Oh my... I listened to Country & Western music....

[Phillip Dampier]

A sure sign that Brokeback Mountain has really gotten to you is listening to the soundtrack and not shuddering over the country & western songs on it.  I actually enjoyed the Emmylou Harris and Steve Earle tracks.  The Linda Ronstadt song seemed totally out of place on the soundtrack, and many of the other vocals were 'so-so' in my book.

If you enjoyed the great score by Gustavo Santaolalla, you can find more of his music on the score for The Motorcycle Diaries.  It's too bad that songs like The Wings were so short... the mix of the guitar with the orchestral accompanyment has been an inspiration for me.

Any other music out there that fit the mood and feel for Brokeback Mountain?

[Drew Kerrigan]

I don't have a copy of the soundtrack yet but I will buy myself one once it comes out. Remember the few poignant strings of the guitar whenever the movie is quoted as a nominee or a winner in every awards night? Hell those tunes keep popping in my head! I'm definitely afflicted by the Last Song Syndrome (LSS)...

[Phillip Dampier]

All of those songs will be on Brokeback Mountain Radio when it launches.  I am still trying to build out the playlist for the streaming service to meet the requirements of the copyright agencies.  It prevents a straight playlist of soundtrack music.  I'm trying to find songs that fit the mood and build them into the playlist too.

There will be links to obtain BBM stuff up here soon too.  People who order through those links help pay the bandwidth costs for BetterMost (and now the cost of the streaming radio service when that launches.)

There's still a lot going on behind the scenes, which is why I am not as active in the forums the last two days....

[Thomas M. Witherspoon]

My only problem with the OST for Brokeback Mountain is that it is incomplete. For example, there is a completely unused sequence that is played over the scene in the tent on the night after the boys first encounter - and it is beautiful! Why are we given only 1-2 minute snippets of the music on the soundtrack? There are longer portions of it in the film. The music is spare and meant to be so, but surely we could have more of it. Perhaps it is like the time that Jack and Ennis had together - never enough!

[Phillip Dampier]

I don't have a copy of the soundtrack yet but I will buy myself one once it comes out. Remember the few poignant strings of the guitar whenever the movie is quoted as a nominee or a winner in every awards night? Hell those tunes keep popping in my head! I'm definitely afflicted by the Last Song Syndrome (LSS)...

That is probably The Wings.  It's the song used twice in the movie, but the sweeping strings section towards the end only happens during the final scene of the film.  That was my favorite score music from the soundtrack.  It's been part of my inspiration.  Unfortunately, it's way too short.  I have been hunting down any music that resembles it, and found some Pat Metheny soundtrack music for Brokeback Mountain Radio which comes close, but Gustavo's soundtrack score was quite unique.  I've been combing through libraries of 100,000+ tracks looking for appropriate music.  It's not easy.

[Phillip Dampier]

My only problem with the OST for Brokeback Mountain is that it is incomplete. For example, there is a completely unused sequence that is played over the scene in the tent on the night after the boys first encounter - and it is beautiful! Why are we given only 1-2 minute snippets of the music on the soundtrack? There are longer portions of it in the film. The music is spare and meant to be so, but surely we could have more of it. Perhaps it is like the time that Jack and Ennis had together - never enough!

There was some incidental music from the score they did leave out of the soundtrack, according to some media report I had read several weeks ago.  The feeling was the extra segments were incomplete, and some were extremely short (40 seconds or less). 

I am still combing out there.  I had an interest in new age music long before there was this soundtrack.  I recall several albums of ambient slider guitar music fom independent artists that would fit the mood.  As I dig them up, they'll go on Brokeback Mountain Radio too.

[Thomas M. Witherspoon]

There was some incidental music from the score they did leave out of the soundtrack, according to some media report I had read several weeks ago.  The feeling was the extra segments were incomplete, and some were extremely short (40 seconds or less). 

I am still combing out there.  I had an interest in new age music long before there was this soundtrack.  I recall several albums of ambient slider guitar music fom independent artists that would fit the mood.  As I dig them up, they'll go on Brokeback Mountain Radio too.

