Customer Reviews

13 Most Beautiful: Songs for Andy Warhol's Screen

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I must admit I had some prejudices towards this release. After purchasing the 13 Most Beautiful... Songs for Andy Warhol Screen Tests DVD (and seeing the live show) I didn't like the idea of a release independent of the visuals.

For those not in the know it was a project curated by the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh: come up with music to accompany 13 of Warhol's legendary screen tests. The results are pretty remarkable. The live show, that they frequently still perform, is mesmerizing and the DVD is a real labor of love with an outstanding hard cover booklet with essays from Dean and the museum curators outlining the process in great detail.

So why did I have some bias towards this CD release? The visuals and music work so well together; I disliked the idea of them being separated. Also, some obscure Luna (the band Dean & Britta previously played in) tunes are recycled - I just tend to dislike the practice of this.

Having said all that, this release is a favorite of mine; it's outstanding. The music really stands on its own and I have to say releasing this batch of songs separately was a good idea. Channeling a more mellow Velvet Underground with some modern overtones? If I must describe the music with what came before (most musicians hate this, but it's hard not to do) I think this description is well suited.

It's a 2 disc set with a handful of songs remixed. My favorites being It Don't Rain in Beverly Hills and International Velvet Theme; such beautiful songs! A whole release that equals the sum of its parts. Forgive me as I fail the clever writing exam here...

Goes without saying if you are a fan of The Velvet Underground, Dean & Britta, Luna, thoughtful guitar music with some melodic glitch, etc. you are going to dig this. Check it out.

This compliments Drella. Get It. The cd stands alone. The Dvd is great, too. But if you want to be intimately surrounded by Andy and the Velvets in the dark or while reading a book get this cd. The production is perfect. The choice of songs,

perfect. The Dylan song, I'll Keep It with Mine,VU's Not a Young Man Anymore,

the instrumentals, perfect... I'm not over doing it with the perfects either. Ultra-hip is another word to discribe. Just how perfect is it? 210 Coke bottles perfect! 32 Campbell's Soup Cans perfect! 47 turquois and gold Marilyn's perfect! 80 $2.00 bills perfect. 23 Dennis Hoppers perfect! Too much? Na!

The packaging is a tour d'force. Pictures, names, explanations, tidbits of info

hitherto unknown. Musically its like Death in Vegas meets Coney Island Baby. 60's and 70's atmosphere with a 2010 bent. Put it on and you are there, in the factory, at the photo shoot, in the recording studio. I can't give this high enough praise. Dean and Britta....fantastic job!

sorry, i never heard Galaxy500, Luna, nor Dean and Britta's cds. so i got no preference in my mind. i had listened few tunes of this cd on radio, it's cool, moody, cutey, not noisy at all. the small-scale-handmade feel really fit those screen tests. if you like Andy's b/w film, if you love those 60's atmosphere, this cd will satisfy you.

Former members of iconic indie bands Luna & Galaxie 500

release their 4th album; made to accompany some short black & white Andy Warhol films from the

60s. The album stands alone as a dreamy, minimalist work with no filler, no weak tracks.

Poignant & compelling, reverb-laden Luna-ish guitars co-exist with hauntingly warm vocals and a

bullseye aim for the soft place where hearts exchange darts; where everyone rings strange and

true by virtue of existence. Includes covers of Bob Dylan, Velvet Underground...from New York.