Soundtracks for TV
Got a copy of the soundtrack to the TV series House and I got to thinking of how other TV shows in the past affected the hit charts. I remember the opening lines of Johnny Yuma was a rebel, Henry Mancini’s theme from Peter Gun, Al Caiola playing Bonanza, the Ventures surfing with Hawaii 50 and even the unknown Vonda Shepard zooming to stardom because of her weekly closing songs on Ally McBeal.
So I next wondered how the current shows are doing as far as music is concerned. First off I checked out my favorites but I could not find any soundtrack CD to all three of the C.S.I. shows. That means C.S.I., C.S.I.: Miami and C.S.I.: New York. All three make clever use of music to set the tone of the series and even have hit-oriented theme songs but there are no soundtrack albums available. I did better with other award-winners Lost and Entourage.
House. The exasperating House is not your typical hospital doctor and the show is not like most TV dramas. The soundtrack is no different. It is every bit as quirky, as smart, and as hip as the series and its star Hugh Laurie. The award-winning actor is, in truth so closely intertwined with his character that it is a song performed by his real-life rock band, Band from TV that encapsulates the tone of the show for the CD. It sounds like an admonition for House, You Can’t Always Get What You Want and it is the closing track.
Now while there are several familiar names in the line-up, House is actually no hit-bound collection. It is too intelligent with songs that you feel should make the charts but are instead content to just bubble quietly under the magic circle. No matter. These are also the songs you can listen to over and over and make your own.
Teardrop, the House theme by Massive Attack, is the opener. Others included are Beautiful by Elvis Costello; Dear God by Sarah McLachlan; Feelin’ Alright by Joe Cocker; Waiting on an Angel by Ben Harper; Got to be More Careful by Joe Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen; God Please Let Me Go Back by Josh Rouse; and Are You Alright? by Lucinda Williams.
Lost. Although the show also uses popular songs as incidental music, the Lost soundtrack from the first season is nothing like House. It is instead made up of full-length versions of themes composed by Michael Giacchino and performed by the Hollywood Studio Symphony Orchestra. This decision was probably reached because of the nearly epic feel of the series. There is just no way you can rely on a regular song to set the atmosphere when you have survivors from a downed jetliner trying to cope with their demons, others’ demons and life on a deserted island.
No need for listeners to worry though because Giacchino is good at what he does. His melodies and most importantly his arrangements can take you across an entire season of Lost anytime you want. Like those characters, you too can experience puzzlement, joy, or fear, (hear that heartbeat) that can send you running for your life. Opening cut is of course the now very popular Main Title composed by the series’ creator J.J. Abrams.
Entourage. In contrast to House and Lost, the credits in the soundtrack album from Entourage reads like a who’s who of Billboard’s Hot 100 list. And these tunes are actually what the series calls for. Entourage is about Vincent Chase, played by Adrian Grenier, a young man who started out as a D-lister actor in the show but is now a hot movie star in Hollywood. Entourage refers to just that, Vincent’s entourage, his retinue, friends, hangers-on, assistants, etc., all those people who must be around to make life easy or bearable for the famous.
