City of Ghosts [Soundtrack]

city of ghosts [soundtrack]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Matt Dillon has assembled a remarkably eclectic mix of songs for the soundtrack of his directorial debut City of Ghosts, a thriller set in present day Cambodia. The CD opens with a charming version of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" performed in Khmer by the Los Angeles band Dengue Fever and goes on to feature French pop songs, 1920s jazz and Hawaiian tunes, the ambient music of Peter Whitehead, and lots of Cambodian songs from the 1960s and early 1970s. This last category includes tracks by Sin Sisimouth, who was Cambodia's biggest heartthrob in the '60s, and Ros Serey Sothea, who was known as the Queen of Khmer Music. The Cambodian songs are wildly creative and include folk songs like Chan Chaya's "Sak Kra Va," which is performed on traditional Khmer instruments; "Love Pillow," a ballad by Choun Malai that wouldn't sound out of place on a collection of '60s singers like Dusty Sprinfield and Jackie DeShannon; and Ros Serey Sothea's "Have you Seen My Love," which blends a stabbing electric organ rhythm pattern with weirdly distorted guitars. Sadly, most of the Cambodian performers heard on these recordings didn't survive the Khmer Rouge's reign of terror of the late 1970s and Dillon has dedicated this CD to their memories. --Michael Simmons

City of Ghosts,Various Artists,Lakeshore Records,Big Band,Cambodia,Foreign Language Rock,French Pop,Pop,Soundtrack,Soundtracks & Film Scores,Swing

City of Ghosts [Soundtrack]

Average customer rating:

BUY! BUY! BUY!
Great game - great music
Hug your pillows girls
best video game soundtrack ever.
classical music listeners stop complaining

Halo 2, Vol. 1
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Sumthing Else
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Halo | Game Titles | Specialty Stores | Computer & Video Games
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Halo: Original Soundtrack
Halo 2, Vol. 2
Halo, Books 1-3 (The Flood; First Strike; The Fall of Reach)
Ghosts of Onyx (Halo)
The Art of Halo

ASIN: B00067RF6E
Release Date: 2004-11-09

Tracks:

Halo Theme Mjolnir Mix
Blow Me Away - Breaking Benjamin
Peril
Ghosts Of Reach
Follow (1st Movement Of The Odyssey) - Incubus
Heretic, Hero
Flawed Legacy
Impend
Never Surrender - Nile Rodgers
Ancient Machine
2nd Movement Of The Odyssey - Incubus
In Amber Clad
The Last Spartan
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3rd Movement Of The Odyssey - Incubus
Heavy Price Paid
Earth City
High Charity
4th Movement Of The Odyssey - Incubus
Remembrance
Connected - Hoobastank

Amazon.com

Further proof that the 15-year-old male is the nexus of contemporary popular entertainment, this anthology of music from and "inspired by" the sequel to the earth-conquering Halo saga also showcases how capably the video game industry can trump even Hollywood's vaunted production values. The original synth-heavy underscore by Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori is filled with enough brooding, mock-Goth atmospherics, and pulsing exotica of indeterminate ethnicity to give the Hans Zimmer stable a run for their money, while a slate of (mostly) worthy rock star guest turns give it a welcome edge. Legendary axe-slinger Steve Vai's sinewy riffing punches up the reworked main theme and "Never Surrender," while alt.metal contenders Breaking Benjamin serve up the suitably dramatic inspired-by cut "Blow Me Away." But it's Incubus' four-part "Odyssey" suite that's the centerpiece, bridging 1970s prog and modern rock with its moody aura and evocative musical dramatics. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

BUY! BUY! BUY!.......2007-03-05

This CD stayed in my truck's CD player for months before getting tired of it. Enough said.

Great game - great music.......2007-01-10

My son wanted this Cd. I had never sat long enough to listen to the music when he played Halo, so I didn't have a clue what I was buying. He let me listen to some of the tracks once it arrived and I had to "borrow" it from him so I could download the cd onto my pc. Needless to say I bought volume 2 and the original Halo soundtrack cd as well. They may belong to my son, but I love these cds too!

Hug your pillows girls.......2006-08-06

THe only reason I am writing anything about this album is because it contains the Odyssey by Incubus, and its probably some of their best work and will go down as their most unnoticed. While the rest of your nerds are huggin your pillows at night thinking about your video games and the "gnarly instrumentals" on this album you sit there and bash Incubus' work. The first track by them, Follow, is not all that great however it was re-released on an additional cd with their Alive at Red Rocks DVD and it sounds sooooooo much better on that cd (with some real lyrics) But after listening to the Odyssey I was really hoping this to be a new direction for Incubus, a more proggressive/conceptual sound. Whether this is the direction they go on with their new album is yet to be heard. Its a shame that this work will go unnoticed, and the only reason it will be that way because a bunch of losers decide to try and impress people with (what they think) is a sense of music just because its of a classical nature. Yes, the rest of the music on the album is amazing, and I give big ups to its composition, but come on people, show some love to good music when its presented to your faces.

best video game soundtrack ever........2006-08-03

i understand that many people are a bit angry with breaking benjamin and hoobastank being in here. i'm not particularly happy myself with the last track, but i think contemporary music is appropriate here, albeit lyrics may not be the greatest form of expressing the mysterious feeling behind everything. i think o'donnel and salvatori have what it takes to compose a score of music, but it's not a score, it's a soundtrack. i found that if you don't like them you can just skip them. the second to last track is a great way to end the soundtrack.

classical music listeners stop complaining.......2006-05-10

The worst part of this album was songs with lyrics (breaking benjamin, techno, hoobastank)...i dont understand then why people are upset with the incubus - follow has one word the whole song (two if you count "yeah") and their instrumental songs are brilliant, floyd-esque at times. for those of you reading others criticizing this album, ignore them, ignore the three bad songs on this album, and purchase it and enjoy it.