I'm thinking that the only way to get that music is to record it from the DVD when it becomes available. I have seen a DVD screener and have heard even more additional orchestrations that should have been part of the OST - not just the second night tent scene - and there is an additional "The Wings" orchestration that plays over the scenes just after the boys get back together, beginning when the boys are camping by the river. Ennis says "As long as we can ride her...There ain't no reins on this one" and Jack reaches out and touches his ear and hair. It plays over several scenes as time passes. Another piece of music, I don't know the title of, plays over the scene where Ennis goes to meet Jack for one of their get-togethers - this is the one where Jack is looking up at Ennis as he drives up to their camping site. There is also "Quizas, Quizas, Quizas" from the scene where Jack goes to Mexico in his frustratration over Ennis not wanting to live with him. I guess they were trying to keep the OST recording short or had other problems getting rights to music, etc., etc.

Cheers!

[Phillip Dampier]

I have access to the audio for the actual film and zipped through some of it and did find portions of the soundtrack missing from the album.  Unfortunately, there is some dialogue and foley work on portions of it, so I don't know how useful that would be.  Perhaps one of the fans with Hollywood connections will find a way to get the rest of the music out on the net down the road in its original state.  I doubt we'll see another soundtrack or score CD coming out for Brokeback, so this would likely be the only way we'd hear the whole thing.

[Thomas M. Witherspoon]

I have access to the audio for the actual film and zipped through some of it and did find portions of the soundtrack missing from the album.  Unfortunately, there is some dialogue and foley work on portions of it, so I don't know how useful that would be.  Perhaps one of the fans with Hollywood connections will find a way to get the rest of the music out on the net down the road in its original state.  I doubt we'll see another soundtrack or score CD coming out for Brokeback, so this would likely be the only way we'd hear the whole thing.

Of course that's right! I bet the fire crackling, wind blowing. or sound of rushing water would be pretty distracting - and people may think there is something wrong with their computer or sound system! I listened to the BBM Radio today and I liked it very much! You're doing a great job so far Phillip.

[Br. Patrick]

Whoops... I've just uncovered a forum software bug!  This post is actually corrupted, as the quotes are evidently Brother Patrick's, but the replies you see below the quotes are not his - they are written by me!  I don't know how this managed to happen, but to make it clear to everyone, I'm editing the post to clarify who said what! -- Phillip

This order really works for me.  Maybe someone else could try it too.  It places the all too short symphonic/guitar pieces together followed by the Country & Western Songs.  The last tracks play out over the credits.  I added "The Wings" for the third time because, well, it just needed to be there.

Phillip: Outside of Emmylou's song, I wasn't really thrilled with any of the C&W songs on the soundtrack.  Others seem to get a lot out of Rufus Wainwright & Mary McBride's songs but I personally found them kind of jarring.  I am lukewarm about Willie Nelson personally - I think he's a bit too... I don't know... informal.  I liked Steve Earle's song - the fastest rendition of that song I've ever heard -and- his voice and accent makes his performance a believable story about a teenage delinquent.  But it doesn't fit the overall theme of the film at all.

I have one MAJOR problem with the lyrics of ONE song "I Will Never Let You Go".  The second verse starts "Even though this wasn't meant to be".

Phillip:In the context of the movie, that was Ennis' belief, based on the oppression he saw all his life.  I understand just how important lyrics are when trying to convey the feeling of the film.  Trust me I know because I sifted through hundreds of songs to try and build Brokeback Mountain Radio.  It's rough when you think you've found a great song and just one verse throws it out the window because it doesn't fit.  Ultimately, I had to compromise on several songs that don't exactly fit, but come close enough and are usually not jarring enough to throw the mood.

As far as instrumental pieces go, we have little to work with from Santaolalla's score, which was way too short on the CD.  It is amazingly hard to find good ambient slide guitar music that fits.  The thing that saved my cookies was finding a few desert-inspired albums which evoke the western feeling.  There are tons of basic acoustic guitar albums out there, but they don't speak to Brokeback Mountain at all.  I will always be out there looking, but we need a music expert in here who can help pin down tracks that work even more.

[Lynne]

Speaking of C & W music...I really enjoy James McMurtry's music.  As I'm sure you know, he wrote the 'Water Walking Jesus' snippet and has had an extensive singer/songwriting career.  I was introduced to his music several years ago by some friends in the Austin, TX area.  I like most of his work; 'Painting by Numbers' from Too Long in the Wasteland is good.  You can hear samples at amazon.com.
-Lynne

[Phillip Dampier]

Heh, no surprise that Water Walking Jesus didn't make it to the soundtrack....  Kind of jarring performance by Jake there....

[Fla_Tim]

I have a confession to make, this week I searched the FM dial and programmed country western stations into my car's radio preset stations and have been listening to them exclusively.

