Saturday, October 15, 2011

The X-Files: Songs In The Key Of X

Being the huge XPhile that I am, I remember when I first heard about this album.  I was picking up my wife from work one night and while sitting in the car, I was listening to a radio station talking about this new album based on The X-Files!  I immediately started listening, because let's face it, if it had anything to do with The X-Files, I bought it!  They were giving away a free copy if you called in with a true supernatural story.  I immediately pulled out my Nokia mobile (because Mulder had one - anyone noticed my online name?), called in and told them of a particular experience I had had.  Guess what?  I won a copy!
The first thing I noticed is that it was mainly very 'alternative' music, which I have to say, I was not into, but I really liked this album after a couple of listening sessions.  But I was really surprised at the number of big name performers that contributed songs to the album: Sheryl Crow (I love 'On The Outside', it is so haunting), Foo Fighters, R.E.M. does the back up music for cyberpunk author William S. Burroughs to provide the words to 'Star Mr Kitten'.  'Star' stands for something else, so probably not suitable for the kiddies! Who can forget Duane Barry listening to Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds 'Red Right Hand' with Scully in the boot! Filter, Frank Black, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper all contribute.  There is a great song, 'My Dark Life' by the wonderful Elvis Costello joining up with Brian Eno from Roxy Music.
Of course, Mark Snow's iconic X-Files theme opens the CD and P.M. Dawn does a remix to close the CD.
A little known thing is that when I used to play the CD on my player, if I went to track one, pressed play and then held down the rewind button, it would reveal that there were two hidden tracks BEFORE the first song.  However, I have never been able to get it to the start of the first song and I can't replicate it on my computer.  There was a little hint on the CD liner notes saying "Nick Cave And The Dirty Three would like you to know that "0" is also a number".  I have done a little investigating today and found they are hidden in a 'pre-gap' before song 1 and most modern players can't find the pre-gap.  This sucks.  If anyone knows how to get these songs in to iTunes easily, please let me know!

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