Average customer rating:

Great Soundtrack to a not-so-great movie
The Khmer version of Both Sides Now is a masterpiece
A Wonderful, Haunting, Exotic Soundtrack
Cultural Pastiche

City of Ghosts
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Lakeshore Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Cambodia | Far East & Asia | International | Styles | Music

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Dengue Fever
Cambodian Rocks Volume 1
Escape from Dragon House
City of Ghosts
Cambodian Rocks Volume 3

ASIN: B00008XEQ6
Release Date: 2003-04-29

Tracks:

Both Sides Now - Dengue Fever
Et moi, et moi, et moi - Jacques Dutronc
Wait Ten Months - Ros Srey Sothea
Sak Kra Va - Chan Chaya
Do You Believe In Love At Sight - McKinney's Cotton Pickers
Hilo Hula - Mike Hanapi & The Ilima Islanders
Have You Seen My Love - Ros Sorei Sothea
Parlez Moi D'Amour - Lucienne Boyer
I Want A Little Girl - McKinney's Cotton Pickers
Mou Pei Na - Sin Sisamout
Coining - Maes Samouen
Giant Woman - Pen Ran
Close Fit Blues - Clarence Williams
I'm Sixteen - Ros Srey Sothea
Ne Te Fache Pas - Sin Sisamout
Love Pillow - Choun Malai
Dear 5 - Peter Whitehead

Amazon.com

Matt Dillon has assembled a remarkably eclectic mix of songs for the soundtrack of his directorial debut City of Ghosts, a thriller set in present day Cambodia. The CD opens with a charming version of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" performed in Khmer by the Los Angeles band Dengue Fever and goes on to feature French pop songs, 1920s jazz and Hawaiian tunes, the ambient music of Peter Whitehead, and lots of Cambodian songs from the 1960s and early 1970s. This last category includes tracks by Sin Sisimouth, who was Cambodia's biggest heartthrob in the '60s, and Ros Serey Sothea, who was known as the Queen of Khmer Music. The Cambodian songs are wildly creative and include folk songs like Chan Chaya's "Sak Kra Va," which is performed on traditional Khmer instruments; "Love Pillow," a ballad by Choun Malai that wouldn't sound out of place on a collection of '60s singers like Dusty Sprinfield and Jackie DeShannon; and Ros Serey Sothea's "Have you Seen My Love," which blends a stabbing electric organ rhythm pattern with weirdly distorted guitars. Sadly, most of the Cambodian performers heard on these recordings didn't survive the Khmer Rouge's reign of terror of the late 1970s and Dillon has dedicated this CD to their memories. --Michael Simmons

Customer Reviews:

Great Soundtrack to a not-so-great movie.......2007-06-29

Sorry, Matt, nothing personal. I was really looking forward to COG before I saw it, having lived in Phnom Penh for some time. So Maybe I was just expecting to much. I loved seeing people and places I know in it though... But the soundtrack is awesome.

The Khmer version of Both Sides Now is a masterpiece .......2007-04-24

Any student of Khmer needs to study the beautiful adaptation of "Both Sides Now" by the band Dengue Fever, pure genius that deserves wide recognition. I'd love the Cambodian lead singer from Dengue Fever to do the same with Carole King's greatest songs, which should lend themselves to the same kind of artful translation and strong clear female voice.

A Wonderful, Haunting, Exotic Soundtrack.......2005-06-16

The version of the Joni Mitchell anthem to disillusionment, 'Both Sides Now' sung in Khmer by the retro-Cambodian psychedelic band Dengue Fever alone is worth the price of this record. And the more I listen to it the more I love the rest of the album. I'd never heard any of this music before I saw the movie by chance on TV, and it's astounding, driving, wild stuff that instantly creates a world of its own. One verse of 'Mao Pena' (apparently "Thanks a Lot" in Khmer) and you'll be instantly transported to the back of a crappy Peugeot taxi some rainy night in Phnom Penh circa 1970. Just a great record!

Cultural Pastiche.......2003-05-20

Like the brilliant French, North African & alternative American soundtrack to last year's film, The Truth About Charlie, this cd also attempts to felicitiously recreate the time and place of the film. Though less accessible than "Charlie," this soundtrack is a must for any cd shuffle. When one of these wild songs pops up, one is immediately emotionally transported! The varying tongues, the jangling instruments and the dated phrasings flow over the preserved vinyl scratchings to make you feel like you're under the slow sweep of a ceiling fan in a tiki bar in a far-away tropical country. Mesmerizing!

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