One of the greatest soundtracks of all time#
The soundtrack to David Lynch’s 1997 thriller Lost Highway is a rare case of a soundtrack that can be enjoyed without ever seeing the movie. Of course, it definitely enhances the experience, but for years I enjoyed tracks from this album independent of the movie. The soundtrack album features cuts from artists such as Nine Inch Nails (Trent Reznor produced the soundtrack), David Bowie, Lou Reed, and The Smashing Pumpkins, as well as cuts from the score and short interludes with dialogue from the film.
The album opens and closes with the fairly obscure Bowie track I’m Deranged, from his underrated gem of an album Outside, an intense cut that encapsulates Bowie’s industrial-influenced era work. The opening and closing versions of the song are edited differently, and cap off the album in a great way.
While it only gets a limited appearance in the film, Nine Inch Nails’ The Perfect Drug is an iconic song that incorporates drum-and-bass elements into the NIN blend of industrial rock that Trent has refined up until this point. The drum breakdown is the part that appears in the movie, and it’s arguably the best part of the song anyways.
Lou Reed’s cover of This Magic Moment is the standout track for me, and one of my favorite Lou Reed songs in general. It’s an incredibly moving piece of music, and I can perfectly picture the scene where Lynch drops the needle on this track. Reed’s gritty voice that usually sung songs that are frankly pretty bleak cuts through this song super well – the juxtaposition is incredible.
Eye by The Smashing Pumpkins is very interesting - it’s a great track, but it sort of shows the path that Billy Corgan would later follow down favoring synths over traditional instruments. Again, it’s stellar, but it’s a warning of what’s to come later in his career, similar to The End Is The Beginning Is The End from Batman and Robin. On the deluxe edition of Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness, you can find a super raw and haunting piano version of this track.
There’s no shortage of great songs on this album, and almost any of them could be a standout. It’s a great driving album, and I often find myself skipping around and replaying specific tracks in the car. Mr. Eddy’s Theme 1 definitely makes for an intense ride.
Favorite Track: This Magic Moment