Beautiful People
Garry Bell
" Welcome to a whole new sound full of exuberance "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
Jasmin Dizdar's Beautiful People was a respected comedy that garnered success at the Cannes Film Festival in 1999. It wasn't only noticed because of the movie's story, but also due to its winning music. Combining Canadian composer Garry Bell (his only written movie score) with the English band Ghostland, the director wanted to bring a unique fusion of energy, comedy and drama. The effort is Beautiful People, a score that holds a lot of charms to those who dare to investigate it any deeper.
In one way exuberant and lively, in another form full of deeper emotion and inner feelings, the soundtrack is a unique and enticing mix that you rarely find in soundtracks these days. It opens with what is one of my year's most favourite cues. A brilliant dance of guitar, accordion, vocals, flutes, percussion and violins is what makes "Churchill's Mistake" such a wonderful experience. For Belgian readers, this is the piece used in the TV EEN show "Terug naar Sibërie". For you unknowing folks, it's a brilliant dance of rhythm and delight, a mix that simply listens like Balkan folk music. It is sadly a bit short, but boy does it scream for repeated listening.
And in between the movie cues of Garry Bell, we find the other emotional link that is performed by singers and the band Ghostland. "Sail Away" is a song from Randy Newman but put in an enticing spell through Ghostland and singer Kirsty MacColl. It simply holds so much more meaning if you listen to a wonderful voice as Kirsty instead of a Randy Newman one, no matter their initial charm altogether. "She's Beautiful" holds an Enya feel to the music due to the vocal use, while working on the mood through the percussion, bass and guitar.
With "Dance the Devil Away" you reach the score's most pleasant experience, a 7 minute rhythmic but soft example of percussion, guitar, violin and the exotic darbouka which makes all the fuzz. It is a breeze from start to finish. With the traditional "Gold, Silver or Love" we reach more exotic territory, and again the vocals and guitar create the perfect balance between flair and finesse. A short return to the opening track is for "Pero's Walkman" and this is basically the same, only the vocals are missing.
Strange yet in a way captivating is the techno version of this Balkan piece (I'm not kidding). And even if it loses its flair because of that electronic screaming, "Talking 'Bout Life" simply works. There is more difference that awaits you in "This is War my Friend", and if you hear the music you know this just describes the title's premise. It is more Turkish music than anything else, and the raw atmosphere fits the scene like a glove.
Bell's back with "Jag Jag, Sleepy Sleepy" and I can only describe it as his answer to Hans Zimmer's Millennium music, same intriguing use of vocals and same tone of the synths. Once again this fitting mix works. "Davni Chasey" is the traditional Ukrainian folk tune and always sounds well, especially The Wedding Present's performance is extremely good. The accordion piece of track 13 may be the album's weakest point, it still holds its ground through all the various delights. The bonus cue "Churchill's Last Mistake" is composed specifically for this album. It is the Balkan main theme of the first track, only different because the rhythm is replaced by pleasantness and charm.
I can not express enough how much I love this CD. It is a wonderful mix of various styles and extremely daring pieces, and yet they all work together as one to create an atmosphere seldom found in music today. This is due to the daring music, tricks and innovating ideas that I like so much about this soundtrack. If you want a special, intoxicating European experience, which holds already now a track of 3 cheers, then there's enough to please you. Beautiful People may be one of those CD's you haven't heard yet, but everything it promises it delivers. Therefore Beautiful People is a brilliant musical experience, one I love to repeat again and again.
