David Bowie was asked to supply songs for the soundtrack, as there are myriad references to David in the book and film (Kureishi is a huge fan and apparently went to the same High School as David had attended). He came up with an original score and soundtrack that was not only absolutely perfect for the film, but was a pheonix rising out of the ashes of his musical integrity. Bowie has said that he approached Buddha of Suburbia trying to recapture not exactly the sound of his work in the 70s (though it does hit the mark), but the way he wrote then, the kind of experimentation, even dadaism that informed his best work in the Glam era, and became the hallmark of most of his work in the 90s and beyond. This album, more than Tin Machine(which I quite liked, shut up!) and the fair success of Black Tie White Noise, was, IMO, the real mark of Bowie's Second Coming. In fact it's one of the best albums he's ever made. Too bad no one bought the damn thing. Make up for it now.

All in all one of the best triumverates around. I definitely suggest going in order book to film to album, though natch the soundtrack stands on it's own as well. And I *highly* recommend reading and seeing anything that has passed through Hanif Kureishi's talented hands (especially My Beautiful Laundrette, which features not one, but two of most erotic moments in the history of film, queer or otherwise). Few people have these mad skills across mediums. He is, as they say, the man.




Yeah. How you like me now?

On to the Recommended Allowance Archive...