Broken Flowers

01 - THERE IS AN END (3:05)

        Performed by The Greenhorns with

                                   Holly Golightly

02 - YEGELLE TEZETA (3:14)

       Performed by Mulatu Astatke

03 - RIDE YOUR DONKEY (2:03)

       Performed by The Tennors

04 - I WANT YOU (3:57)

       Performed by Marvin Gaye

05 - YEKERMO SEW (4:03)

       Performed by Mulatu Astatke

06 - NOT IF YOU WERE THE LAST (2:49)

       DANDY  ON EARTH

       Performed by Brian Jonestown Massacre

07 - TELL ME NOW SO I KNOW (2:02)

        Performed by Holly Golightly

08 - GUBELYE (4:35)

        Performed by Mulatu Astatke

09 - DOPESMOKER (3:57)

        Performed by Sleep

10 - REQUIEM, OP. 48 (PIE JESU) (3:30)

        BY GABRIEL FAURÉ

        Performed by Oxford Camerata

11 - ETHANOPIUM (4:38)

        Performed by Dengue Fever

12 - UNNATURAL HABITAT (2:08)

       Performed by The Greehornes

Executive Album Producer: Jim Jarmusch

Album Mastered by Leon Zervos at Sterling Sound, New York

Released by Decca Records on August 2nd, 2005

Total Running Time: 40:06

     One has to admire the 180 degree shift that Bill Murray has managed to pull off as an actor. While his other contemporaries languish in relative obscurity, known only for roles that they had more than two decades ago, Murray has been seen in such well received titles as The Royal Tenebaums, Lost in Translation, The Life Aquatic, and now Broken Flowers. That’s not to say that Murray had completely dropped off the radar at any point, just that he seems to be currently experiencing a resurgence as it seems there is not one movie season that goes by without there being some Murray vehicle.

     Broken Flowers, like many films of its genre, tends to handle its musical responsibilities without going to the expense of having a composer develop an original score just for that film, and director Jim Jarmusch does more than well enough with his find of Mulatu Astatke. Astatke, having traveled throughout the United States in the late-50s, brought his findings of American jazz and Latin music back to his native Ethiopia where he melded those styles with his own native musical tastes. This makes for quite an interesting style of music that is at once familiar, but layered with Astatke’s own trappings to find a new voice. Selections of Astatke’s work make up most of the “score” portions of this album, with the rest being filled in by a unique and workable collection of songs.

     While Astatke’s contribution is a good one, I can’t help but find that some of his cues repeat to the point where they can get annoying. There is little variation once the main idea is presented. “Ethanopium” provides a good twist on his music, but that doesn’t occur until the second-to-last track on the album, and is performed by Dengue Fever and not Astatke.

     The songs are quite effective in conveying a proper tone, and the only real cue that tends to stand out from the rest stylistically is “Requeim, Op. 48” due to it being the only classical piece on the whole album. For those so inclined, it does mark a nice change of pace, but only to have the rug pulled out from under it with that “Ethanopium” cue immediately afterwards.