Soundtrack from Twin Peaks (LP Review)

 

Angelo Badalmenti, soundtrack composer extraordinaire, died last month.  You've probably never heard of him, but you probably have heard his music: in addition to doing nearly all of David Lynch's films, as well as other art films (e.g., The City of Lost Children), he also did some mainstream films, like National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.  He also composed the opening theme of the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. Despite these and his many other accomplishments, he would be a favorite of mine if all he had ever done was collaborate with Julee Cruise and David Lynch in the Twin Peaks milieu. 

I've long ago reviewed Julee Cruise's "Floating into the Night" LP; it is impossible for me to overstate how important that LP is for me.  Not because of Twin Peaks -- I've never seen the TV series -- but because of the otherworldly soundscapes the three of them conjure, and the time and place where I first heard them.  

To mark Badalamenti's passing, I thought about reviewing Cruise's 1993 LP "The Voice of Love", but then it occurred to me that I should showcase where their oeuvre gained significant public attention: the Twin Peaks soundtrack, released in 1990.  Since eight of the 11 songs are instrumentals (the other three feature Julee Cruise), it seems more fitting to commemorate Badalamenti with a mostly instrumental soundtrack.  And to be fair: if this was the only LP that Badalamenti/Cruise/Lynch had created, it would be a standout.  But as much as I like it, this LP is forever in the shadow of Julee Cruise's "Floating into the Night", released in 1989.  They share a lot of material, both directly and derivatively (for example, "Twin Peaks Theme" is just an instrumental version of "Falling") and perhaps it's not fair to compare a proper LP to a soundtrack, but once you've heard "Floating into the Night" start to finish, you can't really go back.  The feel is slightly different, with the soundtrack focusing slightly more on a cool jazz feel than "Floating into the Night", but the distinction is slight.  

I think the Badalamenti/Cruise/Lynch collaboration came to an end in 1993, with pairs of them working together after that, but never the three of them again.  And while it tempting to be greedy and wish they had done more together, we should celebrate what they did accomplish. 

Standout songs: the ones with Julee Cruise, obviously: "Falling", "Into the Night", "The Nightingale"; (Full LP)

Skip 'em songs: none

Final Score: 9/10

(And yes, somehow I've failed to mark Julee Cruise's passing in June, 2022.  I'll rectify that soon).