26. Twilight: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack by Various Artists

Twilight: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack by Various Artists

Summit Ent/Chop Shop/Atlantic Records
Produced by Alexandra Patsavas and Paul Katz

Released: November 4, 2008

Number of Tracks: 12

Summary

Twilight: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is comprised of twelve tracks from various artists, including Muse, Paramore, Linkin Park, and Robert Pattinson.  The soundtrack features two songs by alternative rock group, Paramore, including the first single from the album, “Decode.”  The song is included in the credits of the film and Paramore’s lead singer, Hayley Williams, wrote the song specifically for inclusion on the soundtrack.  “Decode” tells of the tension and confusion in Bella and Edward’s relationship, but it is not overt and can represent the tension and confusion that many relationships go through.  The lead track on the album is “Supermassive Black Hole” by British rock band, Muse.  As the music for the “vampire baseball” sequence in Twilight, it is one of the most recognizable songs for fans and has an R&B feel to it blended with alternative guitar rhythms.  The soundtrack also has the debut from Robert Pattinson, “Never Think,” which is an acoustic guitar-driven song about a toxic relationship between a girl who is completely in love and a guy that believes she will be better off without him.  Thanks to the high quality of songs on the album, it was nominated for a Grammy in 2010 and has become extremely popular.

Critical Evaluation

The soundtrack has a tone that perfectly matches that of the movie, including a few slow, romantic songs and some up-tempo alternative rock songs, as well.  Each of the songs appear somewhere during the film or in the end credits, giving fans of the film reason to buy the album and go back to favorite scenes by simply listening to the songs.  The combination of commercially successful bands such as Paramore and Linkin Park with other lesser-known bands (at least to me) was perfect.  My interest in hearing new songs by Paramore and Linkin Park brought me to the album and the introduction to new bands was an added benefit.  As a fan of the novels and films, I am one of those people that listen to the songs and remember back to the emotions of the scenes they played in.  One of my favorite songs is “Flightless Bird, American Mouth” by Iron & Wine, an artist I did not know of until listening to this album.  The dreamy folk rock song is played during the prom scene of the film and it just has a simple, beautiful melody.  Overall, the use of alternative and pop rock throughout the soundtrack reflects what many teens are listening to and the combination of edgy and romantic songs mirror the tone of the film.  While many of the album sales can be attributed to the success of the film, I believe that the album has a number of quality songs to make it stand on its own.

Reader's Annotation

The soundtrack for the vampire-romance film, Twilight, gives listeners a collection up-tempo, rocking songs, while also instilling a good amount of soft songs to sway to in the mix.

Information About the Producer

Alexandra Patsavas was born in Chicago, Illinois. Although under the influence of parents with a musical taste ranging from rock to opera, Patsavas wanted to study politics until her high school years when she developed an interest in music, attending rock concerts and buying LPs.  She enrolled in the University of Illinois but dropped out during her junior year.

She has worked in the music department of over sixty different films and television series. From there she joined the BMI music agency, then worked on over fifty Roger Corman B-movies, made-for-television movies and other films, until in 1999 she finally broke into television, with her own music company Chop Shop Music Supervision, on the series Roswell and began to work primarily on TV series, including Fastlane, Boston Public, Tru Calling, 1-800-Missing and Criminal Minds. In 2007 alone, she covered dozens of episodes of the series Without a Trace, Shark, Rescue Me and Mad Men, although her most notable work has been on the series The O.C., Grey's Anatomy and its spin-off Private Practice, Supernatural, Chuck and Gossip Girl.  (information retrieved from Patsavas’ Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandra_Patsavas)

Genre

Soundtrack/Pop Rock/Alternative Rock

Curriculum Ties

N/A

Booktalking Ideas

1. Focus on the connection fans make between the music and film.

2. Discuss the use of alternative and pop rock on the soundtrack.

3. Talk about the importance of music to a film’s tone.

Reading Level/Interest Age

13+

Challenge Issues

I do not anticipate any challenges for this album.

However, should challenges arise, librarians should become familiar with the material and its content.  Turn to reviews on Amazon.com, as well as reviews from teens that have listened to the CD.  Also, it is beneficial for librarians to present reasons backed by the ALA in support of intellectual freedom.  As stated in the Library Bill of Rights:

I. Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.

II. Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

III. Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.

Why Include CD in Selection? 

The soundtrack includes a number of bands popular with teens, including Paramore and Linkin Park, and it brought other bands such as Muse more into the mainstream.