The Original Soundtrack

Some 30-plus years after his death and the popularity, the influence, and – more than anything – the iconoclastic status of reggae legend Bob Marley were still growing, so much so that his face on a t-shirt had become ubiquitous on college campuses, surpassing Che Guevara on posters and canvas banners as well. Marley, the documentary film and its accompanying soundtrack, aim to keep the man not only an icon, but a historical figure too by filling in his backstory with interviews, historical news footage, and that sweet, sweet reggae music that brought the man such a huge following…

This is a tremendous soundtrack. What especially stands out is the inclusion of film dialogue in some of the instrumental tracks. Another neat thing is the "Natural Mystic" version on this album has a nice ambient intro, with bugs and birds chirping as the rhythm kicks in, it really adds to the etheral nature of the track. The track by Human Cargo is a wicked sound-system smasher. Don't pass over this because it has alot of BMW tracks that you already own, there are some bonafide gems on this one. "Mosman Skank" is the original rhythm made famous later by Dennis Brown's seminal 80's cut "Promised Land".

Philip Glass' soundtrack to Martin Scorsese's Dalai Lama epic Kundun captures the grace, beauty, joy and melancholy within the film. Glass uses familiar minimalist structures, but works with traditional Tibetan instrumentation and monks, giving the music an alluringly otherworldly feel. It's an entirely original, evocative score, and one of Glass' high-water marks in the field.

Companion Soundtrack to the James Erskine-directed documentary on the breathtaking talent of Billie Holiday. Billie Holiday featured with her band, The Sonhouse All Stars, performing her classic works including I Only Have Eyes For You, God Bless The Child, Strange Fruit and more. Billie features newly unearthed interviews from those who knew Holiday best — Charles Mingus, Tony Bennett, Sylvia Syms and Count Basie among them.