Customer Reviews

Wire: & All the Pieces Matter - Five Years

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4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
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"It's easy to think of The Wire as a show with a strong musical identity. Over the course of its three seasons, it's become a hip-hop touchstone. Wire cast members have appeared in videos for Boyz in Da Hood, Cam'ron, Jay-Z, Common, Fat Joe, Obie Trice, Fabolous, and dozens of other rappers and singers. The massively popular local hip-hop mixtape Hamsterdam--named for season three's open-air drug market--features plenty of gangsta koans from Wire characters like the imposing Slim Charles. But The Wire's musical fingerprint, like much else about the show, is more subtle."
Jess Harvell

'The Wire' has been named by the critics as one of the best television shows ever made. And, as true as that may be, the soundtrack more than lives up to those credentials. The same grit, determination and reality of the Baltimore souls comes through in spades. It has been said that during the first two seasons the theme song of "The Wire" written by Tom Wait's "Way Down in the Hole," could be hummed by only the residents of Baltimore. For those of us with a love affair for the show, we can now sing along. 'Down In the Hole' has been recorded by a different artist for each season, stating with The Blind Boys of Alabama in year one, Tom Waits in year two, The Neville Brothers in year three and DoMaJe, a Baltimore son, in year four.

The CD also incorporates real parts of the show interspersed between the tunes. There are 21 seconds of discussion about 'Why would anyone want to leave Baltimore" that leads right into one of the best hip hop songs I have heard by Michael Franti and the Spear, 'My God'. Each of these sections bring us the character of the show, and the reality of life in Baltimore. David Simon,creator of 'The Wire', in an interview with Nick Hornsby for the booklet that comes with the CD says " Instead of the old gods, The Wire is a Greek tragedy in which the postmodern institutions are the Olympian forces. It's the police department, or the drug economy, or the political structures, or the school administration, or the macroeconomic forces that are throwing the lightning bolts and hitting people in the ass for no decent reason. In this drama, the institutions always prove larger, and those characters with hubris enough to challenge the postmodern construct of American empire are invariably mocked, marginalized, or crushed. Greek tragedy for the new millennium, so to speak."

There are thirty five songs that cover the five years of 'The Wire' and beside the fact that these tunes are wonderful in their own right, they fit into the fabric of the show. Solomon Burke, Steve Earle, The Pogues, Paul Weller, The Nighthawks and the Nevilles to name a few of my favorites appear on this CD. As Blake Leyh, the musical director says"Once or twice per season we'll have something that amounts to a montage,Every other time there's music in the show it's being played as source music--they're driving in a car, or they're in a bar and music's playing on the jukebox, they're standing the street slinging and there's a boom box there. And it's always played very rigorously, as if it's coming from the source." Mr Leyh started using Baltimore musicians during the fourth year and many of these street level musicians have broken into the mainstream to become popular in the US culture.

David Simon, creator of 'The Wire' explains that the show is about "untethered capitalism that runs amok, about how power and money actually route themselves in a postmodern American city, and, ultimately, about why we as an urban people are no longer able to solve our problems or heal our wounds." Each of the songs on this CD are about drug dealers, cops, or addicts and the problems within society caused by each. This is real life at the core and the music reflects the soul of the Baltimore characters.

"The Wire has no score, and no sound mnemonic like Mike Post's instantly recognizable Law and Order music. It features no sly pop-culture references, no ironic song/scene pairings--well, maybe a couple, like Herc playing the theme from Shaft during a drug bust, or a dogfighting ring being built to the sound of "Atomic Dog," or Maj. Rawls blasting the "Ride of the Valkyries" as Hamsterdam is bulldozed--and no swelling orchestras at climactic moments or sappy singer-songwriter cues to tug at your heartstrings." Jess Harvell

'The Wire: And All The Pieces Matter' CD is akin to a chorus behind the main singer. It reflects the inner soul and brings us closer to solving our problems and helping to heal our wounds.

