THE HATEFUL EIGHT - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2015)

If Italian composer Ennio Morricone agrees to score the music for your film, you’ll be deliriously over the moon – at least that’s the euphoria we think Quentin Tarantino experienced when the 87 year old maestro said ‘yes’ to compose original music for his eighth movie.

Fans of Tarantino’s works would know that the director usually collects music from other sources to form his films’ soundtracks. One particular composer he is particularly fond of is Morricone. His music has been used in Kill Bill (2003-2004), Death Proof (2007), Inglorious Basterds (2009) and Django Unchained (2012).

It must be a fan boy’s dream come true when Morricone agreed to score Tarantino’s gleefully bloody Western film.

More reasons you need to own this soundtrack album – it is the composer’s first score for a Western film since 1981’s Buddy Goes West, and the first Hollywood work since 2002’s Ripley’s Game.

Not that the newsworthiness are the only rationales for you to get the CD. The music would please any soundtrack fan. The 72 minute album contains 50 minutes of Morricone’s score. Running at a glourious seven and a half minutes, “L’ultima diligenza di Red Rock (Versione Integrale)” kicks off the album with a ominous build up of moodiness and tension. This main theme is heard again later in “L’ultima diligenza di Red Rock" (The Last Stage to Red Rock) [#2]”, reminding you of the massive bloodshed that Tarantino is capable of is omni present.

Elsewhere, “Overture” makes good use of the xylophone, oboe and bassoon to get you in the mood for the dark tones of the album. The 12 minute “Neve” leaves you unsure whether this is a Western or horror score – but one thing for sure, it will stick in your head (more so if you have seen the movie). ‘La lettera di Lincoln (Strumentale)” is a melancholically patriotic cue that is particularly moving amidst the sinister gloominess.

If you own soundtrack albums from Tarantino’s other films, you won’t be surprised by the inclusion of dialogue tracks in this one. You’ll get to hear Kurt Russell, Samuel L Jackson and Tim Roth saying some of the movie’s best lines. There’s also Jennifer Jason Leigh’s cover of the Australian folk tune “Jim Jones at Botany Bay”, as well as other gems like The White Stripes’ “Apple Blossom” and Roy Orbison’s “There Won’t Be Many Coming Home”.

It’s been a long while since we felt such a strong urge to recommend a movie soundtrack, so yes – this is one album you need to own, so that you can pop it into the player whenever you want to experience the wonders of film music.  

ALBUM RATING:

Recommended Track: (1) L’ultima diligenza di Red Rock (Versione Integrale)

Review by John Li