We Don't Need No Stinkin' Continuity
Review by Christopher Coleman

The Mexican
5/10

Right on the heels of two very successful releases: Hannibal and More Music from the Motion Picture Gladiator, comes the original soundtrack for The Mexican from Decca Records. While Decca provided above average listening experiences for these other 2001  releases, The Mexican does not come off nearly as satisfying.  Even with the inclusion of dialogue from the film, both previous Decca releases were highly enjoyable.  The Mexican is another story however.  This soundtrack truly suffers due to Alan Silvestri's wandering score and because that already hard-to-qualify-score is interspersed with pop tracks that have are as eclectic as it gets.  This odd combination makes for a seriously rough and tumble listening affair.

First off, Silvestri's score is one that spoofs around a half-dozen patented Western motifs.  With the help of Abraham Laboriel and a couple of other famed hispanic musicians, Silvestri delves into the realms of the mariachi as well. Track 1, Main Title, sets the soundtrack off on a very positive and hopeful note, with a theme that beckons back to Silvestri's score for The Quick and the Dead. This theme finds its way back onto the soundtrack, in full orchestral form, in The Mexican (12) and It's Cursed, That Gun (20). The main theme does also receive a nice treatment by solo guitar in track 16, Margolese Compound. Easily, these tracks, along with The Miracle (22), which amazingly borders on Silvestri's brilliance from The Abyss,  present the highest points in the score.

A secondary theme is first heard in track 2, Blame Shifting, and reprised in track 8, Want our Life Back. It is a quirky theme lead by harmonica and whistle with banjo and strings as accompaniment. It immediately brings back recollections of Williams' Sugarland Express - one of my least favorite John Williams scores to date. Silvestri's secondary theme, reflects the romantic/comedic nature of the film, but leaves one high and dry and desiring more of the adventurous title theme. Track 5, 10% Clint, returns the listener to the classic Western genre, spoofing many'a Eastwood western. Like the opening track, it is entertaining but very short-lived. 

With two blockbuster, heart-throbs as Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts cast as leads, one might expect a heavier romantic element.  The film has been lambasted for their limited time on screen together and this is reflected in the soundtrack as well.   Legends of the Fall, this certainly is not!  There are only a few tender moments found in The Mexican.  In any event, this elusive tone can be found in Leroy's Morning (6), Airport (13), and aforementioned, Margolese Compound (16).

The film relies heavily upon the non-score inclusions to fully deliver the comedic aspect of the film. If Silvestri's shifting from Western-spoof to quirky theme wasn't enough, then the pop-potpourri cements this soundtrack as among one of the most difficult to listen to (as a whole) in some time. Only a soundtrack could bring together pieces from the likes of WAR and Dean Martin to the same CD. Add to that tracks by Men Without Hats and Nancy Sinatra and you have one of the most eclectic combinations of to poison  

The sad thing about this soundtrack is that several tracks, when taken in isolation, are very entertaining, and even thrilling. Enjoying such tracks is nearly impossible if they are listened to in context. More often than not they are sandwiched between stylistically clashing, pop tunes or even an original piece from Silvestri. Because of this, several tracks, individually, are rated very high in this review but  the overall rating of the soundtrack is low. To make this soundtrack an enjoyable experience, one will have to do some serious editing to the track list, but such effort will be rewarded with a satisfactory film score experience.

Track Listing and Ratings

	Track	Title	Time	Rating
	1	Main Title	0:52	***
	2	Blame Shifting	0:59	**
	3	Oye	1:33	**
	4	These Boots are Made for Walking - Nancy Sinatra	2:42	***
	5	10% Clint	1:09	***
	6	Leroy's Morning	1:39	***
	7	Why Can't We be Friends - War	3:50	***
	8	Want Our Life Back	1:30	**
	9	Frank's Dead	2:51	***
	10	You're Nobody 'til Someon Loves You - Dean Martin	1:56	**
	11	Jerry & Ted to Fawn Shop	1:26	**
	12	The Mexican	2:13	***
	13	Airport	2:21	****
	14	Safety Dance - Men Without Hats	4:32	*
	15	El Cable - El Esquivel	2:16	*
	16	Margolese Compound	1:03	****
	17	Where's My Stuff	1:01	***
	18	Thieves	1:10	***
	19	A Good F'ing Reason	1:16	****
	20	It's Cursed, That Gun	3:25	****
	21	Oye, Oye	1:31	**
	22	A Miracle	2:26	****
	23	The Mexican - End Credits Medley	5:02	***
		Total Running Time	59:01
Referenced Reviews Hannibal  |  More Music from Gladiator

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