With artists ranging from The Prodigy, to Mot o rhead, to many I had never heard of, the Smokin Aces soundtrack literally offers something from practically every music genre.
One of my favorite tracks, The Prodigy rsquo;s First Warning, is the kind of techno beats that could just as easily be heard in a Spin class as at a local club. Another stand-alone tune is Big White Cloud by John Cale, an angsty, country-sounding song that kept my interest throughout.
I was at a total loss when it came to Mot o rhead rsquo;s Ace of Spades, as I m not a metal head mdash; in short, the tune almost made my eardrums bleed. But it was used in the trailer for the film and is sure to make metal fans happy.
Down on the Street by The Stooges brought more hard, edgy noise to the album, but it was tempered with a bit of punk, which allowed me to appreciate it (a bit).
On the rap side, Play Your Cards Right by Common featuring Bilal, harkens back to old-school rap, and I Gotcha Back by GZA/Genius has a more updated rap sound (but of the two, I always like it old school).
The album was heavy on the soul, with Trespassing by the Skull Snaps bringing a little bit of R B, Touch Me Again by Bernard Pretty Purdie offering smooth sounds, and Joe Bataan s Under the Street Lamp representing pure old school R B. Needless to say, I liked the latter the best.
Giving a nod to the 70s was Nilton Castro rsquo;s Segura O Sambura, a psychedelic trip of a tune, and Save Yourself by The Make Up. Not to be left out, I Love You by The Bees grooves like a slow, 60s love songs.
Ennio Morricone rsquo;s Morte Di Un Soldato (The Good, The Bad and The Ugly), is another old-sounding song, maybe from a 50s era, which makes sense considering he rsquo;s been around forever and contributed to numerous films over the years.
Then there s Trivium rsquo;s Like Light to the Flies, which rocks out alternative style.
Clint Mansell, who rsquo;s written tons of scores for films, closes out the album with the final two tracks. The first, FBI, and the second, Shell Shock, are both instrumental.
While FBI proves sinister sounding, Shell Shock is more uplifting and emotionally moving.
Of all the music presented, ironically, I liked Mansell s scores the most. Go figure.
And yes, the Smokin Aces soundtrack is a hodge-podge of artists and music, but that s the beauty of soundtracks in the first place.
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