Customer Reviews

Once Upon a Time in Mexico [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'd enjoyed the movie (it's even better the second time around), but I'd been so focused on the visuals that I hadn't given much thought to the music. So when I picked up this CD, it was mostly out of curiosity.

Imagine my surprise to find that after nearly two weeks I still haven't taken it out of my player. This is one of those rare CDs where I wouldn't dream of skipping a track. The faster-paced pieces are mixed well with the slower-paced ones and snippets of movie dialogue, resulting in the CD being wonderfully high-energy and cohesive from start to finish. There are some fantastic tracks here, with my favorites being "Malaguena," "Pistolero," and "Sands Theme."

Another surprise: As I said I hadn't thought much about the music while watching the movie, but upon listening to the CD I found scenes and images coming right back. It's not just the soundbytes; who can listen to "Pistolero" without picturing that insane high-speed motorbike/car chase?

This soundtrack went very well with the film. The guitar was awesome to say the least. Some of the better songs are, "Siente Mi Amor", "Cuka Rocka", and "Malaguena". Of course there is also the infamous, "Sands' Theme" which was both written and produced by Johnny Depp himself! The only thing lacking from this cd is the fact that no lyrics were included. And, one of the coolest things about this soundtrack, is that they have actual sound clips from the movie on the ends of certain songs. An example would be Depp's line of, "Are you a Mexi-can or a Mexi-can't?" There are three Depp quotes, two Antonio quotes, and one Cheech quote. All in all, I recommend this cd to fans of Latino music as well as fans of soundtracks. The music in the "El Mariachi" movies is inspiring.

Not only does this CD effectively capture the flavor of the movie, it also stands on it's own as a wonderful listening experience. Each track has something to recommend it, and the pacing is good ... and the Salma Hayek piece near the end simply warms my soul. The snippets of dialogue here and there are brief, well-chosen, and add rather than detract. Overall, a great CD and a great listen.

This soundtrack melds perfectly with Rodriguez's goofy action epic. The film has a similar rock beat to Desperado, mixed with RR's epic score. Several tracks standout (most notably Juno Reactor's sublime "Pistolero) but overall the entire soundtrack is fantastic. Depp's theme that he wrote for his classic character Sands is also very original and fantastic. I highly recomend this to any fans of the film, or just good music in general.

Alright, so the main reason I got the soundtrack was Pistolero by Juno Reactor,a real driving, pumped-up techno song. I started to get into the rest of the music on the soundtrack, and I find it an essential cd I carry along with me. The great thing about this soundtrack is you can listen in on Mexican traditional music and a glimpse of the culture, and still have some real badass-sounding guitar! Whatever you may think of the film, you can imagine the actors playing their parts in your head, since they play and sing in the soundtrack (as the first one). There is an aura in the music I can't put my finger on; there's a history, an old feel to it, but it lingers with new musical ideas. Kinda like the movie, in terms of making it. I agree fullheartedly with previous reviews: where the movie fails, the music fills in the gaps and expands on Mexican music, making the entire movie/soundtrack experience very deep and epic. I dunno, maybe I'm rambling, but I emphasize that this soundtrack adds culture and kickass to your collection, as it did mine.

For those interested in the beautiful music that Antonio Banderas played at the start of the film check out: Mexico and Mariachis: Music From and Inspired by Robert Rodriguez's El Mariachi Trilogy. The last song is the Main title of Once upon a Time in Mexico. Also great stuff from the other 2 films.

This soundtrack is nicely put together and an excellent complement to the film. It is not quite as eclectic as the Desperado soundtrack. Tito Larriva, who fronted the fantastic group Tito and Tarantula, the house band in 'Dusk Until Dawn', makes an appearance. Salma Hayek does a very nice job with Siente Mi Amour and Brian Setzer contributes a sizzling version of Malaguena. The highlight of the soundtrack for me is the wonderful Traeme Paz as performed by the incredible Patricia Vonne. Vonne was a smash hit at the last huge South by Southwest music bash in Austin and her haunting rendition is nothing short of fantastic. All in all the soundtrack is very nicely done. But I would have liked a bit more of talents like Tito and Patricia Vonne and a bit less generic background music.

"Once upon a Time in Mexico" has everything an audiophiliac would want -- a variety of musical nuances, tunes that evoke colorful imagery of the movie (strange but entertaining), sultry moods and heart-racing rhythms. Robert Rodriguez & Co. have done an admirable job of putting this exciting album together. My favorite: habanero-hot "Pistolero." Don't get behind the wheel with this track on! In his notes, Rodriguez said it was a lot of fun putting the album together. Listen to it, and you'll believe.

I went to see this movie in theaters the day it was released and fell in love with it instantly! After seeing it I was intrigued about the music in the film; I liked every bit that I heard. I just recently got this CD and simply can not stop listening to it! The music is bursting with passion, intensity, and excitement...I recommend it highly.

OUATIM is a great movie and part of what makes it great is the music. As soon as I heard the main theme in the movie (at the beginning with mariachi trying out a guitar) I wanted the soundtrack. But surprise! that song isnt on it! Which is why I gave it 4 stars. Good soundtrack nonetheless.