ngel...tall, dark,
handsome, the infamous vampire cursed with a soul. He helps the helpless of Los Angeles, fights against
the minions of evil and even plays one mean cello. Ok, maybe not that last bit, but just because Angel
doesn't have a lick of musical ability (remember "Mandy"...need we say more?), that doesn't mean his
series didn't feature some amazing music that not only underscored, but heightened every pivotal and
emotional moment created during the show's five spectacular seasons. Finally, that music gets a chance
to shine on its own with the release of the first Angel television series soundtrack,
Angel: Live Fast, Die Never - Music from the TV Series released by Rounder Records
on May 17th, 2005.
The Moments that Matter
The cover of Angel: Live Fast, Die Never - Music from the TV Series
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With 110 episodes of Angel produced, at an average episode length of 42 minutes each, that comes
out to somewhere around 77 hours of score cues created for the series by series composer Robert J.
Kral. That vast collection of music added depth and emotion to memorable scenes like Angel's first
appearance, the birth of his son, the death of many of his beloved allies and his last battle before the
fade to black. With a staggering amount of music to choose from for inclusion in this first album, it's
guaranteed that a lot of fan favorite music moments are going to be missing from this compilation, but
there's no need to take a "glass half empty" attitude when there is so much to appreciate about Angel:
Live Fast, Die Never. Rob Kral went directly to the fans through websites, like
CityofAngel.com, to get their input and solicit their wish lists about what they'd like to hear
on the album. Between those results, Kral's own list, music supervisor John C. King's inclusions
and the input of that guy named, Joss Whedon, the soundtrack has a final track list of 25 songs,
leaning heavily on score pieces with a smattering of vocal selections that represent key songs featured
in the series.
Listening to the entire album, the listener really gets a much better sense of how epic, somber and
haunting the Angel music was compared to its sister series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Always far less reliant on pop tracks than Buffy, this soundtrack dramatically reinforces that
fact and gives talented composer Kral an opportunity to share what he accomplished over five years. This
CD gives well-deserved focus to his oft taken for granted contributions to the show. His complex,
stirring and heartfelt compositions really brought the show to another level and, as Whedon says in the
liner notes of the CD, "...makes [the show] feel much more expensive. Rob's work gave Angel such
epic sweep, without ever sacrificing intimacy."
The Nitty Gritty
Breaking the CD down, it's great to see that all five seasons are represented, with the bulk of the
score cues coming from Season Two, specifically the dramatic Darla arc and the much lighter Pylea episode
music. The CD opens with the familiar Darling Violetta Angel Main Theme, which gets the
remix treatment. This extended version takes the familiar opening credits theme and pads it to a
three-minute plus composition with more vocals, lyrics and a throbbing beat. Purists may wish the theme
was left in its 30-second version, but this remix doesn't shake up the song enough to make fans upset.
It's actually a nice opportunity to let Darling Violetta show off their long form musical chops
on their fantastic theme song composition. The first score tracks are "Start the Apocalypse" and "The
End of the World" from the Season Four episode, "Apocalypse Nowish." The first underscored the epic
first standoff of Angel Inc. against The Beast and the latter, is a gentle, sorrowful piece that was
the backdrop to Cordy and Connor's union (ew!) and the literal rain of fire on Los Angeles. Both are
fantastic pieces and they really quite impressively illustrate the astounding shifts in mood and tone
that Kral had to create just within one single episode.
Of the nineteen other cues, some particular standouts are "Home" from the episode "Home." The melancholy
and poignant piano and strings piece plays under Angel's silent observation of Connor's "new” life and
it's a heartbreaker with every listen. "Hero" from the same titled episode is the suite played during
Doyle's amazing sacrifice. The five-minute piece runs the gamut from stirring to tearjerker. "The Birth
of Angelus" is a haunting violin piece that evokes the gypsy curse to come when Liam succumbs to Darla's
bite. "Darla's Sacrifice" from "Lullaby" is a wonderfully complex piece just like the character it
underscores. The entire Pylea suite is a lot of fun with more of a jaunty and action-oriented sound.
There's a lot of drama, yet whimsy with pan flutes and other interesting instrument choices by Kral.
Lastly, "Farewell Cordelia" is a short, dramatic swell from the end of the episode, "You're Welcome"
that is romantic, bittersweet and oh, so sad.
As for the vocal pieces, Vast's "Touched" from the Season 1 episode "Lonely Hearts" is a moody, edgy, rocking tune that perfectly
captures the somber tone of Angel. It's a put on repeat song for sure. Christian Kane then cranks
out the David Greenwalt penned, "LA Song" in his engaging country-rock style and it's a great number.
Andy Hallet fans also get two of his fun signature Lorne songs from the episode, "The House Always Wins."
Lastly, just to break your heart, Whedon made sure to include the mournful Kim Richey song, "A Place
Called Home," that played under the flashback of Fred in "Shells." Go ahead and try to keep a dry eye
while listening to it and remembering Fred's hopeful face for the last time in the series. It's a
wonderfully appropriate coda to the soundtrack and a great song.
Shiny Wrapping!
The man behind the music, Robert J. Kral
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The overall packing of the soundtrack is nicely put together. The cover image is a stark black on gray
graphic with a white feather and the familiar Angel font. There is a fourteen-page booklet with
images of the cast used liberally. Sadly, it looks like they were only given access to the Season Five
promotional pictures, as they are the only images featured throughout despite only one Season Five score
cue being featured. It would have been nice to see images from all five seasons to better reflect the
diversity of the track selections. Otherwise, Rob Kral, John C. King and Joss Whedon all make liner note
comments in the CD and every track has a comment by one of the three giving tidbits about the
orchestration, the tone of the piece or some trivia. It's a great read and insightful for music
aficionados too.
Overall Review
There's pretty much something for everyone on Angel: Live Fast, Die Never - Music from the TV
Series , from the rousing battle themes to lushly erotic selections. It's disappointing not to get
music from any of the Faith episodes, "Smile Time" or any of the fantastic flamenco guitar pieces from
the "Numero Cinco" episode, but there is such a thing as space limitations, even with today's technology.
Let's just hope brisk sales of this worthy soundtrack means a sequel will appear someday soon! Until
then, listen, enjoy and savor the sounds of Angel.
Written by CoA Staff Writer, Tara DiLullo
CityofAngel would like to thank
Rounder Records and Rob Kral.
For more information or to order the CD, visit:
Rounder Records
If you have any comments for CityofAngel.com regarding this 'Review' feature, we would love to
hear from you. Just email us at:
comments@CityofAngel.com
