The Royal Tenenbaums: Collector's Edition

Performer: Original Soundtrack
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Original score composed by Mark Mothersbaugh. Producers: Mark Mothersbaugh, Robert Casale. Recorded at Mutato Muzika, West Hollywood, California. Includes liner notes by Wes Anderson. Like his screen-writing brethren Cameron Crowe, Quentin Tarantino, and David Chase, filmaker Wes Anderson uses music as an integral part of his work. For THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS soundtrack, Anderson re-teams with Devo founder Mark Mothersbaugh for a mix of original instrumentals and semi-obscure cuts reminiscent of the duo's prior collaboration on the music for RUSHMORE. For this bittersweet black comedy centered on the dysfunctional relationship between the children and parents of the Tenenbaum brood, some of rock's moodiest performers were tapped. The soundtrack is bookended by a pair of Jackson Browne covers given a characteristically Teutonic reading by Nico ("These Days," "The Fairest Of The Seasons"). In between, Anderson throws in material by Elliot Smith (a jittery "Needle in the Hay"), Nick Drake (the gloomy "Fly"), and the Velvet Underground (the sparkling "Stephanie Says"). Other artists setting the mood are The Ramones with their chugging "Judy Is A Punk," Emmitt Rhodes (pop nugget "Lullaby"), and The Clash (their rock steady cover of Junior Murvin's "Police & Thieves"). Mothersbaugh's original score also impresses whether he's dabbling with raga on "Pagoda's Theme" or mixing reggae and baroque classical music within the bars of "Lindbergh Place Hotel Suite".

Q (May 2002, p.124) - 4 out of 5 stars - "...This oscillates between jollity...and gulm introspection...plus a midway jolt of punk rock....it oozes intelligence..."

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