You’ve gotta love when a movie comes out in the U.K. early because it gives us the info before it hits American shores. The soundtrack to Guy Ritchie’s movie “Rock N Rolla” comes out in the U.K. soon. Their street date of September 1 is way early and will surely be different stateside (the movie doesn’t come until October 30 here), but presumably the tracklist will be the same given that it’s coming out on the Universal Music group label.
As noted last week, Steve Isles has composed the film’s score (some of the music for “Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten“) and the soundtrack showcases Ritchie’s inclination towards eclectic (mostly British) sounds both retro and cutting edge from his favorite genres: dub (The Scientists, The Clash) ska (The English Beat), Dusty Springfield-esque rockabillly classics (Wanda Jackson), funk (War) and flat-out driving and distorted rawk n’ rollah (The Sonics, The Hives) that always propels his crime capers forward.
The soundtrack also features both songs used in the film’s trailer: Blackstrobe’s “I’m A Man,” (which opens it) and The Subways “Rock N’ Roll Queen” (which closes it). Ritchie may shoot the same film over and over again, but his soundtracks generally feature some excellent movie-music moments and he has a remarkable knack for creating scenes with a comical, ironic use of music. But no Libertines or Baby Shambles? Maybe in the movie only? Musical YouTube clips where applicable below.
“Rock N Rolla” is another Ritchie crime caper that involves a stolen painting, the Russian and London mobs pitied against street smart hoods, drug-addled rock stars and a sexy accountant with ties to the underworld.
The film stars Gerard Butler, Tom Wilkinson, Thandie Newton, Idris Elba (“28 Weeks Later,” “The Wire”), rapper Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jeremy Piven and the very-excellent Toby Kebbell (Joy Division’s foul-mouthed manager Rob Gretton from “Control”) who plays a very Pete Doherty-like character. “Rock N Rolla” comes out in the U.K. September 5 and will have its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in the second week of September.
“Rock N Rolla” soundtrack tracklist
1.BLACKSTROBE – I’M A MAN
2. THE SONICS – HAVE LOVE WILL TRAVEL
3. THE CLASH – BANKROBBER
4. KIM FOWLEY – THE TRIP
5. STEVE ISLES – RUSKIES
6. WAR – OUTLAW
7. FLASH AND THE PAN – WAITING FOR A TRAIN
8. THE SUBWAYS – ROCK & ROLL QUEEN
9. LOU REED – THE GUN
10. THE HIVES – THE STOMP
11. SCIENTISTS – WE HAD LOVE
12. THE BEAT – MIRROR IN THE BATHROOM
13. WANDA JACKSON – FUNNEL OF LOVE
14. 22-20S – SUCH A FOOL
15. EX SEKTOR GAZA – DOPILSYA
16. MIGUELITO VALDES – NEGRA LEONO
Download: Lou Reed – “The Gun”
Trailer: “Rock N Rolla”