Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof [Explicit Lyrics, Soundtrack]

When I discovered that the soundtrack for Grindhouse was split in two, I was honestly very pleased. This meant a complete set of songs for both films (and each is certainly long enough to qualify as a feature film) and therefore another complete Tarantino score to add to my collection.

Tarantino has made a misstep or two in his career like most filmmakers, but his soundtracks have never, ever missed the mark. Death Proof is no exception. Regardless of how you feel about this one, the soundtrack is fantastic. As per usual, it is a collection of quasi-obscure 70's rock and R&B, interspersed with film dialogue you're likely to smile to, and some vintage Ennio Morricone.

In my opinion, this is in close competition with the Pulp Fiction soundtrack (which I feel is a benchmark for good scoring), and makes for excellent listening in the car, as it flows quite well, genre-jumping around a little less than the former.

The verdict... Buy it!

Any time a new Tarantino movie comes out, I'm amazed at how much I love the music. Even though the music is rarely in my preferred genre. I'm a hard rock lover, and Tarantino's tastes lie more in the field of pop/rock. Usually older, lesser-known pop/rock. He has an amazing talent for plucking these forgotten songs out of obscurity and using them to stunning effect in his films. Death Proof is no exception. As usual, it contains of wide variety of musical styles. The soundtrack features the likes of T. Rex's Jeepster, Jack Nitzsche's The Last Race, Ennio Morricone, and a wonderful pop song from forgotten '60s pop group, Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich called Hold Tight. The real gem on the soundtrack, in my opinion, is April March's Chick Habit, which appears over the end credits. As one reviewer previously stated, once you hear it this song will remain with you for a long time. But that's okay, it's a great song. Where does Tarantino find this music? He's a great filmmaker and a genius with soundtracks. Check out this music, it's the perfect companion piece to Tarantino's excellent film, Death Proof. The better of the two Grindhouse features in my opinion. One of the reasons that Death Proof is so good is this wonderful, distinctive soundtrack. Fantastic from beginning to end.

I must admit before purchasing the soundtrack, I tried to hunt down a way to download two or three songs from the C.D., but true to Quentin Tarrantino, you have to take the whole package. (Even though his tenacity hasn't prevented 'Kill Bill' from being divided into two volumes, and the double feature 'Grindhouse' project has been split in two with 'Death Proof' and 'Planet Terror' respectively. For me it's a good thing for the latter development that I didn't have to buy the score of 'Planet Terror,' too.)

Anyway, I digress. We're here to share the merits of the soundtrack, so lets get back on track and not dilly-dally around like in the movie! The two most coveted tracks cover the movie's two climaxes. So top honors go to the big and bouncy "Hold Tight," with its especially dizzying crescendo. (Can't you still picture those pretty girls smiling and nodding their heads to the music in my favorite scene before it all turned ugly?) Then, there's the infectious and delightfully irritating "Chick Habit" by April March. (Now who was the agent who thought of that name?)

Don't expect the rest of the C.D. to be as exhiliarating. Yet, T. Rex's "Jeepster" and Willie DeVille's rollickin' roadhouse blues number "It's So Easy" come remarkably close.

Most of the rest consists of good, slow, and obscure blues (including "Stagolee," The Coasters' "Down in Mexico," and Eddie Floyd's "Good Love, Bad Love") It's also nice to have a late sixties version of Burt Bacharach's "Baby It's You". As far as instrumentals go, "Riot in Thunder Alley" is decent, as is the opener "The Last Race," which adds tension to the proceedings. For variety, the ride slows down for a while on the truly beautiful piano instrumental "Sally and Jack". While not a personal favorite, many understandably revere Joe Tex's "The Love You Save (May Be Your Own)".

There's a little filler in between, and not all of it mixes well sequentially, but there's some essential stuff here, folks. As with many soundtracks, some tidbits of conversation are thrown in. This is meant to elicit fond memories of the movie. While I'm not as sentimental about the film as most people, the selection "Whatever-However" does demonstrate the most memorable dialogue for me. (Oddly, these are the only places that merit the "Parental Advisory" label.)

Pulling out rarities, Quentin Tarrantino has provided some living proof by resurrecting some fine music for a solid soundtrack.