Last week as we were preparing to get in deep with Season 4 of the acclaimed HBO series “The Wire” (guess how we spent our weekend? holed-up) we reported the double disc Wire soundtrack set that’s coming on on January 8.
Titled The Wire: And All the Pieces Matter – Five Years of Music from the Wire, the deluxe, 35-track disc includes (as previously mentioned) tracks by tracks by Tom Waits, Paul Weller, Michael Franti and Solomon Burke, plus Sharpshooters and DJ Technics.
Disc 2, Beyond Hamsterdam: Baltimore Tracks from The Wire, independent tracks from the local Baltimore hip-hop scene that have never before been on a major-label release, including Rod Lee, Tyree Colion, Diablo, Mullyman and Ogun featuring Phathead.
The show’s theme “Way Down In the Hole” by Tom Waits is represented by all the artists – The Blind Boys of Alabama, The Neville Brothers, and DoMaJe, a group of Baltimore teenagers – who have covered the song over the show’s five year run (preview DoMaJe’s take on the song, click here).
Season 4 is out on DVD tomorrow December 4, 2007 (thank you local video store that had it on Friday) — a month before final fifth season premieres on HBO. Mark your calendars: Season 5 hits Sunday, January 6th. Turn off all cellphones and pagers and get in deep.
Here’s the tracklists.
1. “This America, man.” (0:24)
2. WAY DOWN IN THE HOLE – The Blind Boys of Alabama (2:54)
3. “Why would anyone ever wanna leave Baltimore?” (0:21)
4. OH MY GOD – Michael Franti & Spearhead (5:05)
5. DANCE MY PAIN AWAY – Rod Lee (2:07)
6. MY LIFE EXTRA – DJ Technics (1:17)
7. “The king stay the king.” (0:48)
8. WAY DOWN IN THE HOLE – The Neville Brothers (1:36)
9. “We used to make shit in this country.” (0:15)
10. SIXTEEN TONS – The Nighthawks (3:36)
11. ASSUME THE POSITION – Lafayette Gilchrist (2:42)
12. “What the fuck did I do?” (0:12)
13. STEP BY STEP – Jesse Winchester (2:56)
14. I WALK ON GILDED SPLINTERS – Paul Weller (4:58)
15. FAST TRAIN – Solomon Burke (5:37)
16. THE BODY OF AN AMERICAN – The Pogues (4:45)
17. “All the pieces matter.” (0:08)
18. EFUGE EFUGE – Stelios Kazantzidis (3:32)
19. “Omar comin’!” (0:40)
20. WAY DOWN IN THE HOLE – Domaje (1:43)
21. “If it’s a lie, then we fight on that lie” (0:22)
22. PROJECTS – Tyree Colion (3:26)
23. “Later for that gangsta bullshit.” (0:38)
24. AYO – Bossman (3:20)
25. ANALYZE – Sharpshooters (2:44)
26. “Wars end.” (0:20)
27. UNFRIENDLY GAME – Masta Ace Feat. Stricklin (3:52)
28. WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT BALTIMORE – Ogun Feat. Phathead (3:16)
29. JAIL FLICK – Diablo (3:38)
30. THE LIFE, THE HOOD, THE STREETZ – Mullyman (3:47)
31. “An act of daily journalism.” (0:07)
32. I FEEL ALRIGHT – Steve Earle (2:58)
33. WAY DOWN IN THE HOLE – Tom Waits (1:45)
34. “You remember that one day summer past?” (0:41)
35. THE FALL – Blake Leyh (1:24)
Beyond Hamsterdam: Baltimore Tracks from The Wire
1. WAY DOWN IN THE HOLE – DoMaJe (1:46)
2. PROJECTS – Tyree Colion (4:33)
3. DANCE MY PAIN AWAY – Rod Lee (2:52)
4. MY LIFE EXTRA – DJ Technics (2:39)
5. WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT BALTIMORE – Ogun feat. Phathead (3:59)
6. JAIL FLICK – Diablo (4:07)
7. WHEN YOU SEE US – The Get ‘em Mamis feat. L. Cash (4:06)
8. THAT’S DA SOUND – Dirty Hartz feat. Verb (3:56)
9. AYO – Bossman (3:52)
10. THE LIFE, THE HOOD, THE STREETZ – Mullyman (4:44)
11. ASSUME THE POSITION – Lafayette Gilchrist (6:32)