Customer Reviews

Broken Flowers

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Talk about 'heavy rotation' --- I'm already in danger of wearing this CD out. And all because of an aging Ethiopian musician I'd never heard of!

Bear with me on this, because the ingredients sound...odd. Mulatu Astatke grew up in Ethiopia but went abroad to study jazz in America. He was influenced by Miles Davis and John Coltrane --- and by the organist Jimmy Smith. What he brought back to Ethiopia was a blend of soul and jazz. Which he then proceeded to blend, once more, with traditional Ethiopian music.

The result is easy to listen to and hard to describe. The horns play cool jazz figures; you could almost mistake them for clarinets. But under that is a groove that could have been created by Booker T and the MGs. And connecting the two are some Ethiopian chords that sound exotic, space-changing, hypnotic.

Think desert cha cha. Cuba goes to Memphis. Ethiopian trance music.

Like nothing you have ever heard before.

Mulatu Astatke is the man in charge of all of it: He writes the music, arranges it, and plays piano, organ, vibes and percussion. Although the Golden Years of this Ethiopian music were ancient history --- from 1968 to 1974 --- Astatke is still a major figure in Ethiopian music, regularly playing and teaching.

Happily, Jim Jarmusch is one of those directors who not only listens to a lot of music, but looks for a way to integrate it into his films. "Music often leads me," he says. "I discovered Mulatu Astatke's music maybe seven years ago, and I was blown away by a few things I found that he had recorded in the late sixties. I was on a hunt for a number of years: I bought some vinyl; some of his jazz stuff; some Latin jazz recorded in the states; other Ethiopian stuff. And then I was like, "Oh, man, how can I get this music in a film? It's so beautiful and score-like." Then when I was writing, I was like, "Well, this neighbor [Jeffrey Wright] is Ethiopian-American, I can turn him on to the music."

You'll want to be the first on your block to hear this music. Not because of the 'hip' factor, though I won't pretend that's unimportant. But because of the pure pleasure --- this is very happy music, and happy in a smart way. Each time you listen, you hear a little more. With a hundred encounters, you may actually get what this genius is doing.

--- Jesse Kornbluth, (...)

I saw this movie two weeks ago and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it and found not one bit of it, tedious or "bothersome" as one reviewer said (btw buddy this is a review place for the music not the movie, gosh!). The music just happened to help it move a bit more. I looked around and around for this CD, and finally found it at a Circuit City but I found the price (13.99) way too expensive, so I trotted on over (by that I mean typed in) to iTunes and checked if they had it for download, and it was up for (9.99), I quickly pressed BUY ALBUM and eagerly awaited for it to finish. Flames shot from my hands as I grabbed for my iPod so I could hear it, and once the first track started I was in Heaven! The one song that I cannot get enough of is track 2 called "Yegelle Tezeta", it has such a catchy little sound to it. I can imagine tons of scenes set to this little 4 minute piece of music!!!! Anyway, you should watch the movie and then get the CD, both are worth it!

This soundtrack is full of fabulous lounge music. It really sets a mood and keeps it going. The Mulatu Astatke tracks are your own person soundtrack for driving. You feel like you are in a movie. The haunting "There Is An End" by The Greenhorns with Holly Golightly is destine to be a classic.

Even if you found the movie a bit confounding, this cool soundtrack will call to mind the best moments of Bill Murray's strange road trip. Tone prevailed over plot in the film, and was largely created through the songs on this CD. Excellent driving around music even if you haven't seen the film.

I walked into Broken Flowers expecting another low-key performance from Bill Murray like his role in Lost in Translation. Great movie to take in easily without loud distractions or tedious moments... quietly funny.

This mood could have been ruined, however, if the soundtrack did not assist the mood of the movie by providing casual transition music. The great additions of Astatke, Greenhornes, and Golightly have already been mentioned, but Marvin Gaye and Dengue Fever also add a sharp quality to an already wide-ranging soundtrack. Marvin Gaye's "I Want You" is a sensual classic that shows how his later period of work was evolving instrumentally as well as vocally. Dengue Fever's "Ethanopium" provides a jazz-funk background to the movie that fits in well to Broken Flowers' sometimes quirky plot. Although the tune is missing the Khmer style of vocalist Chhom Nimol, the track signifies the eclectic sound of the band.

Both artists, as well as those previously mentioned, make the soundtrack to Broken Flowers enjoyably unique.

Some of the most pleasing music was new to me and the introduction was welcome. I had only passing acquaintance with Holly Golightly as an example. Unlike a lot of soundtracks this one hangs together and creates a consistent mood. No clunkers.

This is an excellent collection.. if you saw the movie Broken Flowers you will recognize some of the music. Very relaxing and inspiring tunes if you can get into this type of music.

Great sound track. I loved the movie, mainly because I love watching Bill Murray, but even he couldn't have kept my interest if it wasn't for the music. It led me delightfully from one scene to the next. When I finished watching the movie, I said, "what was that music, and where can I get it."

Lovely music, especially from The Ethiopians, like they say in the movie. Like the music, the movie is very worthwhile too.
Yvon

If you dig this soundtrack, look up the Ethiopiques series of CDs. They are available on eMusic, if you have a subscription there. If not, I am sure Amazon will gladly sell you some. :)