2010's 10 Best Movie Soundtracks

2010's 10 best movie soundtracks - PopWrap

There are many movies out today I have not seen. I'm known for going to see all of those wonderful blockbusters. I think it was the high I got, you know the excitement of endorphins that hits you when you're the first in line to see an epic. I was that type of person. Nowadays, I find myself not able to make it to theaters. Many movies are either rated R, violent and/or are horror. I now have a 12 year old. What she is not able to watch I do not watch. Life-changing. However, there have been a few movies with soundtracks that have helped me not miss that rush I got when I'd run off to see the latest movie.

Dance With Wolves
One of the soundtracks is by John Barry, he did Dances With Wolves. The entire soundtrack is a symphony that fits the movie to a T. The buffalo scene alone had that vast field of buffalo roaming and grazing. He used the french horn in his scores. The french horn is majestic and so perfect for that scene. The french horn has a more bold baritone sound not deep burping as the tuba and not nasally as a cornet. I thought that arrangement was appropriate.

The Transporter
Another soundtrack I thought was really cool was the one for Transporter. And this one was more hip hop, featuring Missy Elliot, Benzino, Nate Dog and Tweet. This was one soundtrack that I thought was pretty hip, and it fit the movie, although the movie was super graphic and had extreme violence. The soundtrack was really cool.

The Abyss
The Abyss was another good soundtrack. I don't remember allot of the soundtrack, except for that one scene: the approaching of a hurricane and when those navy guys marched through the submerged satellite a mile deep in the sea. The snare drums rhythmically beat as if a band marched along, signifying an entrance for a captain of the ship or the knight at a precipice to war.

Tron
And then the ultimate right now that I consider a great soundtrack is the one for the movie Tron soundtrack. This soundtrack, although a little similar to Dances With Wolves, this soundtrack is so close to that of Mahler No. 5. Score Daft Punk. And if you are familiar with Mahler, you know that it's really dramatic, it's really moving and adventurous sounding.

So these are just a few soundtracks I like. Click the above link to see the top 10 soundtracks of 2010. (a Popwrap website poll)

Enjoy.

A Different World For A Familiar Actress

Remember Freddie from A Different World? She is a singer. Who knew? And, not a bad one at that. This is one of favorite songs by her. I think Lenny Kravitz played some type of role in it, after they broke up. They remained friends and did a few songs on her sophomore album, 'Street Faerie'. I thought she would have turned out to be one of those artists that painted or starred in a movie on Lifetime. Not a bad song. Looking forward to new song by this actress and very talented songwriter.

The Invisible King of Pop and R & B

If I told you that there is one man that almost single-handedly raised R & B and Pop music to the status that we know it, your answer would probably be Michael Jackson. If I told you that this same man has worked with just about every famous singer in the business, your answer might be Quincy Jones. But if I told that this man was once in a band and had decided to leave this band to go write music for artists, your answer might be Jimmy Jam James & Terry Lewis. But I'm only talking about one man.

For years, Heatwave had this quiet gentleman, whom at first glance would not conjure up any threat to others music composers and writers of becoming the top sort-after songwriter of all time. This songwriter even gave the group Heatwave first dibs on a song that made Michael Jackson famous down to this day, "Rock Wit You".

Rod Temperton was a member of the group Heatwave and is this man that still to this day is favored to write music by artists. It's interesting how looks can be deceiving but how hard work is the key to being an invisible king. I look forward to hearing more songs by this master of music.

Below are just a partial list of his myriad of accomplishments.

Michael Jackson: "Rock with You", "Off the Wall", "Burn This Disco Out", "Baby Be Mine", "The Lady in My Life", "Thriller", "Someone in the Dark", "Hot Street".

Heatwave: "Boogie Nights", "Always and Forever", "The Groove Line", "Gangsters of the Groove", "Lettin' It Loose", "Keep Tomorrow for Me", "Party Suite"

James Ingram & Michael McDonald: "Yah Mo B There".

Tamia: "You Put a Move on My Heart".

Rufus: "Masterjam", "Live In Me".

The Brothers Johnson: "Stomp!" and "Treasure" "Light up the Night", "All About The Heaven".

Donna Summer: "Love Is in Control (Finger on the Trigger)", "Livin' In America" and "Love Is Just A Breath Away".

Quincy Jones: "The Dude", "Razzamatazz", "Somethin' Special", "Turn On The Action", "The Secret Garden" and "Back On The Block", "You Put a Move on My Heart" and "Q's Jook Joint".

Herbie Hancock: "Lite Me Up", "Getting To The Good Part", "Motor Mouth".

Aretha Franklin: "Livin' In The Streets".

Jeffrey Osborne: "We Belong To Love" (which Temperton also produced).

Bob James: "Sign Of The Times" and "The Steamin' Feelin'".

The Manhattan Transfer: "Mystery", "The Spice Of Life", from their Bodies and Souls album.

