Nothing Personal Soundtrack

After suffering the humiliation of having his score for Alfred Hitchcock's 1966 film Torn Curtain tossed aside and replaced, Bernard Herrmann turned right around and set to work on a film score that many feel contains his finest work: Fahrenheit 451, released in 1967 by Universal. The movie, which is director Francois Truffaut's sole English-language film, puts on celluloid Ray Bradbury's classic and terrifying novel of the same name – a tale of a not-so-distant future in which books, any and all books, are deemed to be subversive by a repressive mega-government. Herrmann's score proves once again that some of the finest film scoring efforts achieve their greatness by going firmly against the superficial grain of the film. The Fahrenheit 451 score is intense, human, and deeply personal (and, as such, sometimes quite unhappy or ugly) in a cinematic world that is cold and absolutely inhuman. What Herrmann provides is less a depiction of or even response to the elements of plot and cinematography, but more a ticket into some internal cross-section of the protagonist, Guy Montag, that finds its way to the screen only fleetingly. Beyond that, it is a musical bill of faith in the eternally unbreakable human spirit, an element that comes into the movie only at its very end. The movie often moves along in two very different layers – sight and sound (film proper) and musical score – and the effect can be overwhelming.

A return look and listen to this historical and breathtaking collaboration between two of the great figures of modern music should naturally be prefaced by a few key facts. Although this album presents itself as the soundtrack to the film The Hot Spot, like many such releases it bares little relation to the music that was actually used in the film — not that much of this music was actually used. All one really needs to know about the film itself, other than the fact that it was directed by Dennis Hopper, is that it is awful, even by bad film standards. That it was the impetus for this marvelous music to be made is something listeners should be thankful for, particularly fans of either Miles Davis or John Lee Hooker

American Gods is an American television series developed by Bryan Fuller and Michael Green for Starz, based on the novel of the same name by author Neil Gaiman. The series focuses on Shadow Moon, a man serving three years in prison. With only days remaining in his sentence, Shadow is given an unexpected early release after a personal tragedy. Shadow finds himself next to a man named Wednesday, who offers Shadow a job. Wednesday appears to be nothing but a con artist who needs Shadow as a bodyguard, but is in fact a deity. Wednesday is making his way across America, gathering all the old gods, who have now incorporated themselves into American life, to confront the New Gods, including Media and Technology, who grow stronger. The score to American Gods was composed by Brian Reitzell (Lost in Translation, Hannibal). As eclectic and mercurial as the beloved subject matter of the series, the music is a perfect companion to the visuals on screen yet stands tall in its own right. Original songs written for the series and sung by Mark Lanegan and others also included.

On Deadly Ground suffers without the orchestral firepower customary to Basil Poledouris' most memorable action scores, but its quirks – most notably the addition of Inuit throat singers Qaunaq Mikkigak and Timangiak Petaulassie – rescue the music from complete forgettability. Because Poledouris' action efforts operate in such bold, grandiose strokes, their impact is dulled in the hands of the smaller-sized orchestra employed here (presumably to compensate for the additional costs of star/director Steven Seagal's hair plugs). Still, the composer excels at evoking the narrative's emphasis on Alaskan ecological hazards and native mysticism, installing vocals and celestial electronics to capture the otherness of life in the Last Frontier.

Synopsis: Fred Flarsky (Seth Rogen) is a gifted and free-spirited journalist with an affinity for trouble. Charlotte Field (Charlize Theron) is one of the most influential women in the world. Smart, sophisticated, and accomplished, she's a powerhouse diplomat with a talent for…well, mostly everything. The two have nothing in common, except that she was his babysitter and childhood crush. When Fred unexpectedly reconnects with Charlotte, he charms her with his self-deprecating humor and his memories of her youthful idealism. As she prepares to make a run for the Presidency, Charlotte impulsively hires Fred as her speechwriter, much to the dismay of her trusted advisors. A fish out of water on Charlotte's elite team, Fred is unprepared for her glamourous lifestyle in the limelight. However, sparks fly as their unmistakable chemistry leads to a round-the-world romance and a series of unexpected and dangerous incidents.

Best known for his work with Ultravox and as a co-founder writer/founder of Band Aid’s ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas’, Midge Ure has also had a rich and illustrious career prior to Ultravox with the Rich Kids, Visage and throughout his career as a solo artist. Chrysalis Records are releasing a new 32-song collection, encompassing four decades of Midge Ure’s rich and varied career. This 2CD/1DVD is presented with double-gatefold card sleeves, a 20-page booklet with track notes by Midge and housed in a clamshell box. It features promo videos including the Rich Kids, through to his solo work and various collaborations. Bonus features include documentaries and additional live and video clips. As a special bonus, Midge has recorded a commentary over the promo videos. Midge Ure will be on a world tour from October – beginning with a full UK tour, then moving to Poland, Germany, Holland, Scandinavia, Australia, New Zealand and North America.