Soundtrack Spotlight: To Live and Die in LA - Wang Chung

"What they recorded has not only enhanced the film - it has given it a deeper, more powerful dimension." - William Friedkin

By the time I had gotten around to watching Friedkin's 'To Live and Die in LA', it was probably some time around the late 90's or early 2000's, at a time when The Exorcist was having a serious dose of re-assessment due to it finally getting a release in the UK on home video. My initial feeling  was one of being less than impressed - it just all seemed a bit 'pedestrian' for Friedkin, the man had, after all, directed one of the best 'rogue cop' movies ever, in the shape of The French Connection - and the film faded from my memory. 

But for some reason, a few years later, I had the sudden urge to see it again, and swiftly picked up the DVD release. What I had initially dismissed as a half-hearted cash in on the already stale 'Dirty Harry' sub genre seemed so much wilder, fresher and exhilarating on that second viewing. So much worked about the film - the acting, the glorious LA cinematography, the wild violence and action - but what really helped glue the film together and give it plenty of personality was the excellent soundtrack by Wang Chung.

Wang Chung were an English new-wave group consisting of Jack Hues and Nick Feldman. They had a string of hits throughout the 80's, and had songs appear on several high profile films, including The Breakfast Club and Innerspace. The soundtrack itself is split in two, with side one taking up the vocal tracks, and the instrumental pieces going to the second side. The vocal tracks are excellent, with highlights including the surprisingly subdued title track - 'To Live and Die in LA', the darker, dance floor-ish 'Wake up, Stop Dreaming', and the excellent, moody pop of 'Wait'. Flipping over to side two gives us the energetic 'City of Angels' (remember that title sequence involving unusual art, money, street dealers and moody looking New Wave chicks?) that really sets the tone for the whole film. The remaining tracks are excellent synth-based scoring pieces that suited the film perfectly. 

The soundtrack was eventually released as the official third album for Wang Chung, and met with moderate success. Overall, the film is quite underrated in the excellent body of Friedkin's work. If you have yet to re-discover this one for yourself, get stuck in as quickly as you can. As the man himself said of the score in the album notes;

"While mixing the soundtrack I was struck by the inseparable flow of one musical piece into another. Listening to the album, just now I discovered, to my surprise, that each track also stands out on its own - and delivers its own statement. For me this is not just an exciting film score, but a fine album of modern music."