Tracklisting
1. Churchill's Mistake * (1.59) Excellent track
2. Sail Away: Kirsty MacCol *+ (3.13) Excellent track
3. She's Beautiful + (3.14)
4. Dance the Devil Away: Outback (7.20) Excellent track
5. Gold, Silver or Love: Marta Sebestyen (6.26)
6. Pero's Walkman * (1.02) Excellent track
7. Talkin 'Bout Life * (2.39)
8. Enemy Lullaby + (2.04)
9. This is War My Friend + (2.06)
10. Jag Jag, Sleepy Sleepy * (1.27)
11. The Three Gurneys * (0.33)
12. Davni Chasy: The Wedding Present (2.55) Excellent track
13. Ancino Kolo Dance: Roy Henley (2.07)
14. Churchill's Last Mistake * (4.23)
* composed by Garry Bell
+ composed by Ghostland
*+ composed by Randy Newman
Total Length: 42.27
In one way exuberant and lively, in another form full of deeper emotion and inner feelings, the soundtrack is a unique and enticing mix that you rarely find in soundtracks these days. It opens with what is one of my year's most favourite cues. A brilliant dance of guitar, accordion, vocals, flutes, percussion and violins is what makes "Churchill's Mistake" such a wonderful experience. For Belgian readers, this is the piece used in the TV EEN show "Terug naar Sibërie". For you unknowing folks, it's a brilliant dance of rhythm and delight, a mix that simply listens like Balkan folk music. It is sadly a bit short, but boy does it scream for repeated listening.
And in between the movie cues of Garry Bell, we find the other emotional link that is performed by singers and the band Ghostland. "Sail Away" is a song from Randy Newman but put in an enticing spell through Ghostland and singer Kirsty MacColl. It simply holds so much more meaning if you listen to a wonderful voice as Kirsty instead of a Randy Newman one, no matter their initial charm altogether. "She's Beautiful" holds an Enya feel to the music due to the vocal use, while working on the mood through the percussion, bass and guitar.
With "Dance the Devil Away" you reach the score's most pleasant experience, a 7 minute rhythmic but soft example of percussion, guitar, violin and the exotic darbouka which makes all the fuzz. It is a breeze from start to finish. With the traditional "Gold, Silver or Love" we reach more exotic territory, and again the vocals and guitar create the perfect balance between flair and finesse. A short return to the opening track is for "Pero's Walkman" and this is basically the same, only the vocals are missing.
Strange yet in a way captivating is the techno version of this Balkan piece (I'm not kidding). And even if it loses its flair because of that electronic screaming, "Talking 'Bout Life" simply works. There is more difference that awaits you in "This is War my Friend", and if you hear the music you know this just describes the title's premise. It is more Turkish music than anything else, and the raw atmosphere fits the scene like a glove.
Bell's back with "Jag Jag, Sleepy Sleepy" and I can only describe it as his answer to Hans Zimmer's Millennium music, same intriguing use of vocals and same tone of the synths. Once again this fitting mix works. "Davni Chasey" is the traditional Ukrainian folk tune and always sounds well, especially The Wedding Present's performance is extremely good. The accordion piece of track 13 may be the album's weakest point, it still holds its ground through all the various delights. The bonus cue "Churchill's Last Mistake" is composed specifically for this album. It is the Balkan main theme of the first track, only different because the rhythm is replaced by pleasantness and charm.
I can not express enough how much I love this CD. It is a wonderful mix of various styles and extremely daring pieces, and yet they all work together as one to create an atmosphere seldom found in music today. This is due to the daring music, tricks and innovating ideas that I like so much about this soundtrack. If you want a special, intoxicating European experience, which holds already now a track of 3 cheers, then there's enough to please you. Beautiful People may be one of those CD's you haven't heard yet, but everything it promises it delivers. Therefore Beautiful People is a brilliant musical experience, one I love to repeat again and again.
Tracklisting
1. Churchill's Mistake * (1.59) Excellent track
2. Sail Away: Kirsty MacCol *+ (3.13) Excellent track
3. She's Beautiful + (3.14)
4. Dance the Devil Away: Outback (7.20) Excellent track
5. Gold, Silver or Love: Marta Sebestyen (6.26)
6. Pero's Walkman * (1.02) Excellent track
7. Talkin 'Bout Life * (2.39)
8. Enemy Lullaby + (2.04)
9. This is War My Friend + (2.06)
10. Jag Jag, Sleepy Sleepy * (1.27)
11. The Three Gurneys * (0.33)
12. Davni Chasy: The Wedding Present (2.55) Excellent track
13. Ancino Kolo Dance: Roy Henley (2.07)
14. Churchill's Last Mistake * (4.23)
* composed by Garry Bell
+ composed by Ghostland
*+ composed by Randy Newman
Total Length: 42.27