Per Discogs.com, the lyrics of "Rainbow Serpent" are adapted from a traditional song of the Malibhir clan. So why add them to a track that sounds like the opening score of Blade Runner? What was the goal here? Why combine Aboriginal folk songs with modern musical production?
Waak Waak ga Min Min isn't bad. It sounds quite nice for the most part, but it never sounds greater than the sum of its parts. The Aboriginal folk singing is fine. The music is pleasant at best and inoffensive at worst. The combination, though, does nothing to enhance either.
I know traditional world music can be successfully combined with pop beats. A contemporaneous example is 1996's "The Face of Love" by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (greatest Qawwali singer of his generation) and Eddie Vedder (pickle enthusiast). I love that song. Actually, now that I think about it, it seems likely that producer Peter Mumme was trying to copy that formula with Waak Waak ga Min Min. The Dead Man Walking soundtrack hit #22 on Australia's ARIA chart. That's more popular than in any other country. Much like barbecue, Australians seem to like "The Face of Love" even more than I do. In 1997, it probably seemed like an easy cash grab.
I guess I figured out the goal, and it's kind of a bummer. Still sounds good, though.
Rating: 🐦⬛🐦⬛🐦⬛
3 out 5 black crows
No comments:
Post a Comment