Search - Various Artists :: Malcolm X: Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack

Malcolm X Soundtrack is Solid but Lacks One Powerful Song

Robert C. Jones, Jr. | Miami, FL USA | 08/06/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Indeed, the soundtrack from the motion picture Malcolm X achieves its goal in capturing the music of the great Muslim leader's childhood and adult years. But lacking from the soundtrack is Sam Cooke's beautifully orchestrated song "A Change is Gonna Come," an inspirational civil rights anthem that is featured near the end of director Spike Lee's masterpiece but for some reason is not on the CD. This soundtrack would surely be worthy of a five-star rating if it weren't for this glaring omission."

Excellent variety of Black music

Andre M. | Mt. Pleasant, SC United States | 07/26/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD gives a varied overview of the genres of Black music. Some of this covers Malcolm X's adolesence in the 40s with tunes by the Ink Spots, Billie Holiday, Joe Turner, Lionel Hampton, and Louis Jordan's comic masterpiece "Beans And Cornbread." Then we fast forward to Malcolm's heyday in the early 60s with songs like the atmospheric "Alabama " by John Coltrane and Ray Charles' version of "That Lucky Old Sun." Jr. Walker's "Shotgun," which was very popular in the Black community in Feb. 1965 when Malcolm was killed. Aretha Franklin 's version of Donny Hathaway's "Someday We'll All be Free" does justice to the original and the Arrested Development's "Revolution" symbolizes the connection of 1990s Black youth with Malcolm X (the obvious choice to do this, Public Enemy, bowed out of the making of this soundtrack due to their ties with the Nation of Islam, who were not pleased with their portrayal in this film, but that's another story). Overall, this soundtrack provides a good panorama of Black music history. Listen, learn, and enjoy."

Track listing for cassette tape

Rob K | somewhere between Los Angeles and New York City | 05/19/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The cassette tape with UPC 093624513049 contains the following tracks:



1. Revolution - Arrested Development

2. Roll 'Em Pete - Joe Turner

3. Flying Home - Lionel Hampton

4. My Prayer - The Ink Spots

5. Big Stuff - Billie Holiday

6. Don't Cry Baby - Erskine Hawkins

7. Beans and Cornbread - Louis Jordan

8. Azure - Ella Fitzgerald

9. Alabama - John Coltrane

10. That Lucky Old Sun Just Rolls Around Heaven - Ray Charles

11. Arabesque Cookie - Duke Ellington

12. Shotgun - Jr. Walker & The All Stars

13. Someday We'll All Be Free - Aretha Franklin

"