"Norwegian Wood Official Soundtrack" by Jonny Greenwood

After waiting for a long time, today I finally got my hands on the “Norwegian Wood Official Soundtrack”. This is not just an ordinary soundtrack that throws together a bunch of random songs. It is a soundtrack of eleven original pieces composed by Jonny Greenwood the guitarist and noise maker of Radiohead and three songs by the seminal experimental Krautrock band Can.

Now, I am not going to act as if I know a whole lot about classical music. I can barely tell you the difference between the violin and the viola, so my opinions on the compositions are by ear with no real musical theory. The eleven classical pieces by Jonny Greenwood are expansive and meticulously crafted. They are a tad similar to the “There Will Be Blood Official Soundtrack”, which Greenwood composed a few years back. Only this time the compositions are not as tense and jolting.

The pieces are quite in nature, ambient and at times they gradually reach for some peaks but without an overbearing sentiment. Included in the score are a number of pieces played by a classical guitar and I find those to be very beautiful and delicate. The guitar pieces act as transitions between the more orchestral moments of the soundtrack. The finger picking style is played masterfully, layered carefully and manages to make the most out of every single note.

 The three songs from Can were lifted from the bands classic albums from the late sixties and early seventies. The three songs are quite spectacular; you can undoubtedly see where Radiohead and other musicians derived their influence. The first song “Mary, Mary, So Contrary” is early Can, and it has a raw sound, that echoes the aesthetic of the Velvet Underground. The song builds to a great crescendo and it is sung by their original vocalist Malcolm Mooney. The second Can song “Give Me Coffee and Tea” comes from their album Tago Mago and it has a more ambient jazz vibe, topped off by some brilliant drumming by Jaki Liebezeit. This could very well be one of their crowning achievements as a band, and that is saying a whole lot. The last song we get from Can is “Don’t Turn the Light on Me, Leave Me Alone” and that song came from a soundtrack that they did as a band in the seventies and it is on par with the other tracks.

The impressive quality about this soundtrack is in the way that it manages to seamlessly put the orchestral pieces along with the harder edged Can songs. Jonny Greenwood puts together a very moving soundtrack that also doesn’t sound sappy or cheesy, showcasing his impressive talent as a composer. I will be watching the film soon and it will be interesting how the music will juxtapose the moving images. 

Today there will be two Songs of the Day first one is "To Shut up Like a Good Boy" and the second is Can "Bring Me Coffee or Tea".