Monday, September 10, 2007

VARIOUS – ENTOURAGE: MUSIC FROM AND INSPIRED BY THE HIT HBO ORIGINAL SERIES (ATLANTIC RECORDS)


VARIOUS – ENTOURAGE: MUSIC FROM AND INSPIRED BY THE HIT HBO ORIGINAL SERIES (ATLANTIC RECORDS)

Entourage is a much better and deeper TV series than at surface level it would suggest. For what appears to be a tale of four dickheads being guided by an elder dickhead the reality is that once you lift the lid you uncover a set of guys struggling and muddling their way through life (albeit a life of bling) using a friend and team dynamic akin to the aspects that made a person fall in love with the group of lads in Stand By Me. As a result the notion and complexities of relationships are surprisingly tangible and something that is easy to identify with. Basically it is just dressed funny and too flashy for some.

The TV show opens with “Superhero” by latter day Jane’s Addiction and perfectly suits the journey of four people living a privileged existence. That song however is not present on this disc/compilation.

As with most HBO series there appears to be a lot of thought and technique applied to the cut selections included in the shows that more often than not perfectly compliment the scene going down. Often each episode has enough tracks on it at various stages that themselves would make great compilation albums. It is perhaps fortuitous in a world of iTunes that an audience is now able to make such a selection decision. This does not however make the compilation of a one of soundtrack CD very easy for the marketing people.

Culled from what appears to be the first three seasons this is a fourteen song mish mash of fly hip hop tracks crossed with what is probably perceived as the cutting edge of alternative music somewhere down the line. As a result of this returns are mixed and the rap selections far outstrip the white boy rock for quality.

With Kanye West, Common, T.I., Obie Trice and Dead Prez on board putting in decent appearances the register is pretty impressive and even newbies such as Flo Rida and Saigon do not ruin the roost. In “Wanna Know” by Obie Trice and “Southside” by Common are two songs of the highest order.

Elsewhere another bonafide classic pops up in the form of “Staring At The Sun” by TV On The Radio which is a song so benefiting a morning ahead of victory, sounding like some of the freshest noises known to man. For the win.

Of the rest there are low points such as the appearance of Jamie T with “Salvador” who you sense is on board because the producers could not afford the Arctic Monkeys but wanted some Brit. Also the version of “Hip Hop” by Dead Prez here is a curious drum and bass/metal hybrid which I am genuinely confused by. Luckily the surprisingly ever reliable Gnarls Barkley appear with a bubble pop effort equal parts Devo and Outkast. Class action.

As proceedings close with the aforementioned TV On The Radio track it feels like have been through some kind of aural whirlwind compiled by a person that actually takes the show quite seriously. I hate to say it but I can name fourteen better songs that have appeared in the show off the top of my head (starting with “Runnin’” by The Pharcyde and “Fire” by Jimi Hendrix). Ari Gold wouldn’t have allowed this to happen.

I live my life as Turtle.

The credits say that Jason Alexander is the music supervisor. George from Seinfeld? Really?

Thesaurus moment: fly.

Entourage
Atlantic Records

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