Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Great Soundtracks: Man on the Moon


This past year, rumors surfaced that legendary comedian Andy Kaufman was not dead and pulled off the greatest gag and hoax of all time -- convincing the world he was dead. Well, that rumor was just that, a rumor and a great hope. However, in 1998, Kaufman came back to life in the Milos Foreman film, Man on the Moon, when Jim Carey portrayed Kaufman in the biopic about his rise and untimely death. The film, which was more of a drama than comedy, was moved along from a great soundtrack by R.E.M. 

The Athens, Georgia, band had brought Kaufman to a new generation thanks to their 1992 single, "Man on the Moon," and then provided the score and original songs to the film. The music, which was what R.E.M. were dabbling around with at that time, which would be their Up-era, was more electronic, and experimental rather than the guitar and garage sounds fans were accustomed to. While the soundtrack is an unofficial R.E.M. album, it hears the bands versatility to a film and story that is memorable.