Crash OST By Mark Isham & Crash - Music From and Inspired By The Film

Remove the musical soundtrack from a movie and you’ll see a significant portion of depth and drama slide away. Since the days of the silent movie, music has been a fundamental part of film-making, and, arguably, has become even more important in the last twenty/thirty years. For example, can you imagine Clint Eastwood’s various spaghetti westerns packing the punch they had without those amazing film scores by Ennio Morricone? There are thousands of movies that have benefited artistically and dramatically from film scores, created by some very great musicians who specialise in the genre. One such musician is Mark Isham and it was to him that director, Paul Haggis turned when piecing together his relatively low budget, Oscar-winning movie Crash.

I have an admission to make: I do not go to the movies. You see it’s a total waste of time and money for me, as within five minutes of the lights dimming I’m always fast asleep, and dripping spit on my next door neighbour’s shoulder. So the nearest I get to a movie is listening to its soundtrack which, depending on its quality, tells me something about the nature of the film. Film music is also recorded to a very high standard to ensure that the subtleties and power of the music comes through loud and clear to an audience. So they sound very good on even the most modest audio equipment. And the ones that interest me most are the original scores. This is an original score and it’s anything to go by, Crash is indeed one very special film. As I listen to it I’m reminded of the deeply atmospheric music composed for The Mission and Leaving Las Vegas (both my favourite scores). Isham exhibits a lightness of touch while creating an ambience full of tension. At times the music becomes so intense it almost suffocates. The sounds are both orchestral and electronic, with a female voice punctuating various passages in an ecclesiastical, contemplative style. I get the feeling from the music that the storyline is revealed to both the actors and audience as the film progresses; that truths are exposed. And people actually discover things about themselves that lay hidden, perhaps by the habitual, innate fear that stops us delving and thinking deeper. What also makes this score compelling is that it is underpinned by a tangible melodic theme that lurks beneath each album track, and leads to a seamless and very beautiful, even mystical, musical journey. The occasional gentle piano backdrops lead me to believe that the film comprises of both winners and losers; with moments of wispy lightness alternating with much darker moments. The penultimate track, a gorgeous song by Bird York entitled In The Deep, strengthens this view. Then Maybe Tomorrow by the Stereophonics (an interesting choice by Isham) finally points to a more optimistic conclusion to the film. In short, this is a stunning soundtrack that leaves an indelible emotional mark on me each time I play it. And it’s one of the finest film scores I have ever heard. Perhaps there’s some under-the-shelf wide awake pill I can take… Essential

The second Crash album reviewed here was ‘inspired by the movie’ and compiled with approval by the film’s director, producer and musical supervisor. Shiro Gutzie saw the film and was moved enough by it to put this compilation together, and it’s an interesting one, not least for the eclectic nature of the music and artists included. For me it was a voyage as discovery since several of the artists are new to me. The opening track is by KansaCall and was composed especially for the album. If I… includes several spoken references to the film and is a soul-driven rock song that basically describes the film’s content. It’s an excellent song with and wonderful melody, and some great vocal contributions. The songs fit seamlessly together so there are no gaps between songs. So immediately one is listening to Billy Idol and one of the best songs from his last (and arguably best) album, Plastic Jesus. It’s a trad, simple rock song of slower pace, with solid drum rhythm and a typically passionate Idol vocal. Then soul joins the musical journey with a lovely ballad from Chris Pearce called Are You Beautiful. The mixing of songs here is really fantastic and I wish radio shows were more like this. The entry of this particular track is a prime example. Free by Civilisation slides in and fits like a glove with its soulful and almost glacial dance vibe. Other contributors are Randy Coleman, Al Berry, Move.meant, Pale 3 featuring the very wonderful Beth Hirsch (my album highlight), Quinn, Bird York (I must listen to more from this lady…), and Quincy. The album is concluded (appropriately) by a reprise of Maybe Tomorrow by the Stereophonics. By any standard this is a fine compilation album, with every song meticulously selected to represent various aspects of the film. But it is the weld-tight mixing that ultimately provides the compelling musical narrative. Strongly recommended.