Customer Reviews

Queer As Folk: Fourth Season

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

I get so tired of the "gay equals club music" stereotype that seems to plague every gay-themed release. Thankfully, the people who produce QaF realise that there is more to music than the incessant thump of a disco beat.

This disc creates moods and reflects the emotions that the characters were feeling during the scenes in which they played. I like the new theme as it isn't so frantic and over the top. "Spunk" was great, but it's time for a change. The show is more mature than when it began and the sonic scapes are reflecting that.

Yes, there are a few twirly numbers for the circuit queens who seem to want to rule the world but there are also ambient, edgy rock tracks that evoke more complex moods for the rest of us. Go deep... turn yourself onto something with some more layers.

Okay, the fourth season CD. Well, they are harking back to the basics, in a way. The second season CD of Queer as Folk followed the trend set by the soundtrack of the British series by having all the songs segued into one long grind (and one song which never even used in the show....what a waste of CD space). The third season had two CDs, one a segued thumpa thumpa Babylong disc while the second one featured some of the less danceable tunes of the show.

Onward to season four, where like the very first soundtrack, we get a eclectic mix here. The thumping sound of Babylon are here, along with ballads and yes, even one show tune!

Overall, the music for the fourth season has improved...but I still questioned the choices made on which to include on the soundtrack. Some are good, some....not so good (surprised?)

The very first track is the new theme: Cue the Pulse to Begin...but this version bear little resemblance to the one used in the show (no countdown..ONE TWO THREE....!)

The second track Attitude virtually burst with attitude, which is followed by the swinging I'm The Main Man by Jason Nevins. However, the next several tracks were a bit undistinctive. Even though they have their own unique appeal, they turn out to be music that you turn on as background music....just like on the show. You know there is something that is being played...but ultimately its main purpose was to fill the silence, nothing more, and nothing less.

Then came If I Were A Man by Andrea Menard, a bonafide gay show tune (or anthem)which is unlike anything else on the soundtrack and is totally out of synch from the soundtrack's numbness. It immediately make you take notice and is one of the best songs on the disc.

Speaking of anthems, saving the best for last, is Wonderful Life by Black. It is a song that is as poignant as Badly Drawn Boy's The Shining, AND as powerful and re-affirming as Heather Small's Proud or Ultra Nate's Free. This single song ends the disc with an emotional and powerful wallop...and is probably the only one (except maybe for Andrea Menard's) that you will find yourself listen to repeatedly.

The soundtrack was billed as featuring the most memorable music on the show...which I beg to differ. Once again, some of the best tunes are left out....like Junk Odyssey by ECT, You Come In Burned by the Dandy Warhols, Lemon Jelly's In The Bath.

Ultimately, the music from the first season is still the best. This soundtrack may get a little boring and repetitive at times, but the last song, Wonderful Life, is worth buying the soundtrack alone.

But still shows the style of the show this year. At first I didn't like the music because I was expecting all the great dance music I hear on QAF. After listening to the CD several times I have grown to really like most of the songs on this CD. If you are expecting to hear the dance grooves you would hear at Babylon you might be let down, but give this CD a chance and I bet it's one that stays in your collection for years to come.

It is no doubt that the current season of "Queer as Folk" has been targeting a much deeper degree of topics than the previous three seasons. So, even though it did come as a surprise, it is no doubt why the new Season Four soundtrack stands out on its own from the rest of the collection. This time around, there isn't the steady flow of dance music laced together in what has become an almost tedious fashion. Upon listening to the cd the first time, I was let down at this realization. I wasn't really sure what to think. However, it all quickly grew on me and I can now say that it comes as a nice change to a show that has grown and changed with us all over the years. The tracks are much darker... like the taste of what we were given on the second cd of the season three soundtrack. However, they still resonate better than the last. Not exactly "happy" music... much of the complaint ridden selections cover such experiences as lost love, death, and the other darker tones of this season's subject matter. Listen to it without the expetation of another club-dance collection and it is easily appreciated in its true form.
I have heard a lot of bad reviews for the cd. Mainly in the matter of people being disappointed that it does not fall into the same category as the last three soundtracks. To stay the same is boring. We need change! And, that is exactly what this cd does this time around...

Gay people like DIFFERENT KINDS OF MUSIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We're NOT all drugged-up bitchy circuit queens - some of us actually have open minds - and taste. It's nice to hear music that has a little effort put into it, & doesn't fuel gay stereotypes. There's some real talent on here, especially the Sanctuary track.

I am a huge fan of Queer as Folk, and one thing I love about this show is the music. Every episode is chock full of the greatest mix of music. This is my favorite of the soundtracks (with the first season trailing on it's heels). It has such a great mix of tunes from so many different genres of music. Some of my favorites are "If I Were A Man," "Love of the Loveless," "You Are My Joy," "Attitude," and "Wonderful Life." There are one or two songs that are just okay...but overall this CD is fantastic, and one that I constantly listen to.

I believe this new CD is great! I know it's not anything like the other 3 seasons, but neither is the TV show. It's their "coming of age" and this new CD is exactly that. There is less dance club and more realistic (if that is the right word) music. It is more meaningful. There are, of course, still some club mixes and an awesome broadway-type tune on the CD. I think, if you love the show, you will love the CD.

This CD was not quite what I expected and I have to admit, the first time I listened to it I was a little unsure how I felt about it. But the more I listened, the more I realized how much I liked it.

It's edgier than the other three seasons, which are mostly dance/techno style music. In a sense, the show QAF has become more of a risk-taker throughout the years and the music has evolved no differently. The season four soundtrack takes you on a different journey than the ones you've been on before and if you enjoy traveling off the beaten path, you'll like this one as well.

I was pleasantly surprised at Cue The Pulse To Begin, we only get a small taste of that song in the intro of QAF, what a great song! You Are My Joy is a heart-moving, sing-along catchy song, one of my favorites! Sanctuary is more of what we've come to expect out of QAF music, dance/techno. Strobe's Nanafushi will have you bouncing in your seat and Wonderful Life, what a wonderful song (no pun intended)!

In summary, when you buy this soundtrack, expect something different than what you're used to with QAF music. I don't think you'll be disappointed if you keep that in mind!

The music chosen for the fourth season of QAF was muuuccch better in my opinion than the music used in the previous seasons. I know there will be people who don't agree with this, but I felt like Seasons 1-3 used very repetitive dance beat music...and, well, it gave me a headache. I feel like the fourth season featured a more eclectic range of music styles by not only including dance, but also rock, alternative, and more subdued and emotion-filled tracks that brillliantly add up to a wonderful soundtrack.

Love it!

First two seasons, all dance music. Season 3 recognized the moodier moments in the show and gave us two separate discs-1 dance, 1 not. Season 4 just tosses together both styles in 1 disc crammed with 14 tracks. In terms of continuity, it sort of disrupts the flow. Perhaps they should have just opted out of putting any dance music this season since this was the least "hi-nrg" season of the bunch, and kept this volume moody and dark, which all works well. The coolest thing though is that you get a full 4 minute version of the new theme song by Burnside Project. And it's pretty apparent that the release of Club Babylon, which is ALL dance music on 2 discs, including many songs not even used in the show, is to satiate those fans of the dance discs.