Customer Reviews

White Lunar

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

 

 

How does one accurately describe the music that Nick Cave & Warren Ellis create? It's not hard, but it's not easy either. Some might say it's music for night, but that doesn't quite do it; it's not just any night that this music belongs to.

This music belongs to that dwindling campfire that you've tried so hard to keep going so the wolves won't carry you away while you're sleeping. This music stirs within the last few sips of bourbon in that old glass while the moon gets stuck at that halfway point between midnight & dusk. This music is in that car door slam of an estranged lover who you really shouldn't let drive on the highway at this particular time of night. This music's for the dusty grave robber who can't sleep for that is the cost of his fortunes.

Is this an essential collection? If you're a Nick Cave fan it is. If you're a Dirty Three fan it is. If you've purchased the other soundtracks by Cave & Ellis it is. If you're just passing through & you're looking for the typical instrumental albums that you can space out to; well, I'd keep on walking, stranger. More than music you can space out to, this is stuff you can lose yourself in. Try & not let the opening chimes of "Song For Jesse" conjure up icy fields & slow moving clouds. Try not to find yourself at the banks of river watching your mistress play in the water while "Sorya Market" plays.

If you see the name Nick Cave & Gothic lyrics, keep that head down & pass by. Only 3 songs here feature any vocals. Instead, Cave & Ellis let the music narrate & carry. It's a successful collection & I can't think of any other composers that can truly draw more from less.

I'll admit that I partly purchased this collection to fill out an order (free shipping!). I'm a fan of Nick Cave's music but didn't expect much from a movie soundtrack collection. To my surprise, 'White Lunar' is quite engaging, and emotionally affecting. Although much of the collection is instrumental, the strident chords employed and melancholic melodies resonate in a way few normal orchestral soundtracks do. In fact, I find that I'm often struck by the beauty and longing contained in these little gems.

Some lovely- some filled with a sense of foreboding and dread. Sparse soundscapes with much space in between allows for soaring vistas of imagination & emotion. Truly beautiful and heartbreaking!

I didn't really know what to expect when I ordered White Lunar because I ordered it based on my experience with the work of Nick Cave and Warren Ellis alone. But one thing is sure, with Cave and Ellis you have to learn to expect anything!
White Lunar is a mishmash of movie tunes and previously unreleased pieces dusted off from deep in the vaults. Perhaps the best description of what to expect can be found in this excerpt paraphrased from the notes on the back of the CD case: "The first CD has the big themes, the orchestra, and the songs while the second is fractured, haunting, and sometimes badly behaved. Perfect!
I like the entire first CD, and those who have acquired any of the better-known Cave/Ellis soundtracks will be familiar with at least some of the cuts. The music and the vocals are eerie and often menacing. The second CD is more problematic and seems mostly to be a collection of snippets of themes awaiting further development. It is mellow and austere, but leaves the listener with the feeling that something is lacking. My favorites here are Me Nea from The Girls of Phnom Penh, Dandy Brain Cannula from The English Surgeon, and finally Cheata and Sorya Market, both of which are from The Girls of Phnom Penh.
Nick Cave and Warren Ellis have proven that they work very well together and in their movie soundtracks have a special something that goes beyond their work in The Bad Seeds and Grinderman. If you want to have a taste of a classic soundtrack team in the making, then White Lunar is the thing.

Excellent transaction!!! The album is worth the price!!!! And the music is superb!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The album came in great conditions and very well on time...

Some lovely- some filled with a sense of foreboding and dread. Sparse soundscapes with much space in between allows for soaring vistas of imagination & emotion. Truly beautiful and heartbreaking!

This cd arrived within a week of purchase, even with the upcoming holiday and weekend. The music is a mix of different movie soundtracks, some ultra mellow and some blue-sy. It seems to center more around the style of the person I'm not familiar with (Warren Zevon) than Nick Cave (whose work I like very much). If you enjoy blended movie soundtracks, you may want to buy it.