Watchmen Soundtrack Review [4.5 out of 5]

So, I recently received the Watchmen Soundtrack as a gift from my Uncle, he knows that I love OST's and just gave it to me out of the blue. I listened to it and felt somewhat compelled to tell you all my idea's and thoughts on the Soundtrack, not the movie. Keep in mind that there are TWO soundtracks; The first is the Music from the Motion Film (the one I received, it has the music) and the Official Score for the Motion Film, which is the background instrumental music. The Score is done by the same person who did the music for the film 300, also by the same director. Anyways, Enjoy.


Watchmen, an epic graphic novel of a what if universe in which masked vigilantes are active and actually affect history. This glorious and highly praised novel was later adapted to a Motion Picture directed by Zack Snyder, who also directed 300. The film was accompanied by a very good score of music by Tyler Bates, but it was also complimented by a very great collection of music that has managed to withstand the battle of time. In my opinion, this soundtrack rivals that of a Quentin Tarantino soundtrack.

Starting off on a down note, this soundtrack is relatively small in comparison to other soundtracks an albums. Where a normal album now contains an average of 16 songs, this soundtrack holds on 12 songs. Some notably missing songs are 99 Luftballons by Nena, Take a Bow By Muse and The Beginning Is the End Is the Beginning by Smashing Pumpkins, the latter two of the three used for the first two trailers that were released.

Now, one of the best things of this album is how old most of the music is. A lot of them range from the 1930's, such as Unforgettable, up to the 1970's, like Along the Watchtower. This album feels like a collection of defining music and if the music is not from the period then it doesn't quite break the slower pace of the music with songs like Pruit Igoe & Prophecies. Another of the downsides to this album is the very first track is a cover of Bob Dylan's Desolation Row which is covered by My Chemical Romance. For Dylan affionadoes this might be off putting since the song is of a much faster pace and feels overall out of place in the soundtrack. To some of the younger listeners this might prove to be an upside; I personally could have done without the song.

Another great feature of this album is that the songs are updated to 5.1 sound for the film. If you listen to it on computer speakers or an older CD player, then you don't really hear it (I don't since I use my computer), but the audio quality is definitely great. I've used the song The Sound of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel to test this. I have the original "The Graduate" soundtrack, and Sounds of Silence [2001 re-issue] album, both of which feature the song. The sound is definitely crisper and better on the Watchmen soundtrack than it is on either of the two latter albums.

Although I would've loved to have the three named missing tracks in place of the My Chemical Romance cover, this is still a great album. I would highly reccomend it to anyone who's seen the film, or just enjoys a classic collection of music. If I were to rate this I would give it 4.5 stars out of 5. Definite props to the digital upgrade treatment, but thumbs down on the out of place MCR cover in the album and its relatively small track number.

Track Listing
Desolation Row - My Chemical Romance
Unforgettable - Nat King Cole
The Time's they are A-Changing - Bob Dylan
The Sound of Silence - Simon and Garfunkel
Me and Bobby McGee - Janis Joplin
I'm Your Boogie Man - K.C. and the Sunshine Gang
You're my Thrill - Billie Holiday
Pruit Igoe & Prophecies - The Philip Glass Ensemble
Hallelujah - Leonard Cohen
All Along the Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix
Ride of the Valkyries - Budapest Symphony Orchestra
Pirate Jenny - Nina Simone

In Case You Were Wondering...
The creepy organic music you hear in the trailers is the song Pruit Igoe & Prophecies by The Philip Glass Ensemble.
All Along the Watchtower is originally a Bob Dylan song covered by Jimi Hendrix, Dylan has publicly stated that he prefers Hendrix's version over his own.
Although not all played by him, this album features a total of 3 Bob Dylan songs.
This is only the second album to be allowed the use of the song The Sound of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel since the film "The Graduate".

Shiny New Toy

A shiny new toy on the shelves,
everyone wants it, but no one
can buy it. No commercials, no
ads it is simply there and no one
can buy it.

Three months ago I saw you,
browsing through the store;
After that I bought you and
held you, but now your on my
shelve after three weeks.

In three months I will find
another toy, and three weeks
after it will be shelved too.
I'll continue this process
with the utmost guilt.

I will hate myself for it,
but here's the thing.
I'll never stop it.

The Train

The whistle blows so low and quiet,
the morning fog covers the tracks;
no one knows where it goes
or when it returns or when
it goes to its secret destination.

I bought my ticket, it was free,
but not everyone can purchase
one, not the rich nor the poor.
Only the brave can buy it.

I boarded the train, I was
alone in the car. The conductor
was there, she talked to me and
took my pass for the train.

Watching the trees going by,
passing trains that I can no longer
board, I am bound to this train.
I do not know where it is going
and that scares. Bound to a train
with no destination.

It will not stop, I don't know if it
speeds up or slows down; only
that it goes forward. I want to get
off, I just can't talk to the conductor.

My Friend Stephen and Poetry

I have a friend name Stephen. He's a pretty cool guy, and lately he has been an awesome friend. A guy I talk to and joke around with sometimes, and a darn good improv duo as well. Well, he's a poet. Literally. He writes poetry and (I assume) receives compensation for such poetry. He was recently the featured poet on an online website that has great poetry on it. He also went to school as an English major and received his Bachelor's Degree. I think he majored in Creative Writing, correct me if I'm wrong.

Anyways, back on track.

Two weeks ago he was asking for people to review some of his poems before he submitted them in to magazines, websites and other poet submission places. I volunteered, thinking this would be a good way to sample his work without looking like a stalker googling his name, and I was quite pleased with what I read. He sent me four poems; "Art and Experience", "Chastity", "Grandpa Bradford" and "The Actor".

All great poems and mostly dark and somewhat depressing (I love dark and sarcastic writings). They all seemed rather odd to me as well. Now, I've always been told that I have a knack for the English language, That I'm a great (but rough) writer, and that I certainly have the imagination to write great literature. People always told me to major in English in college, but I never really felt like it was my thing. So, knowing the little tidbit, I didn't understand the structure of his poems. I always thought poetry was rhyming, story telling, and the typical Dr. Seuss kind of thing, that's what I grew up with thinking it was poetry (and still is to me). His poetry didn't rhyme, sometimes it did, but I'm not sure if it was on purpose or if it was my subconscious making it rhyme.

I think I understood the structure, 5 stanzas was all I really understood. If I'm correct, which I doubt, the point of those poems were more of a creative and dark sarcasm story, not really rhyming. This was a bit of a shocker and a little out of my poetic comfort zone of cats in hats and grinches.

I think I could understand it if I ask him to explain it, but one thing did happen (apart from obvious poetic structure confusion), I became poetic for last several days. I keep thinking in stanzas, looking for rhymes, thinking of metaphors and similes, and just thinking... poetically.

I will probably start putting up some more poems, I already have some stuff, but looking back, it looks and sounds cheesy. I like the creative stuff Stephen, but I don't want to emulate him completely. Just enough that I can add my own flavoring.

I want to quote one of his poems that I read to close this post; Here is a line or two from his poem "Art and Experience", enjoy.



“I didn’t know he had such a way with words.”
-- Stephen Bradford