Various - Three To Tango soundtrack

This is the soundtrack to the 1999 movie. The obvious question is why on earth did I buy a soundtrack to forgettable romantic comedy?? Well, there were a handful of cracking neo-swing songs included, so I thought it would be a convenient way to get a neo-swing sample. So, let's see what the rest of the album reveals...

It doesn't start out well. The jive influences of Jumpin' East of Java and Swing Sweet Pussycat feel too plastic for me.

On the other hand, Maddest Kind Of Love is chock-full of genuine emotion. Yet it is also wonderfully cruisy listen, which makes for a very abstract and enjoyable experience. A particular highlight is the instrumental bridge, where the horns and piano gradually work their way to a gentle climax. I reckon this song is an all-time classic, up there with Mack The Knife.

The tongue-in-cheek sleaze of Here Comes The Snake is fantastic, and well complemented by the rich instrumentals.

Then we make another rapid stylistic jump to Trou Macacq, which is a fine example of Squirrel Nut Zippers' rambling dixie-jazz style.

Although I'm a big fan of Royal Crown Revue, somehow I find that Datin' With No Dough lacks flow. Violent Love might initially bring LOLs due to the inappropriate title, but I think it's more likely that back in the day, the word "violent" merely meant "intense".

This marks the end of the neo-swing content. I tried to avoid being blinkered, thus appreciating the other songs in their own right. But I couldn't really get into any of them, so it was a miserable failure!

Favourite songs

Maddest Kind Of Love, Mr Zoot Suit, Here Comes The Snake, Trou Macacq

I diggit?

Suprisingly... no. The great songs are from great bands, so I should really buy their whole albums instead.