The Million Dollar Hotel: Music From The Motion Picture (2000 Film)
The soundtrack to a Wim Wenders joint is often as creative and satisfying as the movie itself (seeUntil the End of the WorldandWings of Desire), serving not only as a companion to the film but as a stand-alone work of art.The Million Dollar Hotelis no exception, indeed it ups the ante. The film is based on a story conceived and written in part byU2's Bono, and his influence is all over the score. U2 contribute three stunning songs, most notably a collaboration withDaniel Lanois, "The Ground Beneath Her Feet," a soaring pop ballad with lyrics penned by writer Salman Rushdie (from hisnovelof the same name) that stands among the best U2 cuts ever recorded. In addition, Bono joins the all-star "Million Dollar Band" (comprising Mr. Fly himself, Daniel Lanois,Bill Frisell,Brian Eno, and others) for a host of great tracks, including the ethereal groove of "Never Let Me Go." And as if that weren't enough,The Million Dollar Hotelalso features a duet betweenBrad Mehldauand Frisell ("Tom Tom's Room"), a surprisingly smoky cover ofLou Reed's "Satellite of Love" by model-actress-chanteuse Milla Jovovich, and a raved-up, Americanized, Spanish-language version of theSex Pistol's "Anarchy in the U.K." ("Anarchy in the USA") sung by Tito Larriva with the Million Dollar Band. Despite such a wide ranging host of contributors, Bono's sure hand keeps the album within the same emotional spectrum, colored by a kind of melancholic longing and a wistful wonder, resulting in not only one of the best and most original soundtracks ever recorded but a sure nominee for Album of the Year.--Tod Nelson