Various Artists - MiamiVice Soundtrack

Sat 2nd Sep, 2006 in Music Reviews

Let it be known from the outset that the recent big screen adaptation of Miami Vice is terrible.  And inevitably, the companion soundtrack has been released.  The tracklisting is interesting- where else are you going to get a nu-metal cover of Phil Collins, a few tracks from Mogwai and Moby, yet also see names like Goldfrapp, Patti LaBelle and Nina Simone?  Where else but the soundtrack to a Hollywood blockbuster?

Nonpoint’s cover of ‘In The Air Tonight’ provides an interesting, if fairly mindless diversion.  The faux-Tool instrumentation belies the simplicity of their interpretation – simply adding distorted guitars and a few drum fills in an attempt to make the song their own.  In reality, while it does sound good, it also sounds just like it was recorded as the closing credits music for a film like this.

The inclusion of two tracks from Scottish noise merchants Mogwai’s Mr Beast album is an interesting one.  ‘Auto Rock’ and ‘We’re No Here’ both appear here- the latter in particular works particularly well in the film, providing the soundtrack to a few breathtaking shots of the South American landscape.  Moby appears here with ‘Anthem’, from his rave days in the mid 1990s, as well as ‘One of These Mornings’, a new collaboration with Patti LaBelle of ‘Lady Marmalade’ fame.  This track is heavily reminiscent of the soul samples set to electronic beats that have characterised Moby’s work since 1999’s Play album, and should please fans of his more successful work, and the electronica genre is further represented by Goldfrapp’s ‘Strict Machine’.

Miami Vice is hardly a film that makes you want to rush out and grab the soundtrack to, unlike say, Ray or even Pulp Fiction.  The eclectic selection of tracks is admirable, but while a director like Tarantino makes the soundtrack into an essential part of the film, ultimately Miami Vice is a soundtrack that feels thrown together and not really aimed at any particular audience.  Admittedly it’s a criticism that could be levelled at nine in every ten such albums, and if someone does buy it and is turned onto artists like Mogwai or Moby, this can only be a good thing, right??