George Benson: Give Me the Night LP, including "Love x Love", "Turn Out the Lamplight" and the title track.

James Ingram: "One More Rhythm" from his It's Your Night LP (also includes "Yah Mo B There").

Anita Baker: "Mystery" from her Rapture album.

Patti Austin: Every Home Should Have One LP; "Do You Love Me?", "The Genie", "Baby, Come To Me" (with James Ingram).

Second Image: "Lights Out" on Strange Reflections

Michael McDonald: "Sweet Freedom".

Stephanie Mills: "Time of Your Life" and "Hold On to Midnight".

Karen Carpenter: "Lovelines" and "If We Try".

LL Cool J featuring Boyz II Men: "Hey Lover" (Temperton listed as co-writer for sampled section from Michael Jackson's "The Lady in My Life").

Mica Paris: "Love Keeps Coming Back", "Two in a Million", & "You Put A Move On My Heart".

Mýa: "Man in my Life".

Klymaxx: "Man-Size Love".

C+C Music Factory: "Share That Beat of Love".

Angie Stone: "Lovers' Ghetto" from her Stone Love album.

Mariah Carey: "I'm That Chick" (Temperton listed as co-writer for sampled section from Michael Jackson's "Off the Wall") from her E=MC² album.

Aria Of The Waif

Confronting the premature death of one's own mother is a concept we normally don't hear about in music these day. If you're like me, you know what a son's love for his mother feels like, that there is no other comparison like that bond. As friends and family, we listen to others and loved ones bear their souls in a lieu of comforting them in time of mourning.

Lam Rim, a band out of Madrid, Spain does just that thing: it turns this most sacred moment into a song. Their latest, "Why Don't You", is a work of art. It gives us a glimpse into the world many find difficult sharing. The song delves into the mindset and heart wrenching of a son whose mother has died and how he digests that event. He pours out about how his heart is affected by that death. He wants to die.



I thought the band name weird until I learned of its meaning: "gradual path to enlightenment" (in Tibetan Buddhism) Joao Mirat is the brains and founding member of Lam Rim. This song reminds me of the story "Where The Red Fern Grows". It is a famous saga about an elderly couple and their two dogs. The theme of that saga mirroring Lam Rim's newest song. One of the dogs died tragically and the other dog never stopped mourning about it. For decades we hadn't paid close attention to the fact that animals mourn. As profound as that may sound, most women believed and many have raised their boys not to cry, thinking this was a way of being more of a man. This is a band with a mellow sound and lyrics of great spatial extension. Lam Rim reminds me of U2, Coldplay an Oklahoma band named The Hero Factor. Great vocals and promising music future.

When it comes to music, I take hunting for songs very seriously. So, I'm not just looking for something that only sounds good but I'm looking for something with depth, clarity and stamina. I hunt for music almost every day. I check certain sites. One being a Soundcloud site where a DJ friend of mine, Leo Barbera (known as Kumokraft ), uploads his latest projects. This guy is really good at his craft. Other sites on my route are Youtube, Beatport, and freelance writer and blogger and Grammy blogging official Arjan.

So one might think that in all of that hunting that I found Lam Rim's latest track on one of the aforementioned sites. However, I found this song through my friend's facebook page, (Orlando Robson).

"Why Don't You" is one of those songs I think is a universal statement, explaining the human condition when it comes to death. I really like this concept, specifically because many people have suffered such a tragedy and are in need of that shoulder to cry on or an ear to listen to their plight. I hope more songs are written in this same line of thought, speaking up for billions of people mourning about that great love, that close bond, the death of a mother.

More information about Lam Rim can be found here . Their music will soon be at iTunes (February).

Mario Sang With The Best

Mysteriously, Mario Vasquez dropped out of the American Idol competition. I wondered why, and then knowing how the business goes, thought that he got a contract. Well, months later, I was right. But something that escaped my notice about Mario. On Michael Jackson's 'Invincible' album, Mario sang background on a song with Michael and Carlos Santana, "Whatever Happens".

For years I never this and was satisfied with just knowing that this guy got a contract. But I also thought that he dropped out to quell a scandal. That happens too, you know. Then one day, I was watching a recap on American Idol, and Mario has come in to audition. He told Paula, Randy and Simon that he had done work on Michael Jackson's 'Invincible' CD. And I was like....WHOA!!! This guy is good. I look forward to some more stuff from him...Enjoy.

The Eastern Invasion

It seems thought of great sounding music coming only from America is more than just fad and a slogan. But even before the turn of 2011, there are more than enough proof that great music has been made on earth and not just in the United States. Producers are discovering an age-old secret that there are more faithful followers outside the U.S. and this had been a mainstay for artists such as The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Milli Vanilli (believe it or not) and superstar Rain. It is time we Americans step outside our box and take a look around the world at the treasures in music many other artists have to offer. Great music only in America. How arrogant of us to think such a thought. Enjoy.

