Ryuichi Sakamoto, David Byrne and Cong Su – The Last Emperor

 

The Last Emperor is the soundtrack album for the film of the same name. It features nine pieces composed by Ryuichi Sakamoto, five by David Byrne, one from Cong Su, and a few incidental pieces of source music. The album won the Best Original Score award at the 1987 Academy Awards, and won the Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media award at the 31st Annual Grammy Awards in 1989.

1 Ryuichi Sakamoto– First Coronation

2 Ryuichi Sakamoto– Open The Door

3 Ryuichi Sakamoto– Where Is Armo?

4 Ryuichi Sakamoto– Picking Up Brides

5 Ryuichi Sakamoto– The Last Emperor (Theme Variation 1)

6 Ryuichi Sakamoto– Rain (I Want A Divorce)

7 Ryuichi Sakamoto– The Baby (Was Born Dead)

8 Ryuichi Sakamoto– The Last Emperor (Theme Variation II)

9 Ryuichi Sakamoto– The Last Emperor (Theme)

10 David Byrne– Main Title Theme (The Last Emperor)

11 David Byrne– Picking A Bride

12 David Byrne– Bed

13 David Byrne– Wind, Rain And Water

14 David Byrne– Paper Emperor

15 Cong Su– Lunch

16 The Red Guard Accordion Band– Red Guard

17 The Ball Orchestra Of Vienna– The Emperor's Waltz

18 The Girls Red Guard Dancers– The Red Guard Dance

The Last Emperor

David Byrne ‎– Lead Us Not Into Temptation - Music From The Film Young Adam

 

Mostly composed of obliquely lyrical chamber music, “Lead Us Not Into Temptation” is the album realization of David Byrne’s score to David Mackenzie’s film “Young Adam” (starring Ewan McGregor and Tilda Swinton). And by any judge, this is lovely chamber music indeed; the intimate, blue-hued arrangements are abstractly evocative, with aching, then arching string melodies. The urbane cover of jazz titan Charles Mingus’ raucous “Haitian Fight Song” seems incongruous here, even if it’s ideal for the film. But the main cues have a nicely haunting quality, and the hymn-like vocal tracks “Speechless” and, especially, “The Great Western Road” will please fans of the erstwhile Talking Head’s more pensive side. An Academy Award winner for his contribution to the score to “The Last Emperor,” Byrne obviously has his soundtrack bona fides. This disc’s instrumental invention does surprise. (Billboard review)

Body In A River 2:52

Mnemonic Discordance 2:43

Seaside Smokes 3:08

Canal Life 2:28

Locks & Barges 2:00

Haitian Fight Song 2:50

Sex On The Docks 4:25

Inexorable 2:20

Warm Sheets 3:01

Dirty Hair 4:48

Bastard 2:57

The Lodger 4:16

Ineluctable 4:20

Speechless 4:04

The Great Western Road 4:43

Lead Us Not Into Temptation