Review: Nightmare Revisited

Nightmare Revisited- Various Artists

by: Sabrina G

In the spirit of Halloween and all things October… I decided to do a review of a very interesting album. Flash back to me in eighth grade (goth makeup, lots of black, obsessed with the macabre and a Hot Topic junkie – it’s funny how little has changed if I’m being perfectly honest). I remember being beyond excited for the release of this album.
I got to my nearest Borders Bookstore (RIP) and bought it because… I had to have it. I had to have… Nightmare Revisited. The soundtrack to The Nightmare Before Christmas redone by a score of artists. Now I don’t want to use the term “dated” because it really isn’t but… this is from 2008 so a few of these bands have slipped from the public eye (I’m looking at you Plain White T’s) and some were new to me at the time (or are still relatively obscure). If this album was made today I’m guessing that the artists appearing would be a little different, which is why I feel like the term dated might be ok to use here due to that one reason.

So flashback to me at thirteen – raccoon eyeliner, TRIPP pants, wristbands all the way up my arms, Invader Zim T-shirt – hearing this album for the first time. I was OBSESSED. I listened non-stop. Especially from October 1st to December 31st. But why? Is the album really THAT good? Was that just my thirteen year old brain reacting to the Nightmare Before Christmas tag on the album? I don’t think so. Now, six years later (HAS IT REALLY BEEN THAT LONG), after I’ve started listening to it some more… I can say that it holds up for the most part.

When I was younger I was a bit narrow-minded with my musical choices (if it wasn’t punk, alt rock, or classic rock that was certified cool by me it was probably lame). I understand that I had a staunch subjective opinion that edged on very stubborn at times. I wasn’t very willing to expand my horizons because I was comfortable in my own little bubble. I don’t have much of a bubble anymore so I think it’s safe to say that I’ve grown out of my stage of mild music snobbery. Obviously that kind of thing is going to happen; people have opinions and it’s hard to really bypass them. But anyway… the reason I mention my approach to music in the past is because I think this album is actually something that helped open me up to new things. In retrospect I’m really amazed at how much diversity you can find on this album. You have a range from Marilyn Manson to amiina to RJD2 to Yoshida Brothers. It’s a very eclectic album and I think that it works really well. So it definitely gets a point for being an interesting mush of artists.

When you have something like a compilation album, it’s not always easy to review as a whole. This is a little different than a compilation album because it’s one unified and concrete idea… but it is split up among different artists. That being said, I think a short track-by-track style review is in order.

1)      Overture – DeVotchKa
This is a very strong start to the album. It opens things up nicely and includes the little musical motifs that appear throughout (though I suppose Danny Elfman is to thank for the actual MUSIC of this whole thing…)

2)      Opening – Danny Elfman
I don’t have much to say here. It’s a spoken intro. Nice.

3)      This Is Halloween – Marilyn Manson.
Classic Manson. Really. This song was like written for an eventual Marilyn Manson cover. Hearing the different characters in Manson’s voice is actually somewhat creepy; it’s a subtle change between like the “clown with the tear away face” and the “wind blowing through your hair” but it’s enough to make it interesting.

4)      Jack’s Lament – The All-American Rejects
I can’t listen to this one without doing some seriously stupid and dramatic lip syncing. The thing I really like about it is the way that Tyson Ritter gets the character down. It might just be because I’ve seen this movie about fifty times too many but it’s easy to visualize Jack Skellington during this track.

5)      Doctor Finkelstein/In The Forest – amiina
This track is probably my favorite. It takes one of the subtler songs in the film and makes it this big beautiful thing. I don’t know what else to say aside from BEAUTIFUL.

6)      What’s This? – Flyleaf
Not one of my favorites. It does grow on you after a while and I will fully acknowledge the good vocal performance. The thing that kind of get to me is the lack of enthusiasm. It comes up after a certain point but in the film, this song is colorful and full of excitement. In comparison this one… is not. It’s good. But with the film in mind… not quite as much.

7)      Town Meeting Song – The Polyphonic Spree
Another one I’m not too fond of. It’s definitely interesting but it kind of drags. To put things into perspective: the film version of this song is a lively three minutes, this one… is nearly nine minutes long. It picks up at a certain point and upon more listening I do like it. It’s just a little too drawn out, if that makes sense. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, I just don’t see why it’s so long.

8)      Jack and Sally Montage – Vitamin String Quartet
Ah the song that launched an obsession with VSQ. I really love this one. It’s kind of self-explanatory as to why. It’s pretty and somehow very fun to listen to.

9)      Jack’s Obsession – Sparklehorse
I can’t fully explain why but this one has never been a favorite. It makes the song a bit too chill and toned down. And, yet again, it takes a song that’s about three minutes long and stretches it out to a bit over five. That can work… but not always.

10)      Kidnap the Sandy Claws – Korn
YES. Another one that requires some obnoxious lip synching and mild head banging. Somehow this one makes so much sense. It’s like perfect. Hardcore and a little creepy but just… right.

11)     Making Christmas – Rise Against
Another one that just works somehow. I really like this one. No real reason. It’s just kind of fun and also very fitting.

12)     Nabbed – Yoshida Brothers
This is the way to turn a three minute song into a seven minute wonder. It’s a neat track, sort of electronica but also has somewhat of a jazz feel at times… it’s just interesting.

13)      Oogie Boogie’s Song – Rodrigo y Gabriela
Another one I like a lot but don’t know how to fully explain why. I think the cool thing about this is the fact that it was a song with vocals and now it’s just instrumental. So it’s pretty neat to hear that change.

14)     Sally’s Song – Amy Lee
Angelic. Otherworldly. Beautiful. Guh. I love Amy Lee’s voice. This is almost all voice. It’s just haunting and emotional and… lovely. Simply gorgeous.

15)     Christmas Eve Montage – RJD2
This was kind of my first big exposure to any kind of electronica and… I fell in love. I really love the guitar parts as well so it’s a nice mix of some more traditional rock elements and then electronica. (Favorite part starts around the 1:35 mark and lasts until around 2:10. Just sayin’.)

16)     Poor Jack – Plain White T’s
This one is pretty solid. The thing I like is the fact that Tom Higgenson’s voice kind of matches up with Tyson Ritter’s in a way… so it’s nice to have a tie between the first solo Jack Skellington song and the last.

17)     To the Rescue – Datarock
Another solid track. It’s not a favorite so I don’t have too much to say about it. I think it works well, sounds good… it’s just pretty damn good.

18)     Finale/Reprise – Shiny Toy Guns
I’ve only recently started to really like this song. During earlier listens I just didn’t really enjoy it too much for some reason but I’ve definitely warmed up. It’s not a stand out favorite but I can say that I’ve gotten more of a positive opinion over the years.

19)     Closing – Danny Elfman
Yet again, a spoken closer. Not too much to say. You go Danny Elfman.

20)     End Title – The Album Leaf
This is just a pretty song. It has all of the musical motifs appear again, which is always something I love (again, credit to Elfman). It’s just lovely.

Now that being said, I really would recommend giving this album a listen (especially if you like The Nightmare Before Christmas). It’s very interesting, incredibly diverse, and overall a solid album.