Loading ...
I’ve so far enjoyed ABC’s adaptation of the BBC “detective sent back to the ’70s for the dual purposes of solving crimes and wearing awesome outfits” show Life On Mars, in part because I am a sucker for a well-done, well-cast cop show. (Hey, it’s nice that someone figured out a good way to use Michael Imperioli. Here’s hoping this keeps him away from Law & Order for good.) And it’s also in part because the show’s use of music has been pretty great. The pilot scored a chase scene with the Sweet’s “Little Willy,” while last week’s episode started and ended with Mott The Hoople’s “All The Way From Memphis”–a use that was effective enough that I bought the song from iTunes about five minutes after the episode ended, and thought to myself, “This show is so going to fill the ‘as heard on TV’ slot that’s been vacant on Idolator since Veronica Mars got canceled.”
Somehow I didn’t piece together the fact that part of the first episode was scored with a song from Chris Cornell’s Scream, mainly because “Ground Zero” didn’t sound all that bad in its shredded-for-TV form. Anyway, the full video, with Cornell walking around what I guess is supposed to be “’70s New York” but what I’m pretty sure is “present-day Astoria” thanks to all the parking notices taped up around the neighborhood, is below.
If only there was a show where a detective got sent back to 1987 Seattle, right?
And what the heck, here’s that Mott The Hoople song, so we’re caught up for tomorrow’s inevitable post on “Stuck In The Middle With You!”
It’s almost criminal that my first exposure to this song was via a hard-rock not-really-all-that-supergroup, eh?
All the Way from Memphis Mott The Hoople [YouTube]
Life On Mars Chris Cornell Ground Zero Music Video [YouTube]
I think there’s a new series in Britain called “Ashes To Ashes”, which progresses the “Life On Mars” story to the 80’s. The 90’s one obviously should be called “Little Wonder”.
this is the first new song of cornell’s that i’ve liked since i heard that he was collaborating with timbaland. i assume this is going to be on the record… right?
@moomintroll: If the producers really wanted to complete the thread, they should have
“>Jemaine Clement pop up on the show every week in a dream sequence.
Sorry, let’s try that again…
If the producers really wanted to complete the thread, they should have Jemaine Clement pop up on the show every week in a dream sequence:
@Chris Molanphy: Ha ha awesome. Michael Imperioli should get an eye patch or something.
I’ve thought the show has been OK, but yeah, totally agree that the use of music has been superb.
@moomintroll: [strummmm] “Wear the eye patch, Mike/Wear the funky, funky eye patch…”
god…this show…this fucking show is awful.
but, yeah, i agree the music is pretty great.
That video totally gives off a Saturday Night Fever vibe, doesn’t it?