PEAR HARBOUR - THE ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK

Track listing…

1. Massive Attack – Unfinished Sympathy
2. The Smiths – Cemetery Gates
3. Lightning Seeds – Lucky You
4. Oasis – Live Forever
5. Big Cabbage – Kate Ashfield
6. The Happy Mondays – Loose Fit
7.The Levellers - Beautiful Day
8. Echo and the Bunny Men - Nothing Lasts Forever

The wonderful film ‘Pear Harbour’, that graced our screens last summer, was one of the finest films about fruit ever seen. The brilliance of this movie is only matched by the sublime soundtrack which added much to the film, while still being a great compilation album in its own right.
The soundtrack kicks off with the classic Massive Attack tune ‘Unfinished Sympathy’ which really sets the tone for the rest of the film and paints a great picture of 1940s Hawaii. The film then begins to move at pace as the characters are introduced to a backdrop of The Smiths and The Lightning Seeds and these songs worked perfectly with Kevin Poole’s dramatic and detailed direction.
Probably the most emotional moment in cinema history was when Ben Twat’s character Rafe says goodbye to his love Evelyn and leaves for England. Poole made an inspired choice when picking ‘Live Forever’ by Oasis as the music to accompany this moving moment.
Big Cabbage then appear with their epic ‘Kate Ashfield’ which was played during the dramatic attack on Pear Harbour. However one of the most enjoyable moments of the film was the aircraft carrier scene put to ‘Loose Fit’ by The Happy Mondays and this song is probably the highlight of the compilation.
The album then winds down with ‘Beautiful Day’ by the Levellers which is more upbeat than some of the earlier songs and signals the fantastic moment when our heroes flatten the Japanese city. The touching moment at the end of the film where we see Rafe and Evelyn with their small child is made all the more beautiful by playing Echo and The Bunnymen. Possibly.
This is an album of sublime beauty and variation and it also includes those annoying bits of dialogue you get on Soundtrack albums.
*****