Blog: Drive Re-scored

If you talk to a person who have seen Drive, you will 99% of the time be told about how fantastic the soundtrack to it is. The kind of soundtrack that perfectly suits the film, that you could not imagine it with any other songs playing than those already selected. So when it was announced that BBC Three were going to air the film with a new soundtrack, re-scored by Radio One DJ Zane Lowe, it's understandable that the news was met unfavourably. Granted, a number of the people watching the film for the first time would be experiencing it without the revered soundtrack, but the intention of this is to provide an alternative experience to the film, not to put a definitive stamp on it. Also, it should be noted that Drive director Nicolas Winding-Refn gave his approval towards the new soundtrack, which is definitely worth something.


Radio 1's Rescore Of The Movie 'Drive': A Valiant Idea That Ultimately Falls Flat


For those accustomed to the Drive soundtrack, it is initially a strange experience. It is initially jarring that Nightcall by Kavinsky doesn't play after the opening scene, but once you settle into things, it's a fascinating experience. You can tell that the songs have been selected with care, and for the most part, it works.

In the place of Under Your Spell is Pretty Boy, by The Neighbourhood. It aims to also show the feelings Irene and The Driver share for one another while Standard makes his return, but proves to not be as effective as Desire's song. Bring Me The Horizon's Don't Look Now is an out of place addition, especially when inserted into a scene that didn't require a song played over in the first place.

The most well known song is undoubtably A Real Hero, by College, and the replacement was going to be the biggest test in regards to this experience. Medicine by The 1975 was selected, and it's a perfect choice. The idea of the scene A Real Hero plays over is to show the normal life The Driver wants to have with Benecio and Irene, and Medicine is just as effective at showcasing that very thing.

Howl (Supermoon) isn't given enough time to truly shine, but Bastille's The Driver does fantastic when played over one of the later scenes. SBTRKT's Untitled song does work in showing Driver's distress at the lifestyle that's dragging him further and further from the life he wishes for, and the aptly titled Hammer Time provides tremendous build up to the scene you'd expect it to be played at.

At the end of the day, Zane Lowe has crafted an intriguing experiment that provides an alternative experience to a film which has such a definitive experience in the first place. Granted, the soundtrack pales in comparison to what was originally used, but is still solid as an alternative version of the film. If you want to experience any of the songs, they can be found individually here at the Radio One website.

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