Phillip I love your selections for the Brokeback Mountain Radio, just the right tempo for my taste. You've done a phenomenal job and setting up the radio station. My hats off to you buddy. Thank you for all you've done to bring this meeting ground a reality.

Tim

[BBMGrandma]

I have a confession to make, this week I searched the FM dial and programmed country western stations into my car's radio preset stations and have been listening to them exclusively.

TIM...what is happening to YOU?  <shocked look... >  You've obviously been bitten by the BBB!!  <BrokeBackBug>  I have a confession to make too....   I dragged out and polished my COWBOY BOOTS the other night!!  We are all DOOMED!!  <heheheh> and....<there's more> I ACTUALLY considered buying a horse until a friend of mine slapped me silly!!! 

Hugs....Nancy   

[horo04]

The Brokeback soundtrack is so-so...the only songs I like are the Santaolalla scores...very moving!  Should have had more country sounding songs.  I like all kinds of music but country is my favourite...to bad they couldn't put some George Strait on there or Rascal Flatts!

[Phillip Dampier]

I have a confession to make, this week I searched the FM dial and programmed country western stations into my car's radio preset stations and have been listening to them exclusively.

Phillip I love your selections for the Brokeback Mountain Radio, just the right tempo for my taste. You've done a phenomenal job and setting up the radio station. My hats off to you buddy. Thank you for all you've done to bring this meeting ground a reality.

Thanks, and yeah you're not alone.  I was toying with the country outlets on XM Radio in the car a few weeks ago.  I think that was somewhat short-lived however.  I do have a better appreciation and tolerance for the music genre now, however.  Before I wouldn't have spent ten seconds with it.

[Rayn]

Dear Phillip,

   I love the Brokeback soundtrack, have it now, but before it arrived from Amazon, "Slider" came and man oh man... it's fantastic.  I first heard it on BBM Radio, which by the way, I listen too so much that I feel there aren't enough newer songs on it right now...   

Hey, but, I mean I think I wore my ears out listening to it… and by the way, I've always liked Emmylou Harris and Rufus W, but I wasn’t much of a country & western fan.   Now, I'm listening to it and developing a taste for it.  I ordered the album that has "The Two Cowboy Waltz" on it... can't think of the singer's name right now... and I love the Willie Nelson song about cowboys being "fond" of each other, it's so funny and true.  I have a gay cowboy friend in my life and even he's admits it's true, LOL. 

There’s a load of fine music on BBM Radio... I ordered "Sand and Water" (again can’t recall the woman singer/song writer’s name, but she’s hot) today and several other albums.  I love Steve Earl on the soundtrack.  The way he speaks, his accent I mean, is so downhome-cowboy-folk-rock-americana!   Anyway, thanks, Phil.   Even my appreciation of different kinds of music has increased & widened because of BBM.

Rayn

[Phillip Dampier]

Dear Phillip,

   I love the Brokeback soundtrack, have it now, but before it arrived from Amazon, "Slider" came and man oh man... it's fantastic.  I first heard it on BBM Radio, which by the way, I listen too so much that I feel there aren't enough newer songs on it right now... 

I am going to have to do an online order catalog for the music on BBM Radio so people can order it via this site as opposed to helping Live 365 cash in some more.  I can usually find much better deals on music than they have, even if the site doesn't earn a percentage of the sale.  BetterMost isn't about cashing in anyway.

Slider is actually an older album that was released by the label and team that also brings you Music from the Hearts of Space, a new age radio show that's been on the air since I was in high school in the 1980s.  It's an outstanding show, especially for relaxation.  When I first got Slider (it's the slide guitar instrumental album for those who don't know), I really wasn't impacted much by it.  I was more of a space music/electronic fan than the western sound of Slider.  But then movie events like BBM happen and you develop a total new appreciation for things you used to ignore (and I was openly hostile to C&W anyway).

Yes, there needs to be a major playlist overhaul.  It's on my list - finding new instrumentals is a major problem, however.  There is not a whole lot of music that sounds BBM that is instrumental - at least I haven't found much.

There’s a load of fine music on BBM Radio... I ordered "Sand and Water" (again can’t recall the woman singer/song writer’s name, but she’s hot) today and several other albums.  I love Steve Earle on the soundtrack.  The way he speaks, his accent I mean, is so downhome-cowboy-folk-rock-americana!

Earle's pronounciation of "ginral stor" for "general store" alone did it for me.  It definitely gave the song street cred.

