Barry Lyndon: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

I realize that I have discussed this film soundtrack before in some previous blog entries that mentioned my favorite movie scores, but this is a film soundtrack that deserves a spotlight entirely of its own accord. Not only is Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon one of the greatest films in the history of World Cinema, but it is also one of the most brilliant blends of the visual image mingled with sound, consider it a whole new way to experience music. Just think of Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of The Moon” being played while watching “The Wizard of Oz” and times that experience by one hundred and you will then in fact have the Barry Lyndon soundtrack experience.

We have devastating appropriations of a piece by Handel, and an exquisite use of a piece by Mozart that is most appropriate to the film’s plot. And the first piece by Handel crops up again and again in different forms as if to form a psychological theme for the viewer. The use of traditional Irish Folk music, or if you like, Celtic Folk, is both splendid and grand as the film’s title character takes off on his disastrous heroes journey. The listener is treated with a nightmarish military march, which resembles a death beat and sounds not at all dissimilar to the music that greets every futile duel.

Here we have a film of great splendor and grandeur and the motion picture soundtrack is then equally as appropriate. Witness the magic:



And remember, “Good or bad, handsome or ugly, rich or poor, they are all equal now.”

Looking into Film Music (Yet Again)

Film music is some of my favorite kind of music, and I have discussed it in the recent past on this here blog; whether it is in relation to the motion picture soundtrack to Tilda Swinton’s “Orlando” or some lovely hypnotic gem by Popol Vuh as featured in a Werner Herzog film. And now, here I am again looking at the music which really has no specific rules and that can equal anything and be entirely boundless. It is not enough to simply have the right song selections to be on a movie soundtrack, and while this does have its place, what I am thinking of is usually something more; a sort of music meant specifically for a film to enhance it. Because, as we are all aware, correct song selection or a quality film score in general can make a bad film slightly good. And, an otherwise decent film can be ruined by bad or inappropriate music.

One thing I love is this…



And yes, it is Popol Vuh yet again, but music with this much psychic depth and psychological oneness cannot be denied, and any pseudo intellectual knows that this is music to die for.

I think of the era-appropriate music by Simon Fisher Turner, a film composer who often collaborated with the late Derek Jarman, who was indeed a controversial and brainy chap. The success of Simon Fisher Turner was to pour raw musical power in almost vaguely reworking Renaissance era Classical and yet, making use of instrumentation that comes from centuries past as well. Observe the power and the magic…



Henry Mancini and Ennio Morricone are fun and interesting chaps as well, and there is not one of us who is not reminded of a bizarre spaghetti Western or an absurd series of comedies that feature Peter Sellers as a French detective when the sounds process in our collective noodles. Some film scores are obvious and can’t help but work, such as is the case with “Amadeus,” which is well, a film largely about Wolfgang’s superior Classical genius. The soundtrack to “The Last Emperor” is something that is naturally majestic and powerful as well…



Let the credits roll or I’ll eat your goddamned soul, jerk! Cheerio! ~ Mozart Breath

Religious Music

Believe you me, it is not a bad thing, really, it’s not. It even can kick some hairy butt-perm at times, but I digress like a cat from Japan that made it too far. Western civilization itself is a religion of sorts, and if that analogy sounds vague to you, then I got two words for you: bite these nuts. Not all religious music is Contemporary Christian. Ever heard of Johann Sebastian Bach? A very religious and gentle creature, and only one of the most fantastical Baroque era composers of all-time, my friend! I shit you not, I shit you not. Come to think of it, much of what is enjoyable in Classical music has certain religious themes, in fact a whole category of the Classical genre caters to religious feeling, and this is best musically expressed in what was referred to as sacred music, and certainly, Mozart made his fair share, and he was damn good, too, you hear!

Religious elements exist in the Rock roots of Blues music, just think of Blind Willie Johnson, for example, go ahead and think of him for a spell, child! A lot of what has been mentioned thus far relates to Christianity, but damn, you ever heard Klezmer before, boy? That stuff is great, at least often times, certainly an enriched music that is very much worthy of the Jewish faith, Psychedelic Rock contained many Eastern folk elements, much of which derived from the Buddhist, Islamic and Hindu faiths respectively. Even goofy Goth Rockers with their whimsical whiney songs, often times borrow quite heavily from Pagan and Satanic religious belief. Just think about Johnny Cash for a moment, that is to say, religion in music is everywhere! I believe this to be a good thing, as music native to a specific culture often contains overt religious fervor and imagery, my darling little fountain of joy. Celtic Folk comes to mind! You may even be listening to religious music at this particular juncture, Mr. or Mrs. Punk Rocker. You looking good in your Dockers, huh?

Now here is Beck’s ode to Scientology, the peculiar Hip-Hop of 1000 BPM…



Persona(l) freedom can be yours, and quite soon, I’ll have you know.

This has been a musical view by Mozart Breath, disagreement is yours, if you do so choose to accept your mission, buster.

Cheerio!

Celebrating 251 years of Mozart, and Why Not?

"Another day, another way! Somebody's had too much to think!" And while that music quote may come from Captain Beefheart and has nothing at all to do with the article in question, it does however very much prove my point that Mozart is the only artist in the history of music that is truly too cool for Med School. My advice for you if you happen to disagree? DEAL! You see, I happen to be one of the few members of my generation that is allergic to the Top Gun soundtrack, as it simply is not in my nature to rock out to that ridiculous shazbot. Word up with all of the Mozart haters? They better be packing heat, because Wolfgang don't play that mess, you heard? Well, any hoodily-doodle, this is the year that we celebrate 251 years of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and do you realize that with the new Netflix "Watch Now" option, subscribers are able to watch Milos Forman's 1984 fictional period piece epidemic known as "Amadeus" until their cute little heads fall off? Well, it's true.

Why not purchase the complete works of Mozart as part of a 170 CD box set? Get your purchase on real horror show, mate: Mozart's Complete Works, now that's good eating! Tell you what, Mozart is all you need. Nothing else even comes close, not even Petula Clark's immortal epic "Downtown." Mozart is the man, a hero in a half shell, COMPOSER POWER! Words cannot express the genius that existed in this frail little twit, it is simply beyond me, my friends, simply beyond the universe. Even Einstein rocked out to Amadeus, and this was long before Falco, oh my brothers. And while Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart may have not been "Punk Rock" and was seriously lacking in street cred, fact is that all of his statements were musical wonders that shall live on forever.

It is as Wolfie himself once put it, and this is some genuine music theory to live by I shat you not: Music, even in situations of the greatest horror, should never be painful to the ear but should flatter and charm it, and thereby always remain music. Genius, I say! The original Kung Fu Hippie, the fool that you pity. Wolfgang knew his way around a piano and harpsichord, no question. And the little desk that this tiny elf worked at cooked up some of the most delicious ear candy this side of Stereolab, again, I shat you not. Cheerio, Mozart! Cheerio, friends and well wishers! Amadeus for life, know what I mean? Oh, don't forget to purchase Peter Gay's cute little pocket biography on Tha Wolf Mon as well: Mozart (A Penquin Life), time to whip out your credit card, mates! Nothing to beat Mozart, nothing to beat him.