Soundtracks
can never reach the heights of stand-alone albums.
Admittedly, they are equal in terms of earning power
- as shown by the success of the Moulin Rouge soundtrack,
the biggest-selling album in Australia in 2001 -
but it'd be improper to judge music on this quality.
Soundtracks will always be hampered by the need
to kowtow to the movie and the soundtrack for David
Caesar's Dirty Deeds is no exception. Produced by
You Am I's Tim Rogers, bringing together some of
Australia's best 'indie' acts, the soundtrack exploits
its pedigree - resulting in a very good soundtrack
and a solid album. There is a sense of integrity
- musical and otherwise - clearly evident to the
listener; disparate tracks were not hastily collated
(nor, thankfully, were any "inspired by"). Unfortunately,
it is hampered by its own playlist, as dictated
by Caesar.
The
covers vary significantly in quality. Highlights
include the serious swagger of Grinspoon's take
on "And I Heard The Fire Sing" and the urgency of
rising stars Dallas Crane's "Wild About You", but
the listener must then contend with lacklustre versions
of "Black and Blue" and "I'll Be Gone". Frustratingly,
the most memorable of the covers - "Washboard Rock'n'Roll"
and "Losin' My Blues Tonight" - are hidden away
at the end of the soundtrack; their impact would
have been greater earlier in the playlist, where
they could act as antidotes to the guitar excesses.
This
soundtrack is almost a mini You Am I album, but
the Tim Rogers originals here leave the impression
that the best material was saved for You Am I's
forthcoming sixth album, Deliverance. None are downright
terrible but for Rogers they're quite weak. "Sometimes
I Just Don't Know" (with Russell Hopkinson's apocalyptic
toms) and "Calendar Eyes" reveal a heavier side
of You Am I but are dour and finish aimlessly. More
successful are the wrenching "No Good Without You"
and "Draggin' Yer Bones", with its exhilarating
guitar solo from David Lane. Nevertheless, it appears
that Rogers's prodigious songwriting talent was
strained in order to meet demand - the psychedelic
sound of "Calendar Eyes" seems particularly forced.
The
main problem with this soundtrack is its inconsistency,
exacerbated by its running order. The heaviest of
the material is sequenced together, exhausting the
listener unnecessarily. There are undoubtedly some
gems on this soundtrack - Rogers is unrecognisable
on the delightful "Losin' My Blues Tonight", whilst
Bernard Fanning reveals his soulful rock credentials
on "No Good Without You" - but there is some decidedly
second-rate material here. This underlines the difference
between a soundtrack and a stand-alone album - the
former is never the priority. Despite its weaknesses,
the Dirty Deeds soundtrack is a very good soundtrack.
We must remember that for all involved, this is
simply a side project.
Reviewed
by Michael Tran
Tracklisting
1. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap -
You Am I with Tex Perkins
2. Titles Sequence
- Paul Healy
3. And I Heard The Fire Sing
- Grinspoon
4. Trouble
- You Am I with
Bernard Fanning
5. New Flat
- Paul Healy
6. I'll Be Gone
- Palladium
7. Sometimes I Just Don't Know
- You Am I with
Billy Thorpe
8. Wild About You
- Dallas Crane
9. No Good Without You
- Bernard Fanning
and Bruce Haymes
10. Making Pizza
- Paul Healy
11. Draggin' Yer Bones
- You Am I
12. Everlovin' Man
- The Loved
Ones
13. Made My Bed, Gonna Lie In It
- You Am I with
Phil Jamieson
14. Washboard Rock'n'Roll
- Lisa Miller,
Jody Bell and Tim Rogers
15. Black and Blue
- Powder Monkeys
16. Calendar Eyes
- You Am I
17. Bom Bom
- Daddy Cool
18. Losin' My Blues
- Tonight Tim
Rogers and Lisa Miller
19. Plane Leaves
- Paul Healy
