Customer Reviews

Music From The Motion Picture Watchmen

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

A number of reviewers have taken this soundtrack to task for its omissions - and, yeah, I was really surprised and disappointed "99 Luftballons" wasn't included (although only 20-some seconds were used in the film perhaps the filmmakers didn't realise the indelible mark it would leave!).

Still, this being the age of the internet and MP3s it is very easy to make your own 'Complete' Watchmen soundtrack as several websites have already posted the movie's tracklisting.

First off, I bought both soundtracks, the Various Artists and the Tyler Bates Score edition (which, incidentally, is VERY good - has an intensity and darkness that the film's pop tunes overshadow). Also, the CDs come with terrific internal artwork - honestly, worth the price of buying them alone.

For a few extra $s you can pop over to Amazon's MP3 download section and create you own version of the soundtrack: I ripped the original CD into my computer then supplemented it with 6 others featured both in the movie and its trailers, all downloaded from Amazon's MP3 catalogue. I then burned them all onto one 80 minute CD (an * denotes the additional songs which I downloaded).


1) Take a Bow - Muse*
2) The Beginning Is The End Is The Beginning - Smashing Pumpkins*
3) Unforgettable - Nat King Cole
4) The Times They Are a-Changin - Bob Dylan
5) 99 Luftballons - Nena*
6) The Sound Of Silence - Simon & Garfunkel
7) Me And Bobby McGee - Janis Joplin
8) I'm Your Boogie Man - KC & The Sunshine Band
9) You're My Thrill - Billie Holiday
10) Pruit Igoe & Prophecies - Philip Glass
11) Everybody Wants To Rule The World - Tears for Fears*
12) Hallelujah - Leonard Cohen
13) Clyde - Waylon Jennings*
14) All Along The Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix
15) Desolation Row - My Chemical Romance
16) First We Take Manhattan - Leonard Cohen*
17) Pirate Jenny - Nina Simone

Total running time: approx. 76 mins.

I left out "Ride Of The Valkyries" as this would have taken the running time to 81 mins. Besides, chronologically it falls between Simon & Garfunkel and Janis Joplin - and, dude, that's just wrong! But, seriously, "Valkyries" completely jars: and, anyway, Apocalypse Now already 'owns' that tune.

Tracks 1) and 2) featured to great effect in the movie's trailers and 16) was the second song used in the end credits. Yes, I know, it was actually the Muzak version of "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" which was used in the movie - but, really, who wants that?!

There are two "Watchmen" albums out. One is Tyler Bates's excellent, haunting score. And the other is this collection of golden oldies.

Don't get me wrong--every one of these songs, with the exception of My Chemical Romance's punkish Bob Dylan cover--are five-star classics. But does Nat King Cole's "Unforgettable" really work side-by-side with "The Times They Are A-Changin'"? Does KC and the Sunshine Band belong in the same context as Jimi Hendrix? It's eclectic, but not there aren't any overlooked gems that would even make it a decent mix-tape.

If you don't already own these classics, I would suggest cherry-picking the songs and artists you do want on Amazon's MP3 store or iTunes. And while you're at it, pick up the Smashing Pumpkins' "The Beginning Is the End Is the Beginning", which was featured in the "Watchmen" trailer (but not on the soundtrack or in the film).

One of my first thoughts after the movie was how well the music fit; I like the irony that some of the songs bring to the moment and as a commenter said connects the scenes to the times they are in. I don't think how common or not the music is should factor into a soundtrack's rating - Forrest Gump is a good example. I hadn't read the graphic novel before watching the movie but picked it up right after - several songs were part of the original graphic novel. Good article about this soundtrack: http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/feature/watching-the-watchmen-soundtrack-1003947204.story

12 songs? Really?
I was amazed by the sheer amount of music this movie held. Great songs all over the place. As I sat there watching the movie I thought, man I need to get this soundtrack!
12 songs... not even all the good ones!
Lame to put out a $10 cd with a fraction of the songs that actually appear in the movie. I am waiting for the second volume where they feature the rest of the songs and want us to pay $20 for that one... milk it for all you can.

I would just skip this and just get the 2 or 3 songs you actually want.

This is a great collection of songs, all originals and beautifully remastered to sound amazing and all that. Unfortunately most of these songs may be in your collection already, they are pretty common on classic rock stations and greatist hits collections.

I haven't seen the movie but judging by the high-tech commercials I've seen for it, this soundtrack is far from what I was expecting to hear, I thought maybe they were remixed or something.

In any case, if you are missing most of these songs and enjoy them then I recommend this album. This is actually a nice setlist, kinda downtempo so it's not something to throw in at a party exactly.

Where is 99 red balloons by Nena?? Where is Everybody wants to rule the world by Tears for fears??

I am sure there are more missing. This movie had an awesome sountrack from beginning to end. Now if we could just buy THAT, rather than this abridged version.

The CD was was in excellent condition. Nice to have a variety of music to listen to.

Excelent soundtrack. I purchase it in vinyl and the sound is beautiful! It joins bob Dilan , Philip Glass and Nina Simone in the same selection. Tastefull !

Watchmen. Not only an excellent comic turned into movie, but the movie has an amazing soudtrack as well. Featuring 12 classic songs featuring among others Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen and Jimi Hendrix, the music is great, but what really makes this item worth the money is the production value. In true audiophilic style the vinyl weights in at 180 grams (meaning supreme quality), and has a really professional and well done mastering to it. The envelope is also amazingly done, with a cover that opens up to reveal original Watchmen art, a separate paper containing the track list and the such,

All in all, this is the only way to enjoy the Wathcmen soundtrack. Great music, supreme audioquality, and hardcore production value.

Despite its flaws, Zack Snyder's adaptation of Watchmen was more than likely the most faithful take on Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' classic that we'd ever be able to get, right down to the music. The Watchmen soundtrack is an eclectic mix, featuring everything from Nat King Cole to Leonard Cohen, and classic tracks from Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix. There's nothing bad here, even though I'm not necessarily too fond of My Chemical Romance's cover of "Desolation Row", but there isn't anything you either don't already somehow have in your posession or haven't heard before. Not to mention that other tracks you may expect here, like "99 Luftbaloons" and the Smashing Pumpkins' "The Beginning is the End is the Beginning" (which was featured so prominently in the film's first trailer) are absent. Still, there's nothing necessarily wrong with the Watchmen soundtrack, but it's safe to say that this CD is best left for completists. For the rest of us, check out Tyler Bates' haunting score, which is definitely worth picking up.