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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Makes a fascinating companion to the film., August 19, 2000
The soundtrack to Bandits offered a surprising contrast to the film. I loved the movie and the music fit very well into it (thanks to top-notch editing and Katja von Garnier's cinematic brilliance), but though I found the music in the context of the movie to be perfectly fitting, I didn't think it would make for much of a pure audio experience. I was wrong. And the tone of the soundtrack album, stripped of the movie's delicate sense of impending danger, changed drastically, including the sound of Jasmin Tabatabai's voice.The album dispels the illusion created by the film that Bandits Nicolette Krebitz, Katja Riemann and Jutta Hoffmann played the instruments. So it is essentially Tabatabai's show. Most of the songs are her own compositions and feature her lead vocal work (though Krebitz and Riemann also wrote and sang), and she's the only Bandit whose instrumental work (guitar) was truly on the songs. And Tabatabai's voice and persona comes off much different on the album, without her fiery stage antics as seen in the film. She is much quieter, often coming off as more a confessional singer-songwriter mode, or Susanna Hoffs (Bangles) with more brains. Her "Puppet" is the unofficial anthem of the Bandits, here appearing in several different versions, all catchy and a good solid listen. Tabatabai's overly laid-back vocal doesn't quite work on "All along the Watchtower" without the visual energy to back it up (though the arrangement is good), and "Another Sad Song" is a pretty, low-key song. Krebitz' "Crystal Cowboy" doesn't work as pure music even though it was perfect in the quirky seduction scene in the movie, but when she and Riemann join Tabatabai in the punked-up version of the traditional tune "Wenn ich ein Voeglein Waer" ("If I Were a Little Bird"), it's infectious riot-grrl punk with a German twist. You'd enjoy this album more if you also enjoyed the movie. With the context of the movie in mind, you can fully explore the complex dimensions in the soundtrack-film relationship here. But in many ways, this soundtrack still holds its own. Fans of Throwing Muses, Belly, Tanya Donelly or Veruca Salt will probably take an easy liking to this unusual soundtrack, on a purely aural level.
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is quite Hard Rock, with hints of Alternative”
