Last week we were discussing how movie soundtracks can be hit or miss. Today i wanted to briefly discuss the very underated CROW soundtrack starring the late Brandon Lee.
As one as the many record store releases this year THE CROW soundtrack finally issued the soundtrack for vinyl release.
After all these years i think i can safely say that THE CROW soundtrack is probably one of the best album soundtrack releases of all time. The movie tells the story of musician Eric Draven, A man brutally murdered who comes back to life as an undead avenger of his and his fiancee’s murder.
Brandon Lee was tragically killed whilst filming on the set of THE CROW in 1993
The movie is very much a classic as well as its soundtrack a film based on the 1989 comic book of the same name by James O’Barr, directed by Alex Proyas (Dark City) and starring the late Brandon Lee
Most of us know or should know that Lee was accidentally killed whilst filming the movie, due to a defective blank in a gun.
But lets briefly take a look at the movie’s soundtrack and the artists that performed on the album.
The album featured covers from Nine Inch Nails who covered the Joy Division track “Dead Souls”, Pantera who covered Poison Idea’s “The Badge”, and Rollins Band who covered Sucide’s “Ghost Rider”, which is about the Marvel Comic book character.
The album begins with an original song from The Cure titled “Burn”. This probably being one of The Cure’s most popular tracks and was featured heavily in the band’s set when they played at Malahide Castle in Dublin last week
Stone Temple Pilots originally intended to re-record a song off their Mighty Joe Young demo, titled “Only Dying”, but was never able to when Brandon Lee passed away and the track Big Empty was used instead.
The inclusion of songs written by The Cure and Joy Division are notable because the influences of both bands are present in the original comic book.
The creator of THE CROW, reprinted the lyrics to the song The Hanging Garden. by The Cure on an entire page, and some chapters of the comic book are named after Joy Division songs – “Atmosphere ” and “Atrocity Exhibition”, for example. In one panel, Eric even quotes a lyric from the song “Disorder” from the album Unknown Pleasures. O’Barr was a big fan of both bands when he was creating the comic book in 1989.
Not many people know this but When The Cure were asked to provide a song for the film’s soundtrack the intention was originally to use their Pornography era single The Hanging Garden as James O Barr the creator of The Crow’s comic book, reprinted the lyrics to the song on an entire page instead!
The story goes, that Robert Smith liked the comic so much, he decided to write a new song specifically for the film. Thus was the birth of The Cure’s “Burn”, a song exclusive to the 1994 film The Crow.
The story goes, that Robert Smith liked the comic so much, he decided to write a new song specifically for the film. Thus was the birth of The Cure’s “Burn”, a song exclusive to the 1994 film The Crow.
During a charity auction for his various Joy Division memorabilia, Bassist Peter Hook expressed his regret that New Order did not directly take part in the soundtrack, with only Nine Inch Nails—who were already signed on for a cover of “Dead Souls” featured on the soundtrack instead:
“The asked for our involvement. Such a shame we did not do it. Some great groups appeared on the soundtrack. I loved it the script and had read the comic. We were asked to re-record ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ and’ Dead Souls’ as New Order for the film but Barney said, “Why would anyone want New Order to play a Joy Division song?” and that was the end of that!. Nine inch Nails jumped at the chance.”
All in all the biggest selling song from the album was the Stone Temple Piolets track Big Empty. We put together the track listing from the album below.
Track Listing
The Cure, Burn
Machines of Loving Grace, Golgotha Tenement Blues
Stone Temple Pilots, Big Empty
Nine Inch Nails, Dead Souls
Rage Against the Machine, Darkness
Violent Femmes, Color Me Once
Rollins Band, Ghost Rider
Helmet, Milktoast
Pantera, The Badge
For Love Not Lisa, Slip Side Melting
My Life with the Thrill Kill Kutt,
The Jesus and Mary Chain, Snakedriver
Medicine, Time Baby III
Jane Siberry, It Can’t Rain All The Time