Twilight Motion Picture Soundtrack (Release Year – 2008)
When HRH was offered the opportunity to review the new Twilight soundtrack, I jumped at the chance. Any movie soundtrack that is capable of taking a huge bite out of AC/DC’s sales is something worth investigating. A quick look at the artists on this disc, and there aren’t many that fall into the hard rock genre, although Linkin Park and Collective Soul might come close. A quick listen of the CD, and I passed this disc over to the resident Twilight expert in my household (my wife). She has read the Twilight series of books, and is much more knowledgeable on the subject matter of this disc than I.
With that being said, the review below is written by my wife Bonnie, the biggest Twilight fan that I know.
Being a huge fan of the Twilight book (and the others in the saga), and being very impatient for the movie release date to get here, I was really excited to find out that Hard Rock Hideout would be reviewing the soundtrack. Unfortunately, that excitement faded pretty fast as I gave a listen. My first impression of the soundtrack was that it was a bit strange. I have now listened to it at least 20 times, and I still can’t find a better description for it. For the most part, the lyrics to most of the songs are just bizarre, but the music itself is pleasant enough that you find yourself listening anyway.
That being said, there are a few songs on the disc worth mentioning…”Leave Out All The Rest” by Linkin Park is by far my favorite, and was immediately. The flow of the music, the lyrics…it just works. I had never listened to Linkin Park prior to this, but I am definitely a fan now.
“Spotlight” by Mutemath is a catchy little tune that immediately has you singing along. Not hard to do considering the same lyrics lace the majority of the song, but even so, it’s one of the better songs on the disc.
Paramore has two tracks on the CD, “Decode” and “I Caught Myself”, both of which are likeable in their own way. The band has a distinctive guitar sound which adds to their charm.
“Full Moon” by the Black Ghosts reminds me of something by Manheim Steamroller. Different is the only word that comes to mind, but it’s nice to listen to.
The hottest vampire living, Robert Pattinson, aka Edward Cullen, also has a spot on the CD with “Never Think”. The guitar is very nice, and I read that it is actually him playing, but the lyrics are mumbled and hard to understand. I really wanted to LOVE this song, and even though it is Edward, and that sexy vampire accent of his, I hope his acting impresses me more than this tune.
Wrapping up, the movie has to be better than this soundtrack, or my months of excitement and anticipation will have been wasted time. As much as I wanted to enjoy this record, I found it to be unusual and slightly disappointing. Three or four of the songs on the disc are above average, but the majority of them leave me longing for a rainy day in the forests of Forks, and a chance meeting with a vampire.
Rating:
Out of 10
Track Listing:
1. Supermassive Black Hole – Muse
2. Decode – Paramore
3. Full Moon – The Black Ghosts
4. Leave Out All The Rest – Linkin Park
5. Spotlight [Twilight Mix] – Mutemath
6. Go All The Way [Into the Twilight] – Perry Farrell
7. Tremble For My Beloved – Collective Soul
8. I Caught Myself – Paramore
9. Eyes On Fire – Blue Foundation
10. Never Think – Rob Pattinson
11. Flightless Bird, American Mouth – Iron & Wine
12. Bella’s Lullaby – Carter Burwell
Danger Danger - Revolve
Lynch Mob - Smoke and Mirrors
Outloud! -S/T
Stryper - Murder By Pride
I have to agree completely; this soundtrack did not measure up to my expectations. As you said, I wanted to love “NEVER THINK” but it fell short. Robert Pattinson should continue to explore his music which he loves so. As a Twilight Mom I still find myself drawn to the soundtrack and it is growing on me. My 7 year old likes it though!
i wonder what will be more successful in the long run, Twilight or Harry Potter
At first listen, I didn’t particularly like this soundtrack. As I listen more, there are a few songs that I’ve come to like. I like songs that have an interesting rhythm, distinctive melody, and lyrics that make some sense. Some of these songs have none of that. Some have the melody but not the lyrics and vice versa. I’m all about a song that I find myself humming at home or singing along to as I listen. I know when I like or dislike a song, but I can’t always say WHY.
Supermassive Black Hole:
Probably my favorite song on the CD. Multilayered, mysterious, cool change-ups. Awesome bass line. Has a very hip, driving beat and sound. Theme song for the movie? Should be. I do find myself singing this one around the house.
Decode:
Has desperate mood to it with a touch of anger and pain. How Bella feels? I like this song. It pulls me in, feeling the confusion of a new love.
Full Moon:
Boring melody. Just nothing interesting for me in this one.
Leave Out All The Rest:
Simple. Honest. The melody and lyrics catch me. I really like this song. One of my favorites on the CD.
Spotlight:
Rushing through the forest. That’s what I picture with this quick, almost hurried tempo. Kind of cool.
Go All The Way (Into The Twilight):
All about anticipation. Sexy. Could grow on me.
Tremble For My Beloved:
Weird beginning. Muddled sound. Unimaginative lyrics. I’d hoped for more from the title.
I Caught Myself:
The first time I listened to this, I thought she was singing “I Cut Myself”. Uh-oh. Not a good thing to do around vampires. LOL Same artist as Decode–she has a “desperate, pained” quality to her voice which fits the songs quite well. She’s growing on me. I like the lyrics in this song.
Eyes On Fire:
Didn’t particularly like this song the first couple of times I heard it. But, it’s one that I get more out of the more I listen to it.
Never Think:
He should stick to acting and looking delicious. Voice is different. Not a great song, though. Needs a more distinctive melody. I obviously like melodies that I could hum around the house–not just random notes.
Flightless Bird, American Mouth:
Huh? That was my first reaction to this song. The melody is very pretty, (I actually found myself humming this to myself at work) but the lyrics make no sense to me.
Bella’s Lullaby:
I was expecting so much more. Like, a beautiful, haunting melody. This just doesn’t do it for me. Again, I’m one who loves an actual ‘melody’, not just random, wandering notes. I was quite disappointed in this one.
Hoping the movie is more compelling than the soundtrack. It will be interesting to see where each song fits in the screenplay. As a whole, the soundtrack is a bit disappointing to me, although there are a few songs that I’m growing to really like.