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Diverse Artiesten | Ghost World - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

The cult comic gets a cult film adaptation and a cult soundtrack to boot.
CD, Shanachie/Munich

Tekst: Dave Weil

Publicatiedatum: 18 december 2001

A teen movie with music from 60s-era Bollywood, 70-year-old blues, blues parodies from recent days, overtly racist music from the backwoods of a segregated South, and a satiric rap snippet? In a perfect world, the movie would be a smash, and the soundtrack would be riding the top of the charts. But this is the "modern world", isn't it? So, we have a movie that's an under-earning underground instant cult classic and a soundtrack that will hover on the edges of obscurity. The album, and the movie, opens with the wonderful 'Jaan Pechehaan Ho' from the late Indian singing star Mohammed Rafi. Starting with a Gene Krupaesque drum rumble, it seques into a marvelous surf romp. The song was taken from a mid-60s Indian movie, which is used to establish the eclectic tastes of the main protagonist of the movie, Enid, who opens the movie dancing to video tape of the Indian movie, which happens to be a funny go-go 60s "hip" dance scene. As the soundtrack progresses, we hear from 30s bluesman Skip James, moaning the frightening 'Devil Got My Woman', the modern Dixieland of Vince Giordano and The Nighthawks, the West Indian/North African/South American fusion of venerable Lionel Belasco, the intentionally bad hard rock blues of Blueshammer, the jaunty 'Let's Go Riding' from Mississippi bluesman Freddie Spruell, and the embarassingly racist country novelty song, 'C-H-I-C-K-E-N Spells Chicken' from the hopefully long-dead McGhee Brothers. And there is a little gem of a crooning blues tune, 'Bye Bye Baby' by Texas blues guy Little Hat Jones. This song will make you wonder why he isn't as well-known as Robert Johnson, who I suppose has the benefit of years of great PR. In addition, you'll finally hear the namesake of Pink Floyd, Pink Anderson, singing the railroad blues 'CC&O Blues' with Simmie Dooley. There are additional songs that map a hidden history of American music, and it would be great if this music were really rediscovered by teenagers, as it is in the movie. Much of this music comes from the personal 78s collection of director Terry Zwigoff, director of the documentary of underground comix dude R. Crumb. Replete with hisses and pops, this music will transport you to a country struggling with its identity and social problems, but will lift your spirits or scare you witless at the same time. Not all of the songs are included in the movie, but they inform the issues addressed in 'Ghost World'. Finally, I have to mention the haunting 'Ghost World Theme', which is the final track. A simple piano and cello melody, it closes the album with the perfect tone, one that wisely doesn't attempt to mimic the great music that has preceded it. This is a movie and a soundtrack worth seeking out at all costs.

http://www.kindamuzik.net/recensie/diverse-artiesten/ghost-world-original-motion-picture-soundtrack/915/
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