Customer Reviews

Movie Music 2

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

 

 

We know the story: Braid came, Braid rocked (the most abbreviated description of Braid at their height of their career), Braid left. But after they parted, they released this collection of covers and seven inch material. You do get some great covers (My Life, This Charming Man, Trompe Le Mond, etc.)

Besides finally getting all of the b-side and what have you, this is a very diverse collection of Braid's music. Where most B-side collections get redundant after 4 or 5 songs, this album keeps going right up until the end of Trompe Le Mond.

If you haven't checked out Braid, please do so. I, and maybe I'm not alone here, consider Braid to be at the top of the Emo genre. A lot of people have conflicting views, but check them out for yourself. I've noticed that a lot of people who give negative reviews of Braid are in the Get Up Kids/Vagrant variety of emo. Not that I don't like the Vagrant label, the get up kids are only one of many great emo artists (here's a word on Get-Up, as good as they are, I think there is better, don't use them as the gold standard in rating music). Check out Braid with any open mind. And if you're thinking about checking out Hey Mercedes or Firebird Band, I recommend giving Firebird a whirl first. A lot like the late Braid material, but more evolved. Not to mention The Firebird Band played one of my favorite shows as of late.

This is Emo? Talk about Transcendent!
Right from the opening moments of this CD you're going to be confused to a degree as the joyful, melodic voice of a woman begins filling your ears, a sound unexpected from a Braid album.
Where's Bob Nanna (the main singer)? And what about Chris Broach (the heavy guitar player)? There's nothing but her voice, zero sound and no singing from the duo previously featured on past Braid CDs.
Then in one explosive moment the entire sounds of Braid, the clashing drums, rambling guitars and screaming vocals of Bob and Chris, shatter the silence.
In a trade-off between the kind and simplistic voice of the woman and the angry, raving voices of the band you hear the insanely destructive sound that the instruments provide as background music to the vocal showdown.
Once the quick but emotional song ends you realize you can step back and pretty much sum up the entire style of Braid in one word: Transcendent.

Braid has never been the scapegoats of the corporate wishes, the pop ridden sounds of the angst ridden emo singers, or the stylized beats of the flavor of the month artist.
They are first and last innovators of their genre, something all musical artists should strive to accomplish and work towards.
As musical notes and guitar rifts interchange and hang in the air for seconds if not minutes Braid sings (and often screams) their way through their odd and out of place lyrics, which deal with personal thoughts and idiosyncrasies more then the loss of a girlfriend.

This CD, better then any other Braid CD on the market reflects their groundbreaking nature in the emo genre of music, never conforming to the basic wanton sounds of the typical artists found in this punk ridden land.
Some songs are exactly like the last in that you're thrown through a torrent of emotions and verbal expressions along with loud and imposing guitars, yet others come off as hilarious (if not entertaining) singles with experimental sounds and pauses between music for beat changes.
As it was already described one song entitled "Roses in the Car" features a kind of Pac-Man techno beat along with well-known lyrics to an infamous Braid song.
This is about as anti-grade as the band brings itself to as the rest of the music is violent and exciting compilations of the various sounds and talents of Braid.
One song which comes off better then any other on the entire CD is the Band's reproduction single of the song "Always Something There to Remind Me" by Burt Bacharach.
Bob Nanna's vocals go so well with this song that you could almost swear that the Braid version is better then the original song!

Perhaps the only downside to be found in this CD is the different nature of some songs, plain and simple.
Although it remains to be one of Braid's strong points and the feature that keeps it from being just another Pop-Emo group, it often hinders the consistency of the music.
Some songs are so moving and fluid that they almost become lost in themselves, while others come off so solid that they hit your ears better then most of the major emo groups of current times.
But that is always to be expected when using different and sometimes risky sounds and styles in your music, you're bound to lose some regularity. But, I'd rather stake my time out with the sounds and style of Braid then some of the better known emo groups, if only to hear something different then laid down beats and time changed guitar rifts.
In the end, if you're looking for a fun and less then normal emo CD to listen to then the best CD to turn to is Braid: Movie Music Volume II.
However, if you're out to find a CD with a bit more depth then you'd be better off buying the first Braid Movie Music CD or the Frame and Canvas LP.

Lots of odds and ends on here, mostly early recordings which are kind of hit and miss...mainly because they sound a bit scattershot and unfocused. some great ideas are represented that show early on that Braid were all about non traditional song structures. just check out "elephant"...very weird song...but good...lots of surprises. but some songs are just too clever for their own good, still...you can't deny the talent involved. this cd ends with 6 cover songs which are all pretty bad and will make you reach for the fast forward button many times. but for the sake of completeness, they are included. "Movie Music Vol 2" is not as strong as Vol 1, but pretty good stuff all around...probably only recommended for fans of the band...not a good starting point for those curious about Braid.

I must say this is one of the best things to ever come out. It was a great idea to put all these hard to get tracks onto the Movie Music set. This disc shows some progression of Braid, from UofI which is an awesome school. The growth as a band from songs like Elephant and To Kiss a Trumpet Player to songs like Collect From Clark Kent is enormous. Chris and Bob really play off of each other well and it shines through in the songs. This cd of comp songs and covers is a must have if you have enjoyed any of the their albums so far. Special treats include the song Roses in the Car, which is a remix of the awesome song Dozen Roses off of Frame and Canvas. Also, there are different versions of songs on their albums, including a version of Eulalia, Eulalia with an old record intro about boys. its soo great, i suggest you get both vol. 1 and 2. at the polyvinyl records website, you can get both in a cute little box case.

First off let me say that I wasn't to pleaseed with this cd when I first purchased it. My ears must have been clogged with wax or some other unknown substance, because I have listened to this cd numerous times and everytime I love it more and more. This cd is a sort of gathering of songs Braid have done over the years for various compilation albums. Also there are a few covers as well, THE SMITHS Charming Man cover is one of the greatest I have ever heard in my entire lifetime. They say all good things must come to an end, and this cannot be any more true when it comes to Braid. Braid is unfortunately no longer with us, but we will always have these songs of glee to remind us not to take great bands like Braid for granted. This cd is a must have for any music lover living in the present day.

This disc is an anthology of all the songs that braid did for comps during their illustrious time together. The only reason why I can't give this one five stars is because I think that volume one is a bit better. There are a few songs that are on their studio releases to but the recordings on these seem more raw to me, therfore I like these better. The last group of tracks are all covers each with their own charm. Braids take on "Baby Now That I've Found You" and The Pixies "Trompe Le Monde" have to be some of the best covers ever.

A truly rockin' Braid album.

This cd is so good!! I really wish Braid wouldn't have broken up! It would be so cool to see Braid and The Get Up Kids together... Trompe Le Monde is a great song. Everyone go out and buy all the Braid cds!!