UK edition of the soundtrack to Simon Pegg & Nick Frost's (Spaced) zombie parody. Features 21 tracks including material by I Monster, Queen, Ash, Kid Koala, Lemon Jelly, The Smiths, & Ash feat. Coldplay's Chris Mar... more »tin (exclusive). Universal. 2004.« less
UK edition of the soundtrack to Simon Pegg & Nick Frost's (Spaced) zombie parody. Features 21 tracks including material by I Monster, Queen, Ash, Kid Koala, Lemon Jelly, The Smiths, & Ash feat. Coldplay's Chris Martin (exclusive). Universal. 2004.
CD Reviews
Kind of a drag, really
Daddy Zero | Northern California, USA | 03/14/2005
(2 out of 5 stars)
"Note to soundtrack producers: When we buy a soundtrack with a bunch of good songs, we want to hear the songs. Sure, a bunch of dialog scattered throughout is fine and fun, but not when it's cut into the music! (See the soundtrack to "Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back" for how to do it right.)
Basically, what they've done here, is try to create some new experience that isn't quite the movie and isn't quite the soundtrack. You don't get to hear the full versions of the songs as the artists recorded them. The beginnings and the ends are crossfaded together with snippets of dialog. It's like a soundtrack/radio drama hybrid with no plot. The dialog runs into the song, which runs into the dialog, which runs into the song, which runs into the dialog, etc., throughout the entire CD. On the first listen, you think, "Oh, yeah, Ed complaining that the zombie blew the call-and-response in 'White Lines.' That was funny...," but then you're kind of screwed for the rest of your life because the editors have mixed in the boys doing their, "...diggeda, diggeda, diggeda..." bit right into the middle of the song. If you truly want to hear 'White Lines' or any of the other tunes, you'll have to get them elsewhere. Sorry.
I'm not sure what the objective was with this disc, but if I wanted to relive the movie, I'd pop in the DVD. If I wanted to hear the songs, I would have liked to have played the CD, but that won't work here. The songs and the movie dialog on this CD are like Siamese twins sharing a single stomach. You get one, you get the other and there's no separating them. This is a bummer since they're good songs.
What I've got now is a CD novelty that I really can't use. I may trot it out once a year, but I'll be disappointed every time. Maybe I'll sell it on eBay..."
"Dire Straits?" "Throw it."
Tony Rocky Horror | 08/30/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Upon arrival in the States, I'm sure you'll see the soundtrack take off as well. A brilliant masterpiece of film calls for a equally as brilliant soundtrack and score. Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright have followed up on their smash UK BBC series Spaced with the most sucessful comedy in Britain's history with Shaun of the Dead. Although some songs on the album are only in the film for moments (like Panic by the Smiths), it allows you to breathe in the filmmakers knowledge for great pop culture references. The soundtrack also includes excepts from the movie itself lending it a very Kevin Smith, Mallrats soundtrack feel. If you liked the movie, I guarantee you'll like the soundtrack. And if you like the soundtrack, I give the full fledged Tony Rocky Horror recommendation that you'll go crazy for the film. If I had a third thumb, I'd use it. Two thumbs for the movie, and the third for the soundtrack. Buy it!"
Missing music
Shannon E. Castrop | Kansas | 07/07/2005
(2 out of 5 stars)
"I loved the music in the movie and was disappointed that the CD had sound bites from the movie over the music. I really just wanted to enjoy the songs. I'm going to have to individually download the songs to get it without parts of the movie included."
Outstanding, and totally representative of the movie
Merrill Mattie | 03/09/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This soundtrack perfectly captures the zany and irreverent feeling of the movie, with a great mix of songs, score, and lines of dialogue. Often, a movie soundtrack will be difficult to listen to, because of the inherent unevenness of mood or pace. However, because both the movie and its soundtrack are equally frenetic, this is a boisterous, energizing album. The snippets of dialogue are hilarious, but don't distract from the most important element - the music. (Note that the dialogue clips are definitely R-rated.) If you loved the movie, you'll love this import - totally worth the money."
Shaun of the Dub - A remix of audio from a great movie
Fritz Striker | LA, CA | 01/19/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Shaun of the Dead - OST is genuinely that; original. The disk is comprised of all the songs heard in the movie, some of which are remixed with dialogue from the movie. Very similar to Taretino's soundtrack, but on steroids. Edgar Wright must be as big of a fan of music as he is George Romero, because the 4am DJ session from the movie is played out through the entire album.
While some songs are untouched, like both Queen songs and The Specials, most of the other tracks are versions of songs in the movie mixed with dialogue. Some songs are even created using the dialogue as lyrics, Like Zombi / Kernkraft 400. Most of the mixing entails an intro or end to a song. There are even some original score tracks at the end.
I think the real treat of the soundtrack though is the bits of dialogue interspersed throughout. For a real fan of the movie, like myself, getting to hear familiar lines with songs that were in the background that can be heard in their entirety now. I think that this is one of the best soundtracks of recent years in that it accommodates pretty much every element of the films audio, from dialogue to songs to score. This ones got them all. Let's put it this way; I bought it as an import to the US, and it was worth every penny."
Track Listings (22) - Disc #1