Lost Highway

Trent Reznor organizing the soundtrack to a Lynch film makes shockingly perfect sense to me, and upon seeing the track listing for the album, I was further enthused - 23 tracks, obviously set off in the right direction with rare and unusual songs by the greats Reznor, Lou Reed, David Bowie and Smashing Pumpkins (perhaps Manson, but that's another debate) and a plethora of intriguingly-titled songs by artists I didn't know.

Upon listening, the album is a brilliant and captivating experience, even if you're playing it while about other activities. Bowie's deep and sombre I'm Deranged, aptly followed by the artsy Reznor snipet, Videodrones Questions and The Perfect Drug, set a strange mood of a kind of insecure, inadequate hope or clinging positive energy in a distinctly dark and unknown zone.

From here on, the album spaces a selection of industrial tracks between carefully selected and varied jazz songs without ever losing continuity. The mood isn't static or generic as to produce the same feeling all the way through (as in The Matrix soundtrack) - instead it drifts across fear, unease, and occasionally a kind of hysteric, hypermanic joy, as if desensitized or driven mad by the enclosing depth of the rest of the album.

For those who aren't too great fans of NIN, Smashing Pumpkins or Manson, their respective tracks on the album distance themselves from any kind of stereotype or general style attributed to the creators. Rammstein may still not be a particularly good addition in my mind, but it would seem that the other more recent contributors all put in decidedly different and appropriate material.


A key soundtrack album to oblique Lynch classic.   April 12, 2002
Jason Parkes (Worcester, UK)
12 out of 31 found this review helpful

'Lost Highway' (the film) is rather perplexing & came in for a lot of criticism that I think is partly warranted. One thing everyone seemed to agree on- the soundtrack set to the images was brilliant. And Trent Reznor had assembled the brilliant 'Natural Born Killers' soundtrack- making this a 'must-have'.

As with the film it begins (and ends) with Bowie's 'I'm Deranged' from his mostly good album '1.Outside' ('The Heart's Filthy Lesson' would feature in 'Se7en'). Imagine a blend of 'Sons of the Silent Age' and Tricky's 'Pre-Millennium Tension'...Reznor's brief Beckett-inspired series of breath's 'Videodrones,Questions' segues into NIN's excellent 'The Perfect Drug'. I kinda went off them with the concept album- pity Reznor didn't make another mini-album a la 'Broken' around this time- fusing his drum'n'bass influences. He was very much into Goldie & Wagon Christ at the time & this song fuses the style of 'Last' with the experimentation of Digital Hardcore. Next we have Lynch's original scorer, Angelo Badalamenti providing the jazzy-'Red Bats with Teeth' (think Ornette Coleman's 'Naked Lunch' score) & the palatial 'Haunting & Heartbreaking' (between Julee Cruise's 'The Swan' & the theme to 'Mulholland Drive')...Smashing Pumpkins go all depeche mode to varying degrees of success, prior to Badalamenti's 'Dub Driving' (any Badalamenti soundtrack is worth getting). Lynch was also enthralled with Barry Adamson's eclectic 'Oedipus Scmoedipus' & got him to contribute his Ray Bradbury-inspired 'Something Wicked this Way Comes' & to contribute some new tracks: the two 'Mr Eddy's Themes' & 'Hollywood Sunset'. These are as good as any tracks on his 'Delusion' soundtrack- though the music is as good as the film,not screamingly better as with 'Delusion's case...Lou Reed's 'This Magic Moment' is OK- fitting in with the sound of the 'Set the Twilight Reeling' album. Badalemnti contributes 'Fred & Renee Make Love', a sinister piece leading to Marilyn Manson's not bad 'Apple of Sodom' (very nice production- almost a song-which makes a change) & Jobim's 'Insensatez'. We get another Manson track- a cover of 'I Put a Spell on You'. Manson is OK in small doses- but very untalented as an interpreter (see 'Sweet Dreams' & 'Tainted Love')...Badalamenti erases the horrors of the pseudo-Satanist with 'Fats Revisited' & 'Fred's World'...Rammstein offer their eponymous classic- very influenced by Einsturzende Neubauten's 'Was Ist Ist' (as is the later 'Heirate Mich'). Again,find in small doses- but a bit industrial Spinal Tap!...Finally we get Badalamenti's 'Police' leading to Reznor's excellent instrumental 'Driver Down' (he ought to dispense with the sub-Foetus vocals more frequently). Finally we have a reprise of 'I'm Deranged' & one of the most interesting soundtracks of recent years is over.


Eclectic soundtrack to a spooky film.   February 21, 2008
Mr. P. B. Koeb (Geneva, Switzerland)
Fabulously eclectic soundtrack, to a really great movie, which more than holds its own as an individual piece of work. This one is worth having if only for the reminder of "I'm Deranged", as it plays against that brilliant opening sequence of "Lost Highway". However, this is a soundtrack which is very, very much more than just that one track. The sort of thing to listen to when you're out on the road, late at night. Except it might just end up by scaring you to death, by thinking that you're stuck in a David Lynch film!


Perfect   March 25, 2008
no_one Important (Coventry, UK)
I originally bought the album because of NIN's "The Perfect Drug" too. But I have to say, the entire album blew me away.
First, 2 of my favourite bands are on their, Rammstein and NIN, and after finding out that the album was put together by Trent Reznor was the icing on the cake.

I won't go into too much detail about the tracks because they are all just brilliant, but I have to say that the ones that stood out to me are Rammstein's. Heirate Mich and Rammstein, 2 gruesome but gorgeous songs that make perfect sense on this album. Rammstein are so dramatic both lyrically and visually, and they really make this soundtrack more brilliant.

But also the way that it has been made - the selection of songs is just genius, each one is different, so you are ultimately kept on your toes and your heart is kept racing throughout listening, Trent Reznor has this eye for choosing the best, he is just one of music's greatest musicians.

Myself, not being into soundtracks, I have to say I have been converted and I would definitely recommend this soundtrack to anyone, both lovers of the film and lovers of music. However, with Marilyn Manson, Rammstein and NIN all on one album, it certainly leans to a more industrial fan if you are just after the music, perfect for me then!
But, it is definitely worth while if you love the film, if you are just trying to get hold of the Perfect Drug, if you want to get some of MM's covers, or if you love Rammstein. This soundtrack is just perfect.


Very different!   August 25, 2007
Ms. L. A. Holt (North, UK)
I originally bought this for Nine Inch Nail's "Perfect Drug", and i didnt really listen to the other tracks. A few years later i dug it out and played it late at night and was completely blown away, my taste in music has changed a lot over the years and this is now one of my favourite albums.
I always like to play it in my car when im driving at night, i swear it makes you feel like you are in your very own David Lynch film.