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Lost Highway Soundtrack (Nothing/Universal)

By Cameron Adams for Beat Magazine on March 19, 1997

Just like his cut and paste soundtrack to Natural Born Killers, Trent Reznor has made a C90 sampler of weird that doubles as the soundtrack to the new David Lynch movie. While there's whole lot of loose ends, most punctuated by Angelo Badalamenti soundbites, somehow Reznor hangs them together well. David Bowie's pre-jungle "I'm Deranged" (written with Brian Eno) creates a suitably tense mood which Nine Inch Nails fit into perfectly with "The Perfect Drug" Their first new release in years. It's NIN-by-numbers but still stands apart from the countless Reznor clones clogging the charts post "Closer". Trent's even been inspired by drum and bass himself. While we're in self-improvement corner the Smashing Pumpkins deliver their least irritating song in years with "Eye" clearly inspired by Depeche Mode, who they've covered in the past. Billy Corgan uses some proudly dated synth effects to create some true anti-grunge. Badalamenti goes stark on "Dub Driving", while Barry Adamson fits in perfectly with his scenic beats (especially the very cool Massive Attack sampling "Something Wicked This Way Comes") Marilyn Manson (this is a Trent Reznor project) gets two tracks, including his tribute to Fiona Apple (TRUE!) "Apple Of Sodom" and the Screamin' Jay Hawkins cover "I Put A Spell On You". Rammstein sound like Laibach meets Sepultura, they find themselves bookending Adamson's funky "Hollywood Sunset", while Trent creates a bit of eloctronic revolution himself on "Driver Down".

Transcribed by Keith Duemling

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