Babel [Original Soundtrack]

• Artist: Gustavo Santaolalla
• Rating:
• Release Date: November 21, 2006
• Type: Soundtrack
• Genre: Soundtrack

Review

The soundtrack to Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu's film Babel -- which takes place on two continents and in three countries -- is a whopping double disc of cues with original score cuts by the venerable -- and prolific -- Gustavo Santaolalla, with other material including beautiful folk songs by Chavela Vargas, ambient cuts by David Sylvian and Ryuichi Sakamoto, original compositions by the great oud master Hamza el Din, urban/soul/funk by Earth, Wind & Fire, house music by Fatboy Slim, Japanese pop by Susumu Yokata, and Mexican popular music by Los Tucanes de Tijuana, El Chapo, Nortec Collective, and others -- a truly international mixed bag. This said, other than the tune by Hamza, it was left to Santaolalla to capture many of the other Moroccan moods and themes in his cues -- he did a tremendous job. But this is also where the problem lies. These two discs are such a sprawling mass with moods and textures that compete and clash, without the storyline to tie them together, that they don't always work as a stand-alone soundtrack. Some will have no trouble with great leaps in style over two discs, and for the engaged listener, Babel's soundtrack is a true delight. A case must be made, however, for a separate recording of Santaolalla's haunting and deeply moving score, accomplished with a minimum of instrumentation, immediate and intimate production, and plenty of space. This takes nothing away from the rest of the music here; it's just that the original score comprises 19 different cues in a total of 36 and deserves to be heard as a complete piece. If there's any doubt, try recording his own cuts to your iPod and hearing the result for yourself. For those who have seen the film, it is true that this set does not carry or reflect the gut-tightening tension inherent within it -- and yes, that's a very good thing. It does serve as a pleasurable listen over one disc at a time. Cautiously recommended. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide

Tracks

CD 1

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Tazarine	Gustavo Santaolalla	Gustavo Santaolalla	(1:46)
Tu Me Acostumbraste	Frank Domínguez	Chavela Vargas	(2:42)
September/The Joker [Shinichi Osawa Remix]	Maurice White, Ahmet Ertegun, Allee Willis, Eddie Curtis	Earth, Wind & Fire, Fatboy Slim	(6:29)
Deportation/Iguazu	Gustavo Santaolalla	Gustavo Santaolalla	(4:49)
World Citizen: I Won't Be Disappointed/Looped Piano	David Sylvian, Ryuichi Sakamoto	Keigo Oyamada, Sketch Show, David Sylvian, Amedeo Pace, Ryuichi Sakamoto	(5:48)
Cumbia Sobre el Rio		Blanquito Man, Celso Peña y Su Ronda Bogota, Control Machete	(4:42)
Hiding It	Gustavo Santaolalla	Gustavo Santaolalla	(2:07)
Masterpiece		Rip Slyme	(4:19)
Desert Bus Ride	Gustavo Santaolalla	Gustavo Santaolalla	(1:55)
Bibo No Aozora/Endless Flight/Babel	Gustavo Santaolalla, Ryuichi Sakamoto	Everton Nelson, Jaques Morelenbaum, Gustavo Santaolalla, Ryuichi Sakamoto	(11:25)
Tribal	Gustavo Santaolalla	Gustavo Santaolalla	(2:29)
Para Que Regreses	Gabriel Ramírez	El Chapo de Sinaloa	(3:17)
Babel		Nortec Collective	(3:20)
Amelia Desert Morning	Gustavo Santaolalla	Gustavo Santaolalla	(1:22)
Jugo a la Vida		Los Tucanes de Tijuana	(3:50)
Breathing Soul	Gustavo Santaolalla	Gustavo Santaolalla	(1:19)
The Blinding Sun	Gustavo Santaolalla	Gustavo Santaolalla	(1:57)

CD 2

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Only Love Can Conquer Hate	Ryuichi Sakamoto	Ryuichi Sakamoto	(9:43)
El Panchangon		Incomparables	(4:05)
Two Worlds, One Heart	Gustavo Santaolalla	Gustavo Santaolalla	(2:11)
The Phone Call	Gustavo Santaolalla	Gustavo Santaolalla	(:24)
Gekkoh	Susumu Yokota	Susumu Yokota	(4:52)
The Catch	Gustavo Santaolalla	Gustavo Santaolalla	(:54)
Mujer Hermosa		Incomparables	(3:36)
Into the Wild	Gustavo Santaolalla	Gustavo Santaolalla	(2:55)
Look Inside	Gustavo Santaolalla	Gustavo Santaolalla	(:47)
The Master	Gustavo Santaolalla	Gustavo Santaolalla	(6:13)
Oh My Juliet!		Takeshi Fujii	(4:35)
Prayer	Gustavo Santaolalla	Gustavo Santaolalla	(:54)
El Besito Cachicurris	Roberto Gallardo, Daniel Luna	Daniel Luna	(3:38)
Walking in Tokyo	Gustavo Santaolalla	Gustavo Santaolalla	(1:31)
The Visitors	Abdell Ghanni el Khalily, Hamza el Din	Hamza el Din	(4:58)
Morning Pray	Gustavo Santaolalla	Gustavo Santaolalla	(2:05)
Mi Adoracion	D.A.R.	Agua Calientes	(3:33)
The Skin of the Earth	Gustavo Santaolalla	Gustavo Santaolalla	(2:50)
Bibo No Aozora/04	Ryuichi Sakamoto	Yuichiro Gotoh, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Jaques Morelenbaum	(7:15)

Credits

Shinichi Osawa (Remixing), Tommy February (Producer), Fatboy Slim (Producer), Lynn Fainchtein (Associate Producer), Anibal Kerpel (Engineer), Alejandro González Iñárritu (Soundtrack Producer), Susumu Yokota (Producer), DJ Fumiya (Producer), John Baldi (Executive Producer), Alejandro González Iñárritu (Liner Notes), Malibu Convertable (Producer), Gustavo Santaolalla (Producer), Mickey Hart (Producer), Gustavo Santaolalla (Score), Mario Quintero Lara (Producer), Los Tucanes de Tijuana (Producer), Tommy Couture (Producer)