This is the final part of my look at the Watchmen, (part one is here http://toomanyfandoms.blogspot.com/2009/03/who-reads-watchmen.html and part two is here http://toomanyfandoms.blogspot.com/2009/03/who-watches-watchmen.html)
When I reviewed the Watchmen film I neglected to mention the soundtrack (and the Bowie/Jagger/Village People cameo's although they were by actors not the real musicians themselves) so what makes the soundtrack good for this film? Well how about the simple factthat every track sounds like it is a part of the story, in fact some of the tracks tell abit of the story, solets go through the tracklist of the Watchmen Soundtrack and see whats in there.
BEWARE there may be spoilery parts below
1. My Chemical Romance- Desolation Row: This punky offering from MCR is the only modern band to appear on the soundtrack, covering the Bob Dylan classic. My Chemical Romance's sound sounds like it fits the 80's punk vibe and is probably what Pale Rider's* music would have sounded like.
*fictional band whose concert is teased in the graphic novel.
2. Nat King Cole- Unforgettable: An odd choice of song for a fight sequence but it's not just the soundtrack for the fight, it's the last performance of the Comedian, his last dance if you will as he remembers his past and grieves for the good old days.
3. Bob Dylan- The Times They Are A-Changin': The perfect song to capture the history of the Watchmen from the 40's to the time that the Watchmen takes place, showing the growing darkness that happens as the times get further away from the golden age of colourful costumes and descends into the public turning their heroes into outlaw vigilantes
4. Simon & Garfunkel- The Sound Of Silence: A fitting eulogy to the man known as The Comedian, a man who probably viewed the darkness as his friend or at the very least saw it as a companion.
5. Janis Joplin- Me And My Bobby McGee: A song that sounds perfect for the bar scene in the film and yet is such a polar opposite to what is going on onscreen.
6. K.C. & The Sunshine Band- I'm Your Boogie Man: This song is featured in a flashback set in the late 70's where this disco influenced song would have populated the clubs and seen every man struting his way to the next dance, which is pretty much how this scene feels except it's more about extreme crowd control than dancing.
7. Billie Holiday- You're My Thrill: Originally used in the graphic novel as a soothing song to play to survivors of a burning building it shows Silk Spectre's love for Dr Manhattan and the fascination that comes with loving a strange being.
8. The Philip Glass Ensemble- Pruit Igoe & Prophecies: This is basically Dr Manhattan's theme tune, rthymic and also it feels fitting to a being with god like abilities with the chants and the gradual build on the strings. The song sounds very at home on Mars with Dr Manhattan as he reflects on how he came to be.
9. Leonard Cohen- Hallelujah: The song sounds really fitting for the scene it is in in the film, for so many reasons, all I can really say about this is I'm betting this is what Nite Owl was thinking.
10. Jimi Hendrix- All Along The Watchtower: This song has some of the story of the Watchmen in it already and as a song that sets up the third act, it really sets the scene up especially the third verse which is synched perfectly with the action perfectly it is almost like Hendrix wrote and performed this song specifically for the film.
11. Budapest Symphony Orchestra- Ride Of The Valkyres: A homage to Apocalypse Now, if it had included a giant semi naked blue guy who could blow people up just by pointing at them. This sounds like the perfect song for a walking Deus ex machina.
12. Nina Simone- Pirate Jenny: This song didn't feature in the film but does feature in the Black Freighter DVD, this song is about the approach of the Black Freighter and the only person who knows of its impending arrival is a maid, could it be the same Black Freighter that appears in the story in the Watchmen? Who knows, but this haunting song sends shivers up my spine.
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