Brazil (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture)

Album Review

The soundtrack to Brazil would probably be better known if more Kate Bush fans heard her rendition of the "title song," such as it is, as the second track of the album. The song, drawn from the 1943 movie The Gang's All Here, is only a tiny part of the sound collage that makes up most of the CD, a mix of spoken word quotes from the movie interspersed with instrumental music, some in period style and some bold, expressive orchestral pieces, all written by Michael Kamen. From a purely musical standpoint, it's neither fish nor fowl and, given the availability of the complete film (and its many variant cuts) on DVD, it was inevitable that the soundtrack would be little more than a footnote for most fans. Still, the variations on the title tune, the presence of Kate Bush on vocals, and some of the better orchestral passages make it worth a close listen or two (or three). The sound is excellent, and there's even some decent annotation, which is unusual for a contemporary soundtrack. [Milan's remastered 2006 silver screen edition includes a bonus interview with director Terry Gilliam.]