Welcome to my third favourite Dune Soundtrack LP! Written and performed, mostly, by Toto, who you may remember from such epic radio jams as ‘Africa’ and ‘Hold the Line’! Look, the movie’s a bit confusing as the studio hired David Lynch then screwed around with his script and unfortunately it stars that fella from that band, but there’s big giant-y tapeworms in it! What’s not to like?!
Actually I’m being mean, Toto were absolutely consummate musicians who at one point were involved in no fewer than 42 of the Top 40 singles in the US charts during one particular week in 1982, possibly. The film is a dog’s dinner of compromised vision vs. commerce albeit with some really good bits in; a bit like life itself, I would proffer.
Not remembering the soundtrack at all from seeing all 17 hours of the 1984 film version, I was curious about it ever since I learned about a decade ago that it was written and performed by Toto*. Last year RSD 2020 gave me a once in a lifetime opportunity to buy Toto Dune on spice coloured vinyl**, with an enormous poster of the, not very good, LP cover thrown in.
Dune opens really well with ‘Prologue’ where Virginia Madsen^, Princess Irulan in the film rather handily narrates a precis of the first 100 pages-ish of the novel in 1:48. It’s geekily great and sets you up for a Bladerunner/Flash Gordon-style words and music style soundtrack, which never happens. The only other dialogue found here is to set the scene on ‘The Floating Fat Man (The Baron)’ to equally good affect. They miss a trick here, it isn’t a coincidence that Vangelis and Queen turned in two of my favourite ever sci-fi soundtracks that way.
But I digress, there are some really good atmospheric pieces here like the ‘Main Title’, the mildly jarring ‘Robot Fight’ and the tension heavy ‘The Box’. All is helped no end by the integration of the band’s sound with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Marty Paich – father of Toto keys man David Paich.
Incidentally, as you may expect it is Paich junior who is the most prominent member of Toto on this album, along with Steve Porcaro; sci-fi soundtrack = keyboards. Although it has to be said that the excellent Jeff Porcaro also adds his swing to several tracks here.
It all leads to the absolute zenith of the LP, ‘Prophecy Theme’ by Brian Eno, Roger Eno and Daniel Lanois. It is a beautiful, shimmering piece of music, possibly my very favourite short Eno piece, very much in the mould of the previous year’s Apollo: Atmospheres And Soundtracks. Sorry Toto.
The second side of Dune offers us less. There are three tracks with the name of Sting’s character in the title, none of them are any good – surely Sting’s acting is not so abominable that this is a knock-on effect? I am not ruling it out. ‘Dune (Desert Theme)’ is rather good, stirring stuff albeit a little pedestrian and ‘Final Dream’ which features elements of the Vienna Volksoper Choir is darned epic.
Toto blow it for me with ‘Take My Hand’ which sounds uncannily like the musical backing for a Chicago B-side, thankfully before Peter Cetera had a chance to croon his mellifluous mush all over it.
Dune is an LP that really does have its moments, unfortunately for Toto, the very best of these belong to the Eno boys and the VSO. If only they had cobbled together some more sounds from the movie and stopped titling tracks ‘Paul …’ then it could have been even better.
I’m off to lick the spice coloured vinyl to see if I gain the ability to fold space.
1102 Down.
PS: Some insaniac has looped ‘Prophecy Theme’ for over three hours in this clip, now you have read this you are contractually bound to play it all the way through, thrice:
PPS: Since you ask Z’s version is my favourite Dune soundtrack.
*It’s gonna take a lot to drag me away from you
There’s nothing that a hundred fremen or more could ever do
I bless the rains down in Arrakis
Gonna take some time to do the things we never had (ooh, ooh)
**a difficult to describe orange-y, beige as it happens. I really don’t see what the Navigator’s Guild see in the stuff.
^a major 1537 crush, mostly for Candyman and Sideways. (sighs wistfully).
I was never into this movie much so I know nothing of the soundtrack. However I will share it with my pals.
Ménage à Troi was one of the best Star Trek episodes.
Wasn’t it you Mike who was telling me about the Jodorowsky attempt at Dune?
(I’ve seen the new one now btw and it’s very good indeed)
Yes I have the Blu Ray called “Jodorowski’s Dune” and it’s amazeballs.
There’s a very expensive vinyl soundtrack to it too, which I hope gets reissued one day – or that I get infinitely richer; maybe it will be the House 1537 time to act as stewards of Arrakis soon? that should do it.
I’m pretty going to catch hell for even suggesting this, but right now CDs are cheaper than vinyl and ship cheaper too.
No, everything you say is infinitely sensible Mike, it just means that the only place I could listen to it now is my car – my new PC came without any CD/DVD facility at all, which surprised me. I am going to replace my CD player bit of my stereo some day.
My new laptop came without a CD/DVD too. Gotta buy external ones now 🙁
I don’t recall much of Dune – apart from String’s flying codpiece. As much as I enjoy some Lynch it’s not one I’ve ever been inclined to revisit but there’s some good stuff on that soundtrack
Would therapy not help that vision?
It’s no Videodrome, that’s for sure. I saw it aged 13 and I can just remember it being NOT Star Wars.
It’s not a vision I necessarily want to lose
You’re my wife aren’t you? I can tell.
Is her name Brian too?
Never knew you were a big Dune fanboy Joe. Just think of all the conversations we could have had over a pint of Tetleys discussing the finer points of the guild navigators, Mentats, what exactly is the Kwisatz Haderach and why everyone has a mysterious name except Duncan Idaho
Only a semi fanboy. I only read it a few years back – were you a diehard fan from teendom?
Brilliant point about the name btw I’d never thought about that, it’s like he coul;dn’t be quite arsed to think of another space name.
Whatever it contains, that is a lovely piece of limited edition vinyl.
Yup it is, saw the new film btw – really good, very faithful to the book.
Awesome! I said to my lovely wie, they were brave like Jackson and crew were brave taking on LotR. They are so beloved, screw it up and it’s all over!
String! lol
I’m hoping that one makes it onto Discogs somehow (a couple of my alterations have, or were on there for a while).
Ohh. My best Buddy Doug and I have a bit of previous with Dune. He has a hilarious story about taking a girl on a first date to see Lynch’s movie. We’ve done soundtracks, TV series and we are booked in for Sunday for our next dose of punishment. You capture both the absurdity and the fascination of being a Dune fan in your post. And spice coloured vinyl to boot
I once took a girl to see the Accused on a first date. True story. In my defence I knew it was a legal thriller, but that was all. Not a very comfy couple of hours.
Oh. No. Ohhh no
Yup. I had a lot of time to think about how badly I’d screwed up during the film.
Sadly, my phone says “video not available”. Happily I know the Enos’ piece and love it. I appeared (as you may well know) on a 2LP set of Brian’s film music quite recently.
As for the rest? Total agreement. Now, where do I find that spice flavoured vinyl? My eyes are turning blue just at the thought of it.
It appeared. Not me.
The new film is pretty faithful to the book, I enjoyed it.
Does it really say String on the back?
This bad tattoo reminded me of you, because it’s lego and because the number is vaguely similar to 1537 – https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/126703448/prime-minister-jacinda-ardern-meets-her-lego-likeness-on-super-saturday
No, I confess I added that; I often do.
That is a great tattoo and it looks like it may even say ‘1537’ underneath it, What is the thought process behind getting a Lego version of your PM on your shoulder – FOR EVER?
I would take Robert Muldoon – he was a bit of a hottie: https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/capital-life/74476770/drunk-defiant-muldoon-snaps-calls-election—150-years-of-news