Metroland (soundtrack)

Metroland is a 1999 original soundtrack album by Mark Knopfler with music from the film of the same name.^[1] The instrumental tracks, specifically composed and recorded for the film Knopfler, effectively help to create the mood and highlight the distinct personalities of the principal characters,^[2] with the soundtrack changing the atmosphere as the film flips back and forth between Paris in the early '60s and suburban London in 1977.^[3] Parisian flavour is augmented by the music of Françoise Hardy, Django Reinhardt and Quintette du Hot Club de France, with some late-70s classics from The Stranglers, Dire Straits, Hot Chocolate and Elvis Costello that are appropriate for that the period.

In the lyrics of "Metroland", the only song he wrote for the move, Knopfler says "I've danced in the rain and I've been Django", so it is entirely appropriate that music by Django Reinhardt should also be on the soundtrack. The song is illustrative of Knopfler's art: it begins with a rising four-note theme on flugelhorn which parallels the hymn Jerusalem, the quintessential anthem of Englishness, but with a vibraphone accompaniment recalling Anglo-French jazz of the '50s. The same theme has been used throughout the movie as the protagonist's signature. The song then moves from a conventional verse backed by acoustic guitars into an electric guitar and organ-driven rock song, sweeping the listener along in its accelerating rush. Knopfler skillfully manipulates the dynamics to take the listener along an emotional journey, mimicking the film's protagonist's journey from detached observer to painfully involved main character.

Digitally mastered using HDCD technology

Track listing

1. "Metroland theme" (instrumental) – Mark Knopfler
2. "Annick" – Mark Knopfler
3. "Tous les Garçon et les Filles" – Françoise Hardy
4. "Brats" – Mark Knopfler
5. "Blues Clair" – Django Reinhardt
6. "Down day" – Mark Knopfler
7. "A Walk in Paris" – Mark Knopfler
8. "She's gone" – Mark Knopfler
9. "Minor Swing" – Django Reinhardt and the Quintette du Hot Club de France
10. "Peaches" – The Stranglers
11. "Sultans of Swing" – Dire Straits
12. "So You Win Again" – Hot Chocolate
13. "Alison" – Elvis Costello
14. "Metroland" – Mark Knopfler^[1]

Credits

Musicians

• Mark Knopfler – guitars & vocals
• Richard Bennett – guitars
• Jim Cox – piano & hammond organ
• Guy Fletcher – keyboards
• Steve Sidwell – trumpet & flugelhorn
• Chris White – saxophones & flute
• Glenn Worf – bass
• Chad Cromwell – drums

Production

• Chuck Ainlay – Producer
• Don Cobb – Digital Editing
• Denny Purcell – Mastering
• Jonathan Russell – Mastering Assistant
• Rick Lecoat – Design
• Mark Leialoha – Photography^[1]

Reviews

• L.A. Times - Kevin Thomas complimented the “evocative score.” ^[4]
• New York Times - Janet Maslin noted that one of the film's “strongest assets” was “Mark Knopfler's fine, expressive score.”^[5]
• Boxoffice Magazine - Susan Green stated “This is a thoroughly satisfying little film with an exquisite Mark Knopfler score.”
• If Magazine - Etana Jacobson wrote that “Mark Knopfler's quirky Franco-Brit score adds without distracting.”^[6]
• Allmusic - Chuck Donkers said “Mark Knopfler's fine soundtrack to the film nicely evokes the picture's wistful, nostalgic atmosphere.”^[7]
• Amazon.com - Jerry McCulley thought that “the album's shaggy eclecticism has its charms nonetheless.” ^[8]
• KillerMovies - Scott Renshaw said “There’s some nice atmosphere to Metroland, particularly from Mark Knopfler’s silky score.”^[9]

References