however, weaker/less interesting material on this disc, as well. A couple of the Floyd cuts are abstract and arty enough to hold my interest ("Heart Beat, Pig Meat," the music used during the opening scenes of the film, as the radicals argue, if I recall correctly; and "Come in Number 51," for the psychedelic explosion at the end). Both are outstanding moments. The other pieces of music, for someone like me, who finds Pink Floyd a little dull and overrated, add nothing to this soundtrack. Roscoe Holcomb's screechy bluegrassy folk tune, "I Wish I was a Single Girl Again," is fun, but kind of incongruous, as is Patti Page's "Tennessee Waltz." The attempt to draw on varied musical sources to compliment the movie -- also explained at lengths in the liner notes -- was interesting DURING the film, but doesn't make a very satisfying listening experience for me. With the exception of the "Dark Star" excerpt, much of the rest of the record is B-grade rock music (the Youngbloods, the Kaleidoscope). When I finally get me a CD burner I'll probably just sandwich together the tracks I like on this disc and ignore the original.Still, there's at least 40 minutes of very beautiful, passionate music between these two discs, much of it newly discovered and only available on this version. And the liner notes make an interesting read, particulary if you care about the film... which you should SEE, by all means. 'Tis well complimented by an altered state of consciousness, too, something I don't think a lot of early viewers appreciated well enough... Got me? Anyhow... 'nuff said.
Free Music Review: More rare Pink Floyd/Jerry Garcia music
Hit: 4 Stars
There are two possible questions that could be asked here:1. Should I buy this?
2. I already have the original, should I now buy this.
The answer to both questions is yes. There is enough new material here to make this worthwhile for any Pink Floyd (or Jerry Garcia) fan. If you already bought the original for the 3 Pink Floyd tunes, it means that you are a big enough fan that you have to have this one too.
This was originally released as single album that contained the material on the first CD. It later came out as a single CD. Being a soundtrack, it was always a little more expensive than a standard album. It could be difficult to find at times. It contained 3 Pink Floyd tracks, a spacey track, a typical Pink Floyd movie soundtrack song, and a truncated version of Careful With That Axe Eugene (called Come In Number 51) which is very good and different from the original. The Jerry Garcia tune is a nice 7 minute solo acoustic instrumental. The Grateful Dead track is just a 2 minute expert of Dark Star. There are also some other interesting things here and somethings that may seem out of place (Tennesee Waltz). Even with the strange mix material, the flow of the CD is effective in creating the mood of the sixties. But in the end, you had to be a Pink Floyd fanatic to shell out the bucks for this one.
This new release adds the second CD with 30 minutes of Jerry Garcia and 25 minutes of Pink Floyd. I kind of wonder if the Jerry Garcia material is mislabelled. Tracks 1, 2 and 4 sound like instrumental variations of Pink Floyd's Granchester Meadows, complete with birds chirping at the end of track 4. Maybe it is where Roger Waters got the idea. Track 3 is the only one that really sounds like Jerry Garcia. For the Pink Floyd tracks, there is one that sounds like the origins of Atom Heart Mother, one that is a typical Pink Floyd soundtrack song, a very good bluesy number and an excellent piano solo. The first disc sounds like it got remastered, with a boost in the very low end bass.
Free Music Review: Why I Love Re-Issues (and Pink Floyd) (and Jerry Garcia)
Hit: 4 Stars
The "Zabriskie Point" soundtrack was re-issued a few years ago, and this is a most welcome reissue, overseen by the (as usual) reliable folks at Rhino. What originally was a single CD soundtrack now comes to us in 2 CDs.CD 1 (11 tracks, 36 min.) contains music by a variety of artists, including 3 tracks from "The Pink Floyd" (sic). It shows the band in pre-Atom Heart Mother/Meddle mode (all Floyd music for the soundtrack was recorded in Nov/Dec 1969). "Heart Beat, Big Meat" is a great mood piece along the lines of "Speak to Me"; "Crumbling Land" could have fitted nice along Meddle's "Fearless"; "Come in Number 51" is a retooled "Careful With That Axe Eugene". Jerry Garcia contributes the "Love Scene" accoustic guitar solo. Strangely there is also a 2 min. excerpt from the Dead's "Dark Star" that starts and ends with no rhyme or reason and begs the question: why? (Deadheads know what I mean).
CD 2 (8 tracks, 55 min.) is completely new. It is divided up between 4 Jerry Garcia tracks (more accoustic "noodling"), and 4 Pink Floyd tracks. The latter are fascinating, and what makes this reissue so good. "Country Song" is another one of those classic early-Floyd ballads; "Unknown Song" (a/k/a "Rain in the Country" on bootlegs) is a great instrumental with many undertones. "Love Scene Version 6" is Pink Floyd doing the blues. "Love Scene Version 4" is Rick Wright in piano solo (even if credited to the entire band).
In addition to the new music, the reissue comes with a fascinating 40 page booklet, with great liner notes and quotes (Roger Waters on the recording sessions for director Antonioni: "It was hell, sheer hell", haha!). For any Pink Floyd fan, or anyone interested in a slice of 1969/70 psychedelia, this is very much recommended, even if (like me) you've never seen the movie.