lambchops's Full Review: Original Soundtracks 1 by Passengers
Once upon a time there was a humble band from Ireland. They made music—actually they made VERY good music. But one day, this band decided that it was time to try some new things. So they laid down two albums worth of songs that were atypical to the band that fans had grown to know and love. Some people liked the new product, but some hated it.
It’s a good thing that this little band from Ireland didn’t try to release the album I’m about to review under their own name. It is without question the most embarrassing piece of work in their largely otherwise illustrious 25-year career.
If you hadn’t guessed, the famous unnamed Irish band is U2. But did you know that the band released an album under a different name? If not, you do now. And before you go clicking over to your favorite online music retailer I must warn you…Original Soundtracks 1 from The Passengers (1995) is one of the most horrid travesties ever. Okay. Maybe not, but in comparison to the great U2 album like Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby, and even my favorite Rattle and Hum it pales miserably. The music is mushy and not in the least bit cohesive. Bono (vocals), The Edge (guitar), Adam Clayton (bass), and Larry Mullen (drums) don a number of hats but it is actually Brian Eno that in this case is clearly at the helm.
Even worse is the fact that the band seems to have taken the last semblance of “real” music on Zooropa and Pop and replaced it with synthesized “instruments.” I use the word “instruments” in the loosest of ways since Original Soundtracks 1 is nothing short of nauseating. There’s only so much of it I can take, but for the sake of this review have tried to be open-minded…and to a small extent I’ve succeeded.
First things first. Don’t go into Original Soundtracks 1 thinking it is old fashioned U2 fare. As a seasoned fan of the band, I’ve come to know that they have some different sides. So I went in hoping for the best regardless of what kind of music it turned out to be. I also was well aware that the product was indeed electronic. Therefore if you can’t stomach electronic music, please do yourself a major favor and steer clear of their Passengers incarnation.
Something about the disc on the whole rubs me the wrong way. There are a few moments that are decent, but from the opening droning, mechanized notes of United Colors through the final of These from Let’s Go Native the pseudo-concept album fails resoundingly miserably. By and large Original Soundtracks 1 is instrumental. This too may be part of my qualm. U2 is a group effort, and considering Bono’s less central contributions it lacks the verve of the band’s best albums. Heck, it doesn’t even deserve a place on the same shelf as Zooropa (for example).
The first time ears will hear Bono’s crooning is on Slug. Not that the song is good, but it is certainly superior to the painfully abrasive and painstakingly over-produced United Colors. Then again, I’m pretty certain that anything sung by Bono (including a four minute burp) would be better than that monstrosity. The album does however make a definite improvement on Your Blue Room. The melody is pure U2 and the song could have easily appeared on Zooropa. It’s a sweetly delicate ballad that also proves to be slightly off-kilter—and Bono is there singing on multiple levels so I’m happy.
Original Soundtracks 1 is a strange bird. There are a few great songs surrounded by a whole lot of crap. It’s by no means a necessary purchase, but if you do own it you know there to be a smattering of brilliant songs. But most of them are buried by travesties like Always Forever Now--an incredibly weak, tinny, purposeless electronic dance/trance track. This lack of purpose is spread across the album. Different Kind of Blue and Beach Sequence are no better.
But Miss Sarajevo (featuring tenor Luciano Pavarotti) is another outstanding beauty. Bono and the boys play straight from the heart and largely drop the fabricated instruments for real ones. The rich, warm textures of the song far surpasses most everything else on this obnoxiously awful album. In fact, it seems a strange contrast to the otherwise inorganic offerings.
Following the lovely Miss Sarajevo the album makes a marked turn for the worse…if indeed things could get any worse. Ito Okashi grinds at me. It’s supposed to be theatrical (as is the whole album) but in the end just comes off as too contrived and plainly dumb. Thing continue down this downward path to irrelevance at a striking rate. One Minute Warning isn’t in the least bit motivating and actually doesn’t capture my attention in the least. The whirrs and grinds are old hat—heck, they sound like the adult contemporary version of nine inch nails.
Corpse drones on without motivation or an iota of purpose. Skip it. Elvis Ate America also does nothing for me. It is basically a purposeless, unusual song that speaks to Elvis. Yes…THAT Elvis. I’m not at impressed by U2’s—err, The Passenger’s—attempt at humor. It really is too little much too late. The trio of songs that end Original Soundtracks 1 are equally nauseating. Plot 180 is boring as hell with a droning, bland electronic melody. Theme from a Swan takes an eon to get movie and when it finally does I’m left under whelmed. Speaking of being not at all impressed, Theme from Let’s Go Native doesn’t do anything for me either.
I am at least grateful for the two halfway decent songs here (Your Blue Room and Miss Sarajevo). I’m also exceedingly happy that U2 was smart enough to release this album sans their names. I’m a fan of electronic music, but this just sounds like the band was in limbo and trying their hand at anything and everything in an attempt to figure out their niche. Original Soundtracks 1 is not worth checking out except for the biggest of U2 fans. Otherwise, skip it.
Rating: 1.5/5 stars
01. United Colors
02. Slug
03. Your Blue Room
04. Always Forever Now
05. Different Kind of Blue
06. Beach Sequence
07. Miss Sarajevo
08. Ito Okashi
09. One Minute Warning
10. Corpse
11. Elvis Ate America
12. Plot 180
13. Theme from the Swan
14. Theme from Let’s Go Native
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