Wait… Bradley Cooper Is Winning Me Over? The Hell…

So… finally back in the blogging game. Years of not taking enough time to sit and write, listening topodcasts, and a couple of days updating my spreadsheet, and I am back.

BACKSTREETS BACK, ALRIGHT!

Actually, no. Backstreet Boys sucked. I don’t have any ironic joy of them, I will not blog them. Don’t worry. You are safe. I’m still listening to podcasts.. Apocalist Book Club is a fun one when I’m not catching up on MSNBC casts or Pod Save America. BUT BACK TO FAHKING MUSIC!

I’ve mentioned my dismay about writing about Tori Amos…. an amazing artist who I just don’t feel as much as I used to… but, I caught a break. Because, between now and then, I’ve bought a couple discs that push her back in the queue.

So onto the 2018 OST for ‘A Star Is Born.’

Now, I was slightly skeptical about the movie. Bradely Cooper was an actor who just got on my nerve on a regular basis… he was great as Rocket Racoon and the skeezy FBI Agent in ‘American Hustle,’ but mostly I just wanted to slap his character.  His character in ‘Silver Lining Playbook’ was a deeply psychotic serial abuser who needed to be locked away instead of given dance shoes. But then I saw he was working with Gaga, and heard how much work he was doing on the production… I was interested. Plus, my wife is a huge fan of the “Star Is Born” movies, so there was no way we weren’t going to see it.

And then that first trailer, the first time I heard Gaga as Ally rip into the yodel/holler from ‘Shallow’… that was a moment.

 

I dug it… the impressionistic/Hong Kong feel, the degree to which Cooper was willing to degrade Maines to let Ally shine as a star… the weird jump of her going from Americana queen too well… Lady Gaga was a little odd… it grabbed me. The music itself… I really enjoyed it. It’s been everywhere… every Starbucks and supermarket…  but here’s one more taste incase you ran away screaming before trying another song.

 

There are better OST’s, better individual songs, and yes… Bradely Cooper is totally indulging his every whim on this whole shebang. That being said… he’s generous to other artists and worked to create a decently fun album. It get’s four overly emotional stars, and I don’t care if you judge me.

You don’t need to buy this album. Your collection will be complete without it. But, try more than just the two songs you heard while waiting for a frappe or the leg machine at the gym. You’ll be happy you did.

Artist: Original Soundtrack
Album: A Star Is Born
Year: 2018
Date Listened in Tour: 12/25/18
Rating: ****
Best Songs: ‘’Shallow’, ‘Always Remember Us This Way’

Grand Tour Drinking Game Score: Soundtrack (1) + Cover (1) + Live Performances (1) Drink + DIALOG SNIPPETS!!! (1)… Don’t be like Jackson Maine and chug. Enjoy your drinks over the course of the cd like a civilized drunkard.