David Lynch Soundtrack Retrospective
Ask five people the meaning behind a David Lynch film and you'll get five different answers.
Senses Of Cinema article on David Lynch
Eraserhead (1977)
In Heaven (Lady In The Radiator) by Pixies
Elephant Man (1980)
Adagio For Strings
"The story of the Elephant Man was about someone who was a monster on the outside but who inside was a beautiful and normal human being you fell in love with. He was a monster who wasn't really a monster. I like human conditions that are distorted. It makes the undistorted stand out. I like psychological twists, too." - David Lynch
Blue Velvet (1987)
Blue Velvet by Bobby Vinton
Gone Ridin' by Chris Isaak
Livin' For Your Love by Chris Isaak
"I was advised by my manager at the time not to do Blue Velvet. He thought there were no redeeming qualities to the character. I said, 'Well, there's one redeeming quality and that's that everybody who's interested in film will have to see this movie.'" - Dennis Hopper
Wild At Heart (1990)
Love Me Tender by Nicholas Cage
Slaughterhouse by Powermad
Love Me by Nicholas Cage
Dark Spanish Symphony ('50 Version) by Rubber City
Cool Cat Walk by Angelo Badalamenti and Kinny Landrum
Blue Spanish Sky by Chris Isaak
Baby Please Don't Go by Them
Be-Bop-A-Lula by Gene Vincent
Wicked Game (Instrumental) by Chris Isaak
Twin Peaks (1990-91)
Twin Peaks Theme
Laura Palmers Theme
Dance Of The Dream Man
Falling
"David said, 'I've got a TV show to do, and the music should be slow, dark, brooding, haunting. It should start with an anticipatory melody, then build slowly up to a climax - a climax that's slow and tears your heart out.' That became 'The Love Theme,' or 'Laura Palmer' theme of Twin Peaks. He'd say these things, and I'd just start improvising at the piano. It's not difficult for me - melodies come very easily. I still don't know what all the fuss over this music is about. Anyway, after twenty minutes of improvising and him saying, 'Play it slower-no, slower,' he said, 'That's IT, don't change a note, you've captured seventy-five percent of Twin Peaks.'" - Angelo Badalamenti (composer)
Lost Highway (1997)
I Put A Spell On You by Marilyn Manson
The Perfect Drug by Nine Inch Nails
Eye by The Smashing Pumpkins
This Magic Moment by Lou Reed
"He talked really loudly, like the guy in 'Twin Peaks' who's hard of hearing. He'd say, 'I've got a chase scene, and I'm picturing insects swarming around'. Then he'd scribble on pieces of paper and say, 'This is what I want it to sound like'."
"I went up to his house in LA a couple of times. One of the houses he owns is in 'Lost Highway'. He said, 'Let me show you this', and walked up the side of a hill. He showed me a trail of ants crawling over a piece of rotting meat on a canvas, and told me that was his latest project. That might make him sound like a pretentious cock, but he's not at all. He's like your uncle. I found myself looking at him, going, 'Jesus Christ, David Lynch!'. I've probably seen 'Blue Velvet' about 50 times, y'know?! It was like, 'He's talking to me! He created Frank Booth!'." - Trent Reznor (NIN)
Consciousness, Creativiy & The Brain a lecture by David Lynch at UC Berkley.
Senses Of Cinema article on David Lynch
"Every note of music has enough breath to carry you away and as a director, all you have to do is let the right wind blow at the right time."
"Lately I feel films are more and more like music. Music deals with abstractions and, like film, it involves time. It has many different movements, it has much contrast. And through music you learn that, in order to get a particular beautiful feeling, you have to have started far back, arranging certain things in a certain way. You can't just cut to it."- David Lynch
Eraserhead (1977)In Heaven (Lady In The Radiator) by Pixies
Elephant Man (1980)Adagio For Strings
"The story of the Elephant Man was about someone who was a monster on the outside but who inside was a beautiful and normal human being you fell in love with. He was a monster who wasn't really a monster. I like human conditions that are distorted. It makes the undistorted stand out. I like psychological twists, too." - David Lynch
Blue Velvet (1987)Blue Velvet by Bobby Vinton
Gone Ridin' by Chris Isaak
Livin' For Your Love by Chris Isaak
"I was advised by my manager at the time not to do Blue Velvet. He thought there were no redeeming qualities to the character. I said, 'Well, there's one redeeming quality and that's that everybody who's interested in film will have to see this movie.'" - Dennis Hopper
Wild At Heart (1990)Love Me Tender by Nicholas Cage
Slaughterhouse by Powermad
Love Me by Nicholas Cage
Dark Spanish Symphony ('50 Version) by Rubber City
Cool Cat Walk by Angelo Badalamenti and Kinny Landrum
Blue Spanish Sky by Chris Isaak
Baby Please Don't Go by Them
Be-Bop-A-Lula by Gene Vincent
Wicked Game (Instrumental) by Chris Isaak
Twin Peaks (1990-91)Twin Peaks Theme
Laura Palmers Theme
Dance Of The Dream Man
Falling
"David said, 'I've got a TV show to do, and the music should be slow, dark, brooding, haunting. It should start with an anticipatory melody, then build slowly up to a climax - a climax that's slow and tears your heart out.' That became 'The Love Theme,' or 'Laura Palmer' theme of Twin Peaks. He'd say these things, and I'd just start improvising at the piano. It's not difficult for me - melodies come very easily. I still don't know what all the fuss over this music is about. Anyway, after twenty minutes of improvising and him saying, 'Play it slower-no, slower,' he said, 'That's IT, don't change a note, you've captured seventy-five percent of Twin Peaks.'" - Angelo Badalamenti (composer)
Lost Highway (1997)I Put A Spell On You by Marilyn Manson
The Perfect Drug by Nine Inch Nails
Eye by The Smashing Pumpkins
This Magic Moment by Lou Reed
"He talked really loudly, like the guy in 'Twin Peaks' who's hard of hearing. He'd say, 'I've got a chase scene, and I'm picturing insects swarming around'. Then he'd scribble on pieces of paper and say, 'This is what I want it to sound like'."
"I went up to his house in LA a couple of times. One of the houses he owns is in 'Lost Highway'. He said, 'Let me show you this', and walked up the side of a hill. He showed me a trail of ants crawling over a piece of rotting meat on a canvas, and told me that was his latest project. That might make him sound like a pretentious cock, but he's not at all. He's like your uncle. I found myself looking at him, going, 'Jesus Christ, David Lynch!'. I've probably seen 'Blue Velvet' about 50 times, y'know?! It was like, 'He's talking to me! He created Frank Booth!'." - Trent Reznor (NIN)
Consciousness, Creativiy & The Brain a lecture by David Lynch at UC Berkley.
posted by Derek at 11:45 AM
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