CD Reviews: A Mighty Wind and Johnny English

A Mighty Wind ***

VARIOUS

DMZ/Columbia/Sony Music Soundtrax - CK89222

17 tracks - 45:37

Ever wonder what would have happened if the members of the rock band Spinal Tap had stuck to their pop/folk roots instead of becoming spandex-wearing rockers? Well, faster than you can say "Sliding Doors," the Spinal Tap trio of Michael McKean, Harry Shearer and Christopher Guest have transformed into The Folksmen for the newest "mockumentary" from the director and most of the acting troupe of Waiting for Guffman and Best in Show. The Folksmen are actually one of three groups brought together for the film's folk tribute concert in New York. And while there are many laughs to be found as things progress, there are also many more dead jokes and dead air than in the other aforementioned movies.

Actually, the main problem is the music itself. It's not a big stretch to parody folk music, and the songs of A Mighty Wind are mostly unfunny. The best part of the performances is the actors' delivery, usually ripe with earnest grins or solemn scowls. On CD, this is lost, and so is much of the sense of fun (although a bonus track of The Folksmen covering The Rolling Stones' "Start Me Up" comes close). Still, so much love and affection has gone into writing these songs that fans of the movie will be glad to have expanded versions of the snippets heard in the movie.

Especially welcome are the two versions of "Never Did No Wanderin'" (one performed by The Folksmen, and the other a cover by cult-like The New Main Street Singers), Mitch and Mickey's controversial "A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow" (more for a scandalous live performance by the duo than for the song itself), and of course, there's the rousing title song. These all put a smile on my face.

Fans of Waiting for Guffman (of which I'm a huge fan) were upset when the songs from that film were not made available. Fans of A Mighty Wind will be thrilled with this album, but these songs are just not on the same level of genius as those in Guffman or Spinal Tap.  -- Cary Wong
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Johnny English *** 1/2

ED SHEARMUR

Decca 475 016-2

17 tracks - 60:40

You can almost imagine the marketing executives tripping over themselves in excitement as they prepared the soundtrack for this film. It's a spoof of the Bond series (co-written by Die Another Day scribes Neal Purvis & Robert Wade), so let's find some pop acts with a Bond connection. Well, there's that all-girl classical string quartet Bond, who not only share the same name as 007, but were once mooted as writers for the Die Another Day title song. Oh, and then there's Brit pop sensation Robbie Williams, a self-confessed Bond fan who sampled Barry's You Only Live Twice for his hit single "Millennium." Luckily for soundtrack fans, the greater inspiration was actually in assigning Edward Shearmur, taking him back full circle to his first movie assignment on Michael Kamen's Licence to Kill.

Williams' "A Man for All Seasons" was co-written by Hans Zimmer, and marks Robbie's first ever title theme song. It's a light, catchy little song with witty innuendo-laden lyrics delivered with just about the right amount of tongue-in cheek. Media Ventures' stalwart Heitor Pereira also does a commendable Vic Flick, with familiar guitar twanging. Bond makes a cameo appearance in the movie and contribute track "Kismet" (taken for their Born album) as well as a salsa version of the main theme. The Moloko and Abba tracks are lifted from existing albums, and collectors will probably search out the Latin American release of this album which contains a bonus track by Brazilian pop phenomenon Sandy & Junior. And then there's Ed Shearmur. While he might not generate the record sales of the pop artists, his is by far the most engaging contribution to the album.

The 20 Bond movies offer plenty of scope for parody, ranging from Barry's slow string melodies to Arnold's techno/orchestral hybrids, but there's already a slew of Bond pastiches. From Casino Royale to Spy Kids to George S. Clinton's Austin Powers trilogy, it's a crowded market place, and yet Shearmur still manages to pull out the stops and deliver a score that is affectionate, comedic and totally appropriate. The movie frequently descends into broad farce, but the score is more dignified, giving the hopeless British secret agent a theme that highlights his bravery over his incompetence. English's theme (co-written by Howard Goodall) is echoed throughout the entire score, and it's damn catchy! Yes, the fervent brass and electronic guitar riffs plant it firmly in Barry territory, but its sheer vitality and panache make it more than a mere tribute to the godfather of Bond.  -- Nick Joy
 
 

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