Highly, Highly Recommended. prisrob 01-10-08

The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood

I remember I was out there searching for music from "The Wire" just after the first season came to an end and wondering why there wasn't any available. I thought there just had to be a soundtrack album at some point simply because not only was the music so good, it was also utilised incredibly skilfully and carefully.

And here we are at last. Better late than never I suppose and actually, looking back on it now I suppose it wouldn't have made much sense to release a soundtrack to accompany every season. This idea here is obviously so much better. Almost all of the music I remember hearing and loving on the show is on this CD, including all four versions of the title tune, "Way Down In The Hole". My favourite is the version by Domaje, the only one not performed by a big name act and I'm pretty sure the version by The Blind Boys From Alabama on here is slightly different and rather longer than the one from the show. It's all good though.

There are 35 tracks on the disc in all but some of those are, inevitably, spoken interludes from key scenes from the show over all five seasons. It's an eclectic mix, with banging hip-hop mostly provided, naturally, by local Baltimore talent, which I think is a great thing. There's also folk, bluegrass, blues, music with a distinct Middle Eastern flavour and even jazz, though I would've really loved it if they had included Miles Davis's "All Blues", which I definitely did hear playing in the background during a bar scene from season one - but maybe that would be asking too much.

The comprehensive inner-sleeve booklet, including contributions from David Simon, George Pelecanos and Jeff Chang, is a great companion to the DVDs and a good indicator of what the show offers for anyone who hasn't yet seen it. Music impresario Trevor Nelson usually divides music into what's good for the club, what's good for the jeep and what's good for the bedroom when he reviews albums on MTV Base and I would say that this is definitely one for the jeep. Put it in and blare it loud.

My favourite tracks on here include "Oh My God" by Michael Franti & Spearhead, "Assume The Position" by Lafayette Gilchrist, "Efuge Efuge" by Stelios Kazantzidis, "Projects" by Tyree Colion, "Ayo" by Bossman and "The Life, The Hood, The Streetz" by Mullyman. Every time I hear that last one, I just think of Donut riding around in those massive SUVs he used to steal, his head barely high enough for him to see outside the windscreen, his feet barely long enough to reach the pedals. It always brings a smile to my face. And of course, there's that ghostly closing theme "The Fall" by Blake Leyh.

All in all, a great CD to complement a phenomenal TV show. Well worth the wait.

I've been a soundtrack fan for years, even of films I didn't like much.

That qualification doesn't fit for "The Wire," probably the best series to ever grace the idiot box. So, when I saw Amazon has this available, I jumped.

Frankly, I anticipated nothing but rap (of which I'm not particularly fond, unless, as in this case, it reminds me of something). Yeah, there was that, some of which I did recognize from the series. But there was also little bits of dialog. Omar. Lester. Frank Sobotka. That's all the better still. And even the Irish tune played, if I recall, at the bar funeral of one of the squad's colleagues.

Then there's the book that comes along with the collection; it has fabulous pics and a text I'll read myself to sleep with tonight.

If you're a real "Wire" fan like I am, don't miss it. It's a collector's item!

HBO's brilliant, critically acclaimed, and dreadfully underrated crime drama (compared to The Sopranos, Deadwood, and many other HBO shows that garnered more limelight) The Wire may be over and gone, but at least before then the good sense of HBO was finally put forward in releasing a soundtrack album to the beloved series. "The Wire: And All the Pieces Matter" is a collection featuring songs used in the series, as well as dialogue snippets that outline everything from the beginning of the series to the very end. Here, we get versions of the show's opening song "Way Down in the Hole" by The Blind Boys of Alabama, The Neville Brothers, Domaje, and Tom Waits (Steve Earle's take is not here, but he does contribute "Feel Alright"), as well as "The Body of An American" by the Irish-fueled The Pogues, and assorted tracks that can be found on the "Beyond Hamsterdam: Baltimore Tracks from The Wire" companion album (which kind of makes that disc not worth picking up if you buy this, unless you're a completest). What really sparks this compilation however are the dialogue tracks peppered between the songs, when all are combined perfectly captures the dangerous atmosphere that makes up David Simon's brillaint show. Closing out the album is Blake Leyh's brilliant and haunting score "The Fall", which is only fitting as a closer here after closing out every episode of the series. All in all, "The Wire: And All the Pieces Matter" is a must own for fans of the beloved series, and now that the series is over and gone, this is even more worth picking up all the more.

