DAVID BOWIE & TREVOR JONES: LABYRINTH (OST)

Writing a review on this marvellous soundtrack is a special occasion to me for two reasons. First of all, because from David Bowie's ouevre it is undeservedly underrated however, containing some of his best music ever written. Secondly, because of the film, naturally, which is still one of my favourites. I saw it when I was ten and its world, fantasia and fabulous imaginery immediately enchanted me. Its story, dialogues (I know almost all by heart), actors, special effects (Jim Henson's Muppet Show pupation is still much more lively and full of imagination than today's animation crazyness, by the way), and of course, its music, which is as astonishing as the film itself, and unusual as divided by making a collaboration between David Bowie and Trevor Jones. We know Trevor Jones's music from several movies such as Last of the Mohicans, Excalibur, In the Name of the Father, Angel Heart and so on, whose music bears a fingerprint by him, giving essential evidence of his unique musical world. David Bowie still having his admirable, fancifully fantastic musical style gave the birth to his songs contributing to the film, which itself had been initiated by Jim Henson and him. As we know, the soundtrack album is divided into two sections, one by David Bowie the other by Trevor Jones, with songs following each other by turns and following the plot of the film. Many think that this album could be better without the Jones-compositions, which I personally don't agree on. These soundscapes are needed to give us the full comprehension of the depth of the story, which I think is far from what we call childish or tale-like. The whole film is about the abyss of imagination, although it is told in a fantasy-sworded and fun-oriented way. In my opinion the Jones-works here hold the balance perfectly with the Bowie songs bewteen seriousness and capriciousness in the eternal dance of an ingenious and imaginative mind. To my mind the music (at least the Bowie songs) on the album and the music in the film are not the same, sounding different mixes, but it's okay. The first song dissolves Jones's Opening titles with Bowie's Underground, which song can be heard at the end of the disc as closing titles in a different tone interpretation in view of the story's ending. The most weak-in-the-head song so to say on the album is undoubtedly Chilly Down, which I think is adorable, no matter what they say about it. Of course, Magic dance is another silly one of the factory, but that is its charm. The two other Bowie songs the album is mainly so priceless about , As The World Falls Down and Within You, have always been my favourite David Bowie songs alongside with Putting out fire from Cat People soundtrack (and more recently Inglorious Bastards soundtrack) and from the album Let's Dance as well. The ball scene with the As The World is so imaginary-sounding and looking as the music itself accompanying it, it is a total take off, to see and bear in mind what the human imagination can create and what it has to be afraid of. Within You is its second part, almost unseparable to it to understand the whole view to be created. Imagination in personalization and its recognition is admittedly inevitable when reality comes and wakes up the dreamer making the sacrifice meant to be made, to save the soul and create a higher imaginative level up and up to the sky to lose itself and find itself at the same time, where imagination and reality still is intact and always changing because they are the same. And this is where the Underground Reprise is about to land. Although I much like the album itself, the music mixed for the film or we can say together With(in!) the film is a bit better, this is why the soundtrack album deserves only 3.5 stars. I can recommend it to everyone liking to dream and to come back from there sane.