Amazon.com's Best of 2000
Wim Wenders's films are inextricably linked to their companion soundtracks, with music playing as essential a role as any star actor--just see
Wings of Desire,
Until the End of the World, and
Paris, Texas for proof. And now we have
The Million Dollar Hotel. On this outing Wenders turns to U2's Bono, who not only contributes two tracks from his band but also collaborates with a host of outstanding artists, including Bill Frisell, Brian Eno, and Daniel Lanois. Even without the film, the songs resonate with a haunting glory.
--Tod Nelson
From Amazon.co.uk
The soundtrack to a Wim Wenders joint is often as creative and satisfying as the movie itself (see
Until the End of the World and
Wings of Desire), serving not only as a companion to the film but as a standalone work of art.
The Million Dollar Hotel is no exception, indeed it ups the ante. The film is based on a story conceived and written in part by U2's Bono, and his influence is all over the score. U2 contribute three stunning songs, most notably a collaboration with Daniel Lanois: "The Ground Beneath Her Feet", a soaring pop ballad with lyrics penned by writer Salman Rushdie that stands among the best U2 cuts ever recorded. In addition, Bono joins the all-star "Million Dollar Band" (comprising Mr Fly himself, Daniel Lanois, Bill Frisell, Brian Eno and others) for a host of great tracks, including the ethereal groove of "Never Let Me Go". And if that isn't enough,
The Million Dollar Hotel also features a duet between Brad Mehldau and Frisell ("Tom Tom's Room"), a surprisingly smoky cover of Lou Reed's "Satellite of Love" by model-actress-chanteuse Milla Jovovich and a raved-up, Americanised, Spanish-language version of the Sex Pistol's "Anarchy in the UK" ("Anarchy in the USA") sung by Tito Larriva with the Million Dollar Band. Despite such a wide-ranging host of contributors, Bono's sure hand keeps the album within the same emotional spectrum, coloured by a kind of melancholic longing and a wistful wonder, resulting in one of the best and most original soundtracks ever recorded. --
Tod Nelson
