I Like to Score

by

Moby

Edit

I bought this CD after listening to Play what seemed like 100 times. I knew after listening to that special album that I had to have more of the Little Idiot. Several people on Amazon recommended I Like to Score to be the next CD to get after Play. It took a couple of more listens than Play and not every track is as strong as Play but it is still a solid album. Here's the track listing: 1) Novio -- Not on any other previous Moby album. It was from the movie, Double Tap. It starts with piano and then has some chants. It's like alot of Moby's other ambient pieces. 2) James Bond Theme (Moby's Re-version) -- This was supposed to appear in the James Bond movie, Tomorrow Never Dies, but for some inexplicable reason it was left off hence the term "inspired". This is without a doubt one of the best tracks on this album and one of Moby's all-time best. It is fast, furious, and fun. 3) Go -- Actually not appearing in any movie, Go contains elements from Laura Palmer's Theme from the now defunct TV show, Twin Peaks. This song is Moby's most famous early song. It has also appeared on his CDs: Moby, Early Underground(completely different version from what's here), and Rare(which features 14 different versions of it!) It's a very good techno track which is what he was known for in his earlier career. 4) Ah-Ah -- A song that first appeared on the Moby album. It was featured in the movie, Cool World. This version has been re-recorded and sounds 20 times better than what is on Moby. Another great techno track. 5) I Like to Score -- Another song that was in Double Tap and not on any other previous Moby album. It is a funky instrumental track that always reminds me of Shaft. 6) Oil 1 -- A song that was in The Saint; it also does not appear on any other Moby album. I really like this song as it is a fast-paced dance song with a woman doing great moaning sounds in the background. 7) New Dawn Fades -- A song that was in Heat; it is also like a couple of the others in that it does not appear on any previous Moby albums. A track that is not dance or techno to say the least, this is angry Moby with guitars blazing. I think this track is a better guitar track than anything on his predominant alt rock CD, Animal Rights. 8) God Moving Over the Face of the Waters -- A track that appeared on Everything Is Wrong and in the movie Heat. This version has been edited a little bit compared to what was on Everything Is Wrong. It is a great example of symbolic music and one of my favorite tracks. 9) First Cool Hive -- Another track that appeared on Everything Is Wrong and in the movie Scream. This track has also appeared on commercials. It's a great dance track with a woman humming in the background ala Enigma. Another one of my favorite tracks. 10) Nash -- A very short track that was in Double Tap and had not appeared on any previous Moby album. This piece is too short to really be judged. 11) Love Theme -- From the movie, Joe's Apartment, this is a beautiful instrumental piece that once again makes its debut on this CD. A very soothing piece to listen to. 12) Grace -- From the movie, Space Water Onion, it's the final track and yet another that had not appeared on any previous Moby album. It's strictly an ambient piece that reminds me alot of Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001: Space Odyessy Theme).

In summary, the top-notch tracks are #2, #3, #4, #6, #7, #8, #9, and #11. However, the remaining tracks are good, too. Only 4 of the 12 tracks have appeared on previous Moby albums, so it's worth your money and time to invest in this product. Although this CD is no Play, no CD by Moby will ever be "another Play". However, I Like to Score showcases Moby's many different styles--techno, pop, ambient, and hard rock. If you liked Play and Moby in general, then this is a mandatory selection for your CD collection.

I didn't know too much about Moby until I picked up his recent hit album "Play." That album is brilliant and inspired me to dip into his catalog. "I Like to Score" was the second Moby CD I purchased and it is probably not the best choice for a casual Moby fan. It collects together various songs he's recorded for movies as well as his takes on a few themes, most notably James Bond and "Go," which samples music from Twin Peaks. These two songs were highlights for me. The remainder were ok songs that make nice chill out music or background noise, but most of it doesn't stand on its own particularly well. I was also disappointed by the liner notes. Moby includes an essay that he wrote and I was hoping that it would describe his inspiration for this music or how he became involved in these various projects. Instead, Moby rants against cultural conservatism. His points are often on target and Moby is a well-known advocate for the liberal view point, but including such an essay on a CD of music from Hollywood movies seems a bit out of place! Overall worthwhile, but I'm sure that Moby has other better CD's in his catalog.