Search - Christophe Beck, Bob / Nolan, Kenny Crewe, Jon Crosby :: Angel: Live Fast, Die Never [Music from the TV Series]

Haunting and beautiful, a must have for Angel fans

N. Durham | Philadelphia, PA | 06/13/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Released practically a year after the show's untimely demise, "Angel: Live Fast, Die Never" is a haunting and beautiful score compilation that is an absolute must have for Angel fans. Beginning with an excellent extended version of the show's main title theme (performed by Darling Violetta), the haunting mood of the album and the show are perfectly captured, something which no Buffy the Vampire Slayer music compilation could never fully accomplish. The following tracks, including "Start the Apocalypse", "The End of the World", "Home", "Hero", "The Birth of Angelus", "Rebellion", "Dreaming of Darla", "Darla's Sacrifice", "Cordy Meets Fred", and "Farewell Cordelia" are all nothing short of amazing and are instantly recognizable to long time fans of the series. The other tracks included here, including "LA Song" by Christian Kane (better known as the villainous Lindsay) and two performances from Andy Hallett (better known as the green skinned karaoke loving demon Lorne) are worth the price of admission alone. Truly an amazingly atmospheric and haunting score compilation that is an absolute must have for Angel fans."

Tasty

Lillith | New York, NY | 05/27/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I think this is quite an outstanding compilation. The title song is, of course, a staple. Then the next few tracks are all ambience pieces that will make you feel very much like the apocalypse is coming and so is the hot vampire in the long black coat. What makes this compilation really great is the last few songs that all fans will remember. These include Touched, LA Song (that Lindsey performed in Caritas), and a few hits by Lorne, including Lady Marmalade. For fans, this is totally worth the purchase."

"Die Never" last hurrah for fans of TV's most inspired show

Drogyn | Illinois | 05/30/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In the spring of 2004, one of television's most inspired shows got the axe from its network to pave the way for yet more reality TV programming. Memorably, the fans tried their hardest to reverse the network's decision, hosting blood drives and raising more than $20,000 in their valiant attempt to keep "Angel" on the air. Alas, "Angel," spin-off of the legendary (and Emmy-winning) show "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," met its death with a slam-bam-thank-you-ma'am series finale, sending off television's best hope for the sanctity of quality programming.

Almost exactly one year later, after years in development and production by the show's creators and composers, the "Angel" score and compilation soundtrack "Angel: Live Fast, Die Never" was released to stores.

The majority of "Die Never" is highlights from the five-year long series' moody and even iconic scoring. Along with most television series, the scoring of "Angel" happens in the background of dialogue and usually hides there, unnoticed by the viewer. Sometimes certain scenes of the "Angel" `dissolved' and the score came out of hiding. Memorable instances of this include the apocalypse montage at the end of season four's "Apocalypse Nowish," the Angel `darkness' montage in the middle of season two, or the many wonderful dream sequences that abounded during the show's five-year run.

The first track of "Die Never" is an extended version of the show's opening credits, titled here as the "Sanctuary Remix." The most notable addition of this remix is the insertion of vocals. Though the song brings back many memories of Wednesday and Sunday nights, watching my favorite TV show, this remix borders on grating after a few listens.

The first batch of scoring from the show revolves around themes from season four and season one. "Start the Apocalypse," my favorite purely orchestrated track on this album, is the music played during the epic rooftop fight in season four's "Apocalypse Nowish." Track five, "Home," has a lonely flute part that highlights the sense of loss felt by Angel in the season four finale as he watched his son's new life unfold. Track six, "Hero," sounds like it could have come out of a blockbuster movie. Featuring vocals by Elin Carlson, this song was played during the character Doyle's death in season one.

Tracks seven though thirteen focus on the character Darla and on Angel's inevitable descent into darkness in season two. These songs are mostly hit-and-miss; but just like season two of "Angel," the whole outweighs the individual parts, as these tracks tell a compelling story of passion and destruction. Track nine, "Rebellion," is a favorite among "Buffy" and "Angel" fans - it's the song played during the vampire montage during the Boxer Rebellion on both shows.

Tracks fourteen through eighteen revolve around the Pylea arc at the end of season two and the introduction of the character Fred. These scores, though fairly stereotypical of their source material, will please fans of operatic orchestrations and sweeping romanticism.

Track 19 is the heartbreaking "Farewell Cordelia," played during the final moments between Angel and Cordelia in season five. Track 20 is another highlight of the soundtrack, titled "I'm Game." This track is the recurring `hero' theme for the character Angel throughout the show, most remembered for its instances in the pilot episode and during the season five season opener.

All is good and well with this collection of scorings from "Angel's" vivid history, but there are cast performances and licensed songs as well that have helped "Angel" tell its dark and interesting story. "Die Never" features two perfectly selected licensed songs from the show, Vast's "Touched" and Kim Richey's "A Place Called Home." "Touched" is a song that I was pleasantly surprised to find on this album, considering I went searching for it on the internet the first time I heard it during the street-walking montage of season one episode two, "Lonely Hearts." Epic and very relatable to the character of Angel, "Touched" has not only converted me to the band "Vast," its inclusion on the show and on this soundtrack is ingenious. "A Place Called Home" is the song played during the end of "Shells," the episode in season five where the character Illyria is officially introduced and it's confirmed Fred is dead and never coming back. You might remember the montage - it featured the characters left behind by Fred's death followed by a flashback of Fred's move away from home. Yeah, I got teary-eyed too, and listening to this song on this soundtrack is so heart wrenching, I still have yet to get more than thirty seconds into it.

Three songs are original cast performances, one by Christian Kane (who played the character Lindsey) and two by Andy Hallet (who played the green demon Lorne). Kane's "LA Song," written by show co-creator David Greenwalt, is wonderfully performed and contains key foreshadowing for future events in the series. Andy Hallet is as charming as ever in his two songs, "Lady Marmalade" and his original creation "It's Not Easy Being Green." Listening to these two songs makes me yearn to see his character on television again, and make me upset that they underused his character in the show's last season.

"Angel" and "Buffy" fans need not wait any longer - this soundtrack is a must-have, an absolutely essential part of any fan's Joss Whedon collection. Though the scoring can get a tad monotone and dreary, the wonderful memories of the show brought forth by listening to these songs will make for a beautifully nostalgic journey.

Non-"Buffy" and non-"Angel" fans will still find some value in "Die Never." The orchestrations are synthetic yet solid, and the two licensed songs are absolute winners. Still, there are many other albums that one could better spend their time listening to. For sweeping, dramatic orchestrations that originate in dramatic interpretation, I recommend the "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Between Heaven and Earth" instead of "Die Never."

Here's thanks to Joss Whedon, Christopher Back, and Robert J. Kral for releasing this soundtrack, even after the show has ended."