Notorious soundtrack

“NOTORIOUS: MUSIC FROM AND INSPIRED BY THE ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE” features timeless Notorious B.I.G. classics like “Juicy” and “Hypnotize” alongside never-before-released demos and new tracks by some of hip-hop’s biggest stars, including Jay-Z and Jadakiss. The album is highlighted by the Kanye West-produced single, “Brooklyn Go Hard,” performed by Jay-Z and featuring Santogold. The track is currently a top 25 hit on Billboard’s “Hot Rap Tracks” chart.

Furthermore, the soundtrack showcases an additional single/video, “Letter to B.I.G.” by Jadakiss (Feat. Faith Evans), as well as a new version of the Notorious B.I.G. milestone, “One More Chance/The Legacy (Remix),” featuring CJ Wallace and Faith Evans.

At the heart of “NOTORIOUS: MUSIC FROM AND INSPIRED BY THE ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE” is the everlasting music of the Notorious B.I.G. Among the classics included on the collection are “Warning,” “One More Chance/Stay With Me Remix,” and “Kick In The Door.” The album is highlighted by a number of previously unreleased demos, including “Microphone Murderer” and “Guaranteed Raw,” as well as the Notorious B.I.G.’s first-ever officially released track, “Party and Bullsh**” (originally from the soundtrack to the 1993 film, Who’s The Man?).

“NOTORIOUS: MUSIC FROM AND INSPIRED BY THE ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE” has drawn extensive critical praise. “There are just a few great soundtracks out there,” noted the New York Post. “The music for A Clockwork Orange is one, and the record supporting The Big Chill is another. Add this rap record to that small list.” Newsday declared the album to be “a first-rate reminder of the greatness of the Notorious B.I.G.,” while the Baltimore Examiner called it “a must-have.” The Philadelphia Inquirer summed it up: “Anyone who needs to be clued in as to what made the Notorious B.I.G. a great rapper can get that schooling here.”

A special edition of the album is available exclusively at Target stores nationwide. The two-disc set includes an all-new documentary DVD, Remembering Christopher Wallace, featuring exclusive, never-before-seen private interviews with the family members who carry on the Notorious B.I.G.’s memory, including his mother, daughter, and son.

NOTORIOUS charts the remarkable rise of Christopher “The Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace – who, in just a few short years, shot from the tough streets of Brooklyn to the heights of hip-hop legend. Peeling back his mythic image eleven years after his tragic death, NOTORIOUS reveals the tumultuous and all-too-brief journey of a blazingly talented, fiercely determined young man whose unforgettable rap stories of inner city street life, with their raw truth and vivid rhymes, became emblematic of a whole generation’s brutal reality and its dreams of escaping it for something bigger.

Corporate line:
With “The Nightmare Before Christmas” franchise growing each year, Walt Disney Records is releasing a brand new cover album, “Nightmare Revisited.” The album features unique, ALL NEW RECORDINGS on the eccentric cult classic, “The Nightmare Before Christmas” soundtrack, covered by a diverse group of artists across different music genres. Artists such as Amy Lee from Evanesence, Korn, Rise Against, Shiny Toy Guns, Flyleaf, Polyphonic Spree, and more! Take a spin with these great songs and show us there is still plenty of nightmare to revisit.

The tracks:
“Overture” f/DeVotchKa – Sounds a scottish hoe-down rather than an opening track to a Halloween movie.

“This is Halloween” f/Marilyn Manson – Marilyn Manson is the king of creepiness and his take on this song is brilliant. Manson might be the only artist that could take a song of this album and put it on his own album.

“Jack’s Lament” f/The All-American Rejects – AAR opens brilliantly but this is the sort of song that needs a visual to hold it together.

“Doctor Finkelstein/In the Forest” f/Amiina – Purely instrumental–good for a nap.

“What’s This?” f/Flyleaf – Perhaps my favorite song from the movie–except for “This is Halloween.” Flyleaf’s take doesn’t really do the song justice when performed as a rock track because it’s missing the atmosphere.

“Town Meeting Song” f/The Polyphonic Spree – The Polyphonic Spree shows you what Pink Floyd might do if they were making a soundtrack for a kid’s movie. Here is a suggestion–The Polyphonic Spree and Danny Elfman should get together and write an album. It’d be brilliant to say the least!

“Jack and Sally Montage” f/The Vitamin String Quartet – Another instrumental interlude.

“Jack’s Obsession” f/Sparklehorse – At first I thought–who is this chick singing… nope, it’s a dude. Big mistake.

“Kidnap the Sandy Claws” f/Korn – This song is brilliant. I haven’t heard Korn have this much fun in a decade.

“Making Christmas” f/Rise Against – This is the complete opposite of the Korn track. It lacks atmosphere and playfulness. Rise Against doesn’t make Christmas–they make a Rise Against song without thinking about the overall idea.

“Nabbed” f/Yoshida Brothers – Who are these guys? I had no idea until I looked them up. I want all their albums. Their music is beautiful. This is the only instrumental track that made me listen over and over again.

“Oogie Boogie’s Song” f/Rodrigo y Gabriela – An instrumental track that has the opposite effect of the Yoshinda Brothers.

“Sally’s Song” f/Amy Lee – What can’t Amy Lee sing? Amy Lee is magical. If I was Danny Elfman and Tim Burton I’d be trying to figure out how to get this voice on future projects.

“Christmas Eve Montage” f/Rjd2 – Block rocking beats. Techno/hip-hop has connection with this soundtrack.

“Poor Jack” f/Plain White T’s – As much fun as it sounds–it’s not really more than a color by numbers cover.

“To the Rescue” f/Datarock – This techno track doesn’t fit–no, not in the least.

“Finale/Reprise” f/Shiny Toy Guns – The soundtrack to your nightmares. Is it too dark? So it would seem.

“End Title” f/The Album Leaf – Another miss.

Finally:
There are some really interesting and fun tracks. The usual suspects are absolutely brilliant: see Marilyn Manson, Korn and Amy Lee from Evanesence. There are some huge surprises like the Yoshida Brothers. It’s rare that you get a soundtrack and find an artist that makes you want to go out and buy their albums like the Yoshida Brothers do. If you are a fan of the movie, like myself, this still isn’t a must buy–however those four or five tracks certainly are worth downloading.