Albums Revisited: ‘The Crow’ Soundtrack Turns 20: Brooding set of tunes still thrills.
The month of March has seen many seminal 90’s albums turn 20: Aphex Twin’s SAW Vol II, Soundgarden’s ‘Superunknown’ and Nine Inch Nail’s ‘The Downward Spiral’.
But another classic 90’s album will turn 20 on March 29th: the soundtrack for 90’s goth-revenge comic book film ‘The Crow.’
In many ways, the 90’s were the golden age of movie soundtracks. They were great promos for established bands and up and comers. But often times the songs were detached from the film, adding nothing to the content, strictly used as a marketing tactic.
But when the stars aligned, sometimes a soundtrack proved an artistic statement that not only sounded great, but buttressed the film’s message in sonic tone. And ‘The Crow’ did this perfectly.
Click here to see where ‘The Crow’ ranks on my list of 30 Best Movie Soundtracks
A somber, dark affair, ‘The Crow’ soundtrack matched the dark, violent beauty of the film. That combined with the tragic death of star Brandon Lee, gave more depth than even the comic book source material was capable of. The film was about a man who came back from the dead, starring a man who died before the film was finished. That’s as eerie and tragic as it gets.
And the music nails the tone. The Cure made one of their best songs of their career with ‘Burn’, which is indelibly linked to Lee’s Eric Draven as he flees upon rooftops.
Click here to see where Draven ranks on my list of 60 Most Badass Anti-heroes
Nine Inch Nails did Joy Division justice with a grinding, harrowing version of an already grinding, harrowing song with ‘Dead Souls.’
But what makes ‘The Crow’ soundtrack even more interesting, is that, as uniform as the dark tone can be, the variety of musicians makes for one of the more eclectic rock soundtracks ever. Whereas ‘Singles’ was strictly grunge and classic rock, and ‘Judgment Night‘ were rock/hip-hop mash-ups, ‘The Crow’ had something for everyone.
It covered all the rock music food groups. Goth? The Cure. Industrial? NIN, Thrill Kill Cult, and Machines Of Loving Grace. Heavy alternative rock? Helmet, STP, For Love Not Lisa and Rollins Band. Rap-rock? Rage Against The Machine. Metal? Pantera. Dreampop? Medicine.
But ‘The Crow’ also did a solid for artists who were waning in the height of heavy American alternative stuff. Jesus and Mary Chain, Violent Femmes and Jane Siberry weren’t at the forefront of any burgeoning scene anymore, but they all contributed solid tunes. The Femmes never sounded ominous before, but ‘Color Me Once’ is creepy, and Siberry’s ‘It Can’t Rain All The Time’ remains a piece of poignant beauty.
Like the film itself, the soundtrack may sound dated, but it still packs a punch. It’s rainy day music with muscle, a hint of sadness, and a lot of angst. Just like the film’s protagonist Eric Draven.
There’s still rumors of a remake floating around. Which is super annoying. ‘The Crow’ was a product of its time. It doesn’t need to be remade. Besides, you know the music would totally suck by comparison.
Want to own ‘The Crow’ soundtrack or film on iTunes or Amazon? You can order/preview via the links below:
[amazon_image id=”B000002IWH” link=”true” target=”_blank” size=”medium” ]The Crow: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack[/amazon_image][amazon_image id=”B005EY2XFC” link=”true” target=”_blank” size=”medium” ]The Crow [Blu-ray][/amazon_image]