Teena Marie: a Soul Underrated

Someone I will miss for a lifetime... Teena Marie

In her last few months alive, I would shoot Teena Marie a tweet on Twitter. I never thought she would respond and if there were a response, would it be her? One incident, I read tweets from Teena about her admiration for Aretha Franklin.

She wrote, "Nobody has more love for Aretha Franklin than I do."

I wasn't offended. I saw my opportunity to try chatting with a celeb.

I responded, "Wanna bet."

She compared Aretha to the Sistine Chapel and then it was I knew that I was really talking to the real Teena. Only she would use such grammar and metaphors when describing someone. It's her trademark. She is also a wordsmith. And my recollection of Teena Marie starts here because I don't think allot of people really understood what kind of woman she was. She was more than just a musician. She was a genius.

When I first heard of Teena Marie, I noticed that she wasn't quite welcomed completely into the black community that surrounded me, including Freshman and High Schools. What I noticed was that many black women quietly, some vocally, resented Teena. My thought was that even though she was not like most in white America, she was the face and the closest to that of what prejudice black women, slavery stricken black women among the black community could could see and were reminded an age-old ancestry pillage. Even though Teena's love for R&B music was a genuine dedication to R&B, it was her white face we saw, even though she was far from a prejudice white woman. Her voice is what made her stand out. In my opinion, she had too much bravado. My mom sings like that too. I remember, in the late 80's, a friend of mine (white guy) making comment about Teena Marie. I would never play my music around most of my friends because my selection of genre and artist were not always popular.

"She tries too hard."

I was instantly offended and tried to make excuses about my music choices. It all boils down to this fact: I liked and still like Teena Marie's music. But we all know that if someone does not get to play their music whenever they want to, they hate ANY other kind of music. It's an enraged shark. But that wasn't the only reason he made that statement. Teena did try hard, and I'm glad she never gave up.

When most black women finally began accepting Teena Marie as a true talent and not as a threat was at her release of 'Irons In The Fire' and the single "I Need Your Loving". Then Teena became staple in black culture. The advocate. The egalitarian for black music and the lessor people.

Here is an interesting essay about Teena Marie's affect on race, written by Christopher J. Tyson.

My reason for pontificating about black women accepting Teena Marie into the fold is because it had only been about 15 years since Martin was assassinated, and black people were still reeling from that, and the hope that came to fruition finally in Obama. Now, here came this white chick, down for the cause though, knows music (most of us were still learning how to read music), and she was classically trained. Teena was more than a triple threat, she was underrated by most black and white people. She proved that musicians were just that: musicians, not black peopleonly or white people only, just musicians.

Angela Bofill, Randy Crawford and Phyllis Hyman were a few icons that were the epitome of black women in R & B music that seem to deserve to be in the crossover lane. For some, black women bristled at Teena's arrival, and hated that Rick James, a black man, for chosing to back a white woman instead of first backing a black woman. Rick saw what many other people saw: talent and experience in music theory, the commodity of making money in the business.

These are a few issues I saw that surrounded Teena Marie. I can only imagine what the road was really like for Teena Marie to be finally accepted, you knwo, the behind the scene issues the publice never sees about celebs. She just reminded me of this white girl that was disowned by her white peers and had to fight to be understood and was taken in by the black community. But she had to first be accepted by black women, the nurturers of the flock, and that took some time.

Today, a few days after Teena's death, it seemed that it was easy to lay claim on her as 'our own', that she was an innovator and pioneer of R&B music. She was, and she was the hardest working woman in the business. Now millions, maybe even billions of people know this about her.

What I have seen in my days of loving Teena and watching her struggle to the tops of the charts was how afraid I was to admit that I liked her music. I mean, really, liked her music. Let's face it folks, without Teena Marie, the song "Fire and Ice" would have been missing a crucial element. Back then it was cool to like Rick James, but not Teena. It was cool to like Al Green, not Marvin Gaye. It was cool to like Isaac Hayes, not Barry White. It was cool to like Diana Ross and The Supremes, not Love Unlimited. It was cool to like The Osmonds, not The Jackson 5. It was cool to like Diana Ross as Dorothy and not Stephanie Mills.

I grew up on so many music genre that if attached to rings would amount to the size of a New York City phone book. Speaking of dedications, Afrobella published this piece about Lady T.

I love Teena Marie. My top 10 songs by her:

• I Need Your Lovin'
• Honey Call
• Trick Bag
• Sugar Shack
• Lover Girl
• Portuguese Love
• A Rose By Any Other Name
• Baby, I'm Your Fiend
• The Mackin' Game
• Out On A Limb
• 
  

When I see pictures of Teena I am reminded of a fighter against odds of many strengths and armies. But I know one thing about her, she fought them all. I wonder if there are any recordings of Teena Marie laying around her house...