[Rayn]

Hi Phillip,

About Steve Earl... Yes, that's exactly what I like too... the way he says "ginral stor" for "general store" ... it's great.  So, I ordered "The Essential Steve Earl" today.  Hey, how did you know I was listening to Live at 365 ??  I'm wondering...  Is that the only way to get the station.  Oh, I guess people can connect through Better Most site too, right?  And say, by the way, is Better Most a real company?  Does it really sell beans?  I never seen 'em before....

Rayn

[Phillip Dampier]

Hi Phillip,

About Steve Earl... Yes, that's exactly what I like too... the way he says "ginral stor" for "general store" ... it's great.  So, I ordered "The Essential Steve Earl" today.  Hey, how did you know I was listening to Live at 365 ??  I'm wondering...  Is that the only way to get the station.  Oh, I guess people can connect through Better Most site too, right?  And say, by the way, is Better Most a real company?  Does it really sell beans?  I never seen 'em before....

The BBM Radio service is programmed by and run by me.

I never but Steve Earle's song on BBM Radio because, like the Linda Ronstadt track on the soundtrack, it doesn't fit.  It's a fine song (and there are many versions of Steve Earle's song for BBM - most are sung much slower.  I think that his version came out during the dancing disco era influenced the fact his version is uptempo and you can dance to it, whereas most of the other versions are sung almost as a ballad).

BetterMost the web site was named because it was the only thing in the film that wasn't trademarked.  Hollywood lawyers protect intellectual property quite a bit these days, and I didn't want to start a site and then get into a legal quagmire over the name, so I chose BetterMost.  Unfortunately, if you didn't know any better, you'd think I was on an ego trip with a name like that.  And even for moviegoers, few probably paid much attention to the bean can label.  But it was clever enough to run with, and here we are.

Problem two was that bettermost.com was already taken by a Chinese medical products company, so I got stuck with .net, and that is definitely a minus because most people automatically assume any url ends in .com.  But we've been moving up in the Google results so anyone typing Brokeback Mountain forum can find us.

There is no BetterMost brand or bean company.

[bbm_stitchbuffyfan]

I remember when I first heard about this forum, I immediately connected it to the bean can label. Just thought I'd mention it...

I have the soundtrack as well and I think it's pretty great. I think "A Love That Will Never Grow Old," "He Was a Friend of Mine," "The Maker Makes," and "I Don't Want to Say Goodbye" are all beautiful country songs (and I've never cared too much about country before) and they are also very moving. I love Gustavo Santaolalla's score; every single score on the soundtrack is so worthwhile, to say the very least (and I chose 'worthwhile' because "Snow," while nice and likable, isn't excellent). "Brokeback Mountain 1 - 2 - 3" is a collection of beautiful scores; "3" actually has moved me to tears many times as has "The Wings" which I think is some of the most beautiful music I have ever heard in my life. I agree it's short but sometimes I fear that if they made it longer it could've tainted the track and I think it's astonishing as it is.

"The Devil's Right Hand" and "King of the Road" are both fun songs and I like them (especially "DRH") but they do not fit with the tone of the movie.

[Drew Kerrigan]

I recently purchased an original BBM OST when I was out with my friends last weekend. I wasn't planning on buying the CD at that time coz we were supposed to be going somewhere else to a friend in need although, I have been scouring the legit record bars in the Metropolis for a copy of the said CD for over 2 months already!   The amazing thing is that in the store were I bought my copy (Tower Records), the BBM OST CD was in line with the weekly "hot tracks", a collection of most sought after audio albums nationwide determined by radio station surveys.

At home, I listened to the whole 17 track CD for 3 rounds non-stop while lying comfortably in my bed. Normally, I'd fell asleep eventually but all those hours listening to the tunes just made me feel more alive.   The following day, I ripped the CD, made MP3s and loaded the audio files in my agency's public server. I'm currently listening to it right now while composing an animated Executive Briefing presentation.

Right now, I feel like dancing to the tune of Linda Ronstadt's "It's So Easy"!   The CD is a worthwhile collector's item indeed! I feel like I can listen to it everyday!   Next on my hunting list would be the original DVD.

[Rayn]

I was sayin' my appreciation of music has gotten wider?  Well, where I had no country/western before, I now have CDs by Steve Earle, Garth Brooks, Pam Tillis, McKnight, Mark Weigle Amy Lou Harris.  I feel almost foolish for never having listened before to C/W Music.  Maybe I wasn't ready for it. 
The songs on "Sevens" are great ; I love "A Friend to Me" and "Belleau Wood" & the entire" Essential Steve Earle" rocks! 

