Adventures in Getting Scammed by Interscope Records

It just so happens that I recently celebrated a birthday. It was good, thank you for asking. Anyway, I was given the soundtrack to Across the Universe, a movie which is much loved here at the Musically Inclined. Upon first glance all appeared to be well, I conquered the shrink wrap in record time, only to remark how odd it was that "Hold Me Tight" wasn't included. Okay, 1 song. I was still stoked but all of a sudden the euphoria settled and my wits returned. Also absent from the 16 track disc were "I Want You (She's so Heavy)," "Dear Prudence," "Girl," and "All You Need is Love," which is nothing short of ridiculous given it's the tag line of the movie.

At that point I figured something was rotten. Amazon.com confirmed by suspicions, not to mention a good dozen angry product comments on the site. Here's the deal. Interscope Records released said soundtrack in September of last year when the movie came out. You've got to know that anyone who wants the soundtrack has got to love the movie pretty well and there's a good chance there's a healthy dose of fanaticism thrown in the mix too. Less than a month later, Interscope released the Deluxe Edition-- 2 discs, 29 tracks, and for only $2 more. Unhappiness ensued. Opened cds can't be returned. Either you can spend another $14 for a cd that has 16 songs you already have, or you can suck it up and try to use Garageband to record off Youtube clips.

We got burned, folks. I don't mind that there's a 31 song edition available exclusively from Best Buy and iTunes...it's just 2 songs extra to download from iTunes,if you feel so compelled, but using a ploy like that crosses the line from sneaky marketing antics to dishonesty at the expense of people who found something in this rash of mind-numbing, Will Ferrell- infested, soul-killing movies that was worth owning. Interscope has earned itself a spot on The Musically Inclined S*#% List. Keep your eyes peeled, kids. This shan't happen to TMI again.

Across the Universe: A Beatles Musical...And it Actually Worked

I can't even really think of everything I want to say because I typically don't review movies-- there's so much to cover. Acting, singing, dancing, visual effects, story, and that's hardly the half of it. As far as the visuals themselves, I can only say that you'd have to watch the movie yourself because I couldn't possibly do them justice if I said they were mind-blowing.

I can say this though, the Beatles were probably the first band I was aware of, back when I was barely five and by ten I figured out they were my favorite band. When you listen to a band for that long, you easily take them for granted. It's nearly impossible to maintain the same level of interest or appreciation for why you thought they were so great in the first place. Watching Across the Universe reminded me. The arrangements are done so intelligently as not to merely copy the originals or totally reject them. They made these songs seem new again. "I Want You (She's so Heavy)" hasn't sounded this good in years and Abbey Road is just begging for another go on the stereo.

Then there are the songs I don't know so well, like "Helter Skelter" or "Happiness is a Warm Gun--" a couple of killer scenes, especially the former which was tragically and ironically juxtaposed with "Across the Universe" in the climax. There's still a lot to be heard.

Obviously, a significant reason for the appeal of not only the movie but the band itself, is the time period. 60's music had something ineffable-- don't get me wrong, I'd never want to be some kind of musical nihilist, convinced that music is dead and gone, stupid and weak. There's stuff out there that makes me want to take off running down the street because it's so good but there's a soul from that decade that we will not see again, except for maybe a fleeting artistic glimmer from a movie like this.

I'd defy anyone who would tell me that this could have been handled in a more apt fashion. Sure, the start was a tad rocky but the end result is a giant gorgeous painting that, in my opinion, is one of the few movies or soundtracks these days that would actually be worth owning.