Search - Various Artists :: Six Feet Under

Good soundtrack

E. A Solinas | MD USA | 01/26/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

""Six Feet Under" is an unlikely hit series, about the people who live and work at a... well, a funeral home. Is it all funereal? Nope. And neither is the "Six Feet Under" soundtrack, a well-chosen musical blend. While there are some misfires (the excruciating cover of "Yummy Yummy Yummy" by Julie London), it's overall a satisfying experience.Thomas Newman handles the stately, delicate main theme for this series, which is later given a poppy, catchy spin by Photek and a darker, eerie edge by Rae & Christian. The rest of the album is a quilt of rock (the rollicking Dandy Warhol tune "Bohemian Like You," Beta Band's catchy "Squares"), Latin music (Orlando Cachaito Lopez's "Mis Dos Pequeñas"), jazz (Peggy Lee's sultry "I Love Being Here With You"), and pop music (Zero 7's plaintive "Distractions," Lamb's soft, sweet "Heaven").The choices for "Six Feet Under's" soundtrack are good ones. They convey both the funeral atmosphere of the show, and the lighter sides of the characters ("Mis Dos Pequeñas" is nothing if not cheerful). These are genuinely good bands selected, although some are not well-suited to what they play (such as PJ Harvey's "One Time Too Many"). The selection of bands like Beta Band, Dandy Warhols, Lamb, Shuggie Otis, the Devlins, and Classics IV show that actual thought (most of the time) went into what was chosen for this, music that reflects the atmosphere of the series. A mixture of the eerie and the playful, this will catch on even for people who aren't fans of the TV show. "Six Feet Under's" soundtrack isn't perfect, but it's a good listen for fans of quality music."

As Eclectic (and beautiful) As The Show

Karl Miller | Phoenixville, PA United States | 02/05/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Leave it to the "Six Feet Under" people to put electric chill, artsy punk, jazz sirens and California soul all on the same CD and somehow make it work.
This soundtrack (actually a sampling of songs used in the show that demonstrate the diversity and power of HBO's best original programming) has been featured regularly in my disc changer for months now, mainly because it's eclecticism covers every mood I pass through in listening to 75+ minutes of music. From the opening notes of the show's theme song (presented in original format as well as a number of remixes), you know that this disc is special. The triple play of Lamb's "Heaven", Stereo MC's "Deep Down and Dirty" and Peggy Lee's "I Love Being Here With You" is a stroke of programming brilliance, as the songs with their varied instrumentation but similar theme sound awesome back-to-back (to back). Lamb's "Heaven" is, in particular a major highlight of this set, with its Schroeder style piano played over a sweet electronic program.
Shuggie Otis's "Inspiration Information" is another stellar "where did that come from" moment. Otis, a proginator of California soul in the 70's (he wrote and recorded the original "Strawberry Letter 23", a huge hit for the Brothers Johnson) makes music like you have never heard before.
"Let's Go Out Tonight" and the Dandy Warhol's "Bohemian Like You" are two more stellar cuts on this disc - the Warhol's track sounds like something the Ramones would have recorded if they had structure, and the ability to carry a tune. And the Classic IV's "Spooky" is the most fitting song on this disc when you consider the source programming - it could have easily been the theme song for the show.
The test of a good compilation disc is whether it inspires you to seek out additional music from the participating artists - I purchased CD's of Lamb, Shuggie Otis and Peggy Lee after buying this disc. Of course, being a fan of "Six Feet Under" may have influenced my listening to this soundtrack. Overall, however, this soundtrack holds up brilliantly, and features enough great music that it can stand on its on as a great collection."

Great, eclectic album to go with a great series!

Manny Hernandez | Bay Area, CA | 08/04/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album brings to mind the very eclectic work done around the album for the movie "High Fidelity." Beside the now-standard opening music, by Thomas Newman, the album contains excellent pieces from rock, chillout, prog, latin, and big band genres. Sounds odd? The truth is that it all blends very well, taking the listener on a casual jump over stones that all form part of the same musical stream. In particular, if you -like I am- are a follower of the series, you will find the album twice as enjoyable, with all the photos from the cast and some of their best quotes, and picturing the characters with the music, the best case being Cachaito's "Mis Dos Pequeñas" and the series' Federico. However, the album can perfectly stand alone by itself as an excellent compillation of great music. My favorite tracks: Lamb's "Heaven," Beta Band's "Squares," Zero 7's "Distractions" and the beautiful version of the classic from The Blue Nile (sung by their former leader, Paul Buchanan), "Let's go out tonight.""