I have more CDs on order!  All thanks to Brokeback Mt. Radio!

Rayn

[TJ]

I am waiting for someone to prove that there was more to the "Water-Walking Jesus" "hymn" that was written by James McMurtry.

I used the subtitle program of the DVD and copied down what Jack Twist sang.

Water-Walking Jesus

I know that I shall meet you on that final day;

Water-walking Jesus, take me away!

In that "Ultimate Brokeback Mountain Movie Forum," there were quite a few members who voiced their complaints about the Country and Western Music in the movie. But, the types of music which the guys liked were C&W types or cross-over C&W ones.

Actually, there is Western music, Country Music, Rock-A-Billy Music and Gospel Music in the story and the movie, too.

In the 1950s and 1960s, many Country artists sang every type of music as I mentioned in the above sentence. Marty Robbins was one of those types of singers as well as Elvis Presley and Roger Miller.

Marty Robbins recorded "White Sportcoat and Pink Carnation," which was a high school prom song and he sang it on a Dick Clark evening TV show and also on the Steve Allen Sunday night show, if I remember correctly. Robbins sang a lot of Old West style ballads, too.

[Rayn]

In the 1950s and 1960s, many Country artists sang every type of music as I mentioned in the above sentence. 

Yeah, even Johnny Cash did rock 'n roll and was really good at rockin'!

Rayn

[DecaturTxCowboy]

Speaking of C & W music...

From the Blues Brothers movie...

Jake: "So uhhh...what kind of music to you play here?"

Dumb blond wife of the tavern owner: "Oh, we play both kinds, country AND western..."

The station I listen to has the tag line, "No Kenny, Toby, or Keith"   Refering to the popular Kenney Chesney (ya ever notice that are no girls in his promtional pictures?), Toby Keith (proof that the more time ya step on a cowboy hat, the flatter it gits), and Keith Urban (from Australia...'nuff said).

[Rayn]

Help! 

I can't figure out who has the prettier voice, Pam Tillis or Teddy Thompson!  I'm so confused I love them equally ... and Pam isn't on the BBM Soundtrack!    I never did think I'd be into C & W Music so much... but I am.

Gone Country...
Rayn

[TJ]

If you are a real fan of Country Music AND Western Music, they are NOT the same genre, and you want to talk about the music which we know or think that Jack Twist and Ennis Del Mar would have sang up on Brokeback Mountain or listened on their radios at home or in their truck, why not go to this link and help out in the discussion?

http://bettermost.net/forum/index.php?topic=1482.0

While the movie Ennis told his daughter that he would go to the church picnic if he did not have to sing, he did attempt to sing songs when he was with Jack upon Brokeback.

Some people are the type that if they have do sing a capella, they really cannot carry much of a tune; but, they can sing on key with musical accompaniment, either as a solo or with others. My mother was one of those people and me, too.

While I never heard my mother do a solo while someone played music, I did sing solos a few times in church and another time when someone played a piano. Oh, in church, I did not volunteer to sing a solo, the pastors of the churches requested it when they heard me singing in church choirs and they were sitting directly in front of me.

[TJ]

From the Blues Brothers movie...

Jake: "So uhhh...what kind of music to you play here?"

Dumb blond wife of the tavern owner: "Oh, we play both kinds, country AND western..."

The station I listen to has the tag line, "No Kenny, Toby, or Keith"   Refering to the popular Kenney Chesney (ya ever notice that are no girls in his promtional pictures?), Toby Keith (proof that the more time ya step on a cowboy hat, the flatter it gits), and Keith Urban (from Australia...'nuff said).

Most of Toby Keith's music is related to the subject of poor white redneck trash and he is quite proud of the trash songs which he sings.

Kenny Chesney's video, "no shoes, no shirt, no problems," after he gets off the boat and goes to an island, there are actually very few women in the video. And, in the quick short clip where he is dancing at a bar, he's not even touching the gal who's dancing in front of him; in the other few moments while on land, he is not even in the same shot as the women are.

I think that Chesney is like Randy Travis; he uses women as a beard to make people think he is a real man, too.

In effect, Randy Travis actually married his substitute mother who became his manager. In a TV interview, before Travis married Lib Hatcher, she acted and even talked like she was his real mother. I have met more than one openly gay person who knew Randy Travis and they had proof about his private life back in Tennesse. Travis used to own two ranches there and that was before he got married.

Although Keith Urban performs for American country music fan audiences, he is not an American Country Singer at all.