Who can listen to Stelios Katzantidis' 'Efuge Efuge' and not think of Frank Sobotka under that overpass, walking toward the Greek?

As far as I'm concerned, this album is worth the price just for the Neville Bros. version of "Way Down in the Hole." But there are plenty of great songs, and a lot of them trigger goosebumps when you think about where/when they were used throughout the series.

Plus a lot of my favorite dialogue snippets, from McNulty's series-opening "Snot Boogie" speech to Stringer flaunting Robert's Rules of Order ("This n*^&! too IGNORANT to have the f&*^in' floor!"), are here.

Well worth the price tag.

Not much to add beyond what others have said, really.

This isn't a CD as much as a book with a CD. The insert has three essays, one by David Simon, George Pelecanos, and Jeff Chang (not sure who he is), that discuss the series and the use of the music. It's rather substanstial, surprisingly so, and I really liked reading it. Also full of gorgeous pictures of the show.

My only "complaint" would be that I wish we could have had more of the character voices: Snoop, Bubbles, Marlo, Omar, Prop Joe, Rawls... Just hearing Bodie, The Bunk, McNulty, Sobotka, Stringer, Poot, D'Angelo brings the whole movie back. They should could included the voices that said the little quotes that preceded each episode, for example.

I almost wish they'd release an 80 minute CD of just some great lines of dialogue (Good night, Moon from Season 5 makes me cry its so good) as well as the episode pre-quotes, etc. I'd love to just listen to the 5 seasons unfold like that.

The makers of The Wire care.

This is evident in the show itself, with its passionate attack on all that is wrong with America today. The same search for truth and justice is also present in the writing of David Simon and other writers who were involved in the show, such as George Pelecanos (the reason I originally became interested in the show).

Another kind of care goes into details. In one of the great essays involved in this compilation's booklet, Simon explains how they would go to great lengths in order to get the voices and worlds of ghetto boys and longshoremen alike just right. This extended to the musical choices: apart from the season finale songs, all the music had to be something you could actually hear coming from radios, blaring from jeeps or playing in clubs in Baltimore.

Often this care and attention to detail made things more difficult for the creators of the show, but the result is something that I believe will endure for many years to come. It is a show to be proud of, and this compilation reflects the love that went into making The Wire.

The stylish black-and-silver packaging is impressive. In the thick booklet you'll find three interesting essays talking about the show itself and the music on the CD. The booklet is printed on quality paper and features numerous color photographs as well as choice quotes from along the way. In short, it's above and beyond most soundtrack albums I've seen. I sort of hope that the DVD sets had contained more extra material like this, because The Wire is one of those rare beasts I want to know more and more about.

The music and dialogue snippets bring back great memories from the show. It's a varied mix, with styles ranging from rough-sounding hip hop to melancholy Greek singing. Simon and Pelecanos are definitely music lovers, which comes through clearly in Pelecanos' essay, and they've managed to make strong picks while steering clear of the obvious choices. They've had great help from De'Rodd Hearns (whose early life was documented in The Corner) and Blake Leyh, resulting in an impressive collection of music. Like the show itself, it might just expand your horizons.

Short review - eclectic mix that captures the life of 'The Wire'.
Best way I can put it.

What a show and what a soundtrack. I love to kick back and listen to this soundtrack because it reminds me of the show. I especially love the short tracks of various dialogues from the show. The music just speaks to me for some reason, and captures so well the show and what it's about. It's hard to explain in words; guess you've got to watch the show to know.

Lots of great rare old fashioned r&b plus wonderful versions of the Tom Waits title track ... I would never have come across Jesse Winchester if it hadn't been for The Wire. But the music is also a great intro to black urban music, placing it for a white guy like myself, and giving a context that otherwise wouldn't be present. All good.