English poet laureate Ted Hughes originally conceived The Iron Giant as an instructive diversion for his and wife Sylvia Plath's children. In the 80's, the Who's Pete Townshend adapted it as a rock-oriented album and stage musical. But in transforming it into a feature-length animated film, director Brad Bird (The Simpsons, King of the Hill) added a hipster retro-'50s sensibility that colorfully evokes the era's various obsessions with cold war angst, flying saucers, space travel, and hi-fi. The film's soundtrack captures those often-anxious preoccupations with loopy delight, offering up a smart sampling of exotic eclectica that ranges from the cocktail jazz cum proto hipster rap of Edd "Kookie" Byrnes' "Kookie's Mad Pad" to the smooth pop harmonies of the Ames Brothers ("Destination Moon") and the Space Age roots R&B of the Tyrones ("Blast Off") and Jimmy Lloyd ("I Got a Rocket in My Pocket"). And those who appreciated the trash/outre musical sensibilities of Pecker should love Jimmie Haskell's "Rockin' in the Orbit," the Nutty Squirrels' Chipmunk-ish "Salt Peanuts," and the late great Mel Torme's hilariously earnest "Comin' Home Baby." Composer Michael Kamen's suitably dramatic underscore is also represented by a brief orchestral suite that manages to be both wistful and sprightly. --Jerry McCulley
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Super Hip Man!:
You will be surprised at how good this soundtrack is! If you love the 50's or are curious about that era in times music, this soundtrack will take you to a very special place out of this world. You won't want to leave...
I Got A Rocket In My Pocket:
This CD follows in the tradition of the film and avoids all Disney-like tendencies. Do not look here for cute pop hits to be nominated for Oscars. This is a CD chock full of quirky, funny, odd-ball music from the late 50's to early 60's for the beatnick in us all! Need a pick-me-up? Listen to this CD. It makes me laugh everytime. From the chipmunk-like "Salt Peanuts", to the Hi Fi of "Mad Pad" and 50's rock of "Blast Off" this CD is a true gem! Nowhere else are you going to find such a collection of music.... more info
'Fifties pop hits provide space-age setting for Iron Giant:
Producer Brad Bird's vision for The Iron Giant is as far away from traditional Disney animation as possible, even to the musical rendering of the sountrack. There are no number one hits here; the only addition to Michael Kamen's few original symphonic pieces are pop singles from 1958-1962, some with space-age themes, which in the film provide the Sputnik-era setting for the Iron Giant. In this sense this Rhino CD is a true soundtrack, capturing both the essence of the film and the feel of the era when it... more info
great movie, fun soundtrack:
I am a huge fan of this film already, nice to see some new flavor in animated film. The music is great and the robot in the film is wonderful. Bravo!
