The Million Dollar Hotel: Music From The Motion Picture (2000 Film)

SOUNDTRACK THE MILLION DOLLAR HOTEL

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

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 stand-alone 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 (from his novel of the same name) 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 as if that weren'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, Americanized, Spanish-language version of the Sex Pistol's "Anarchy in the U.K." ("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, colored by a kind of melancholic longing and a wistful wonder, resulting in not only one of the best and most original soundtracks ever recorded but a sure nominee for Album of the Year. --Tod Nelson