I'd usually take this time to explain a little bit about Twin Peaks but that can’t be necessary at this point. David Lynch and Mark Frost created one of the weirdest and most beloved television shows ever, forever changing the way mystery, horror, and drama would be portrayed on television. The score is what holds the entire project together, receiving universal critical praise and inspiring endless musicians across genres. A collaboration between composer Angelo Badalamenti and the always hands-on Lynch, the iconic “Love Theme From Twin Peaks” was written in a mere 20 minutes in fall 1989. Lynch remarked “You just wrote 75% of the score. It's the mood of the whole piece. It is Twin Peaks." The rest of their process was nearly as intuitive - Lynch would describe what moods and emotions he wanted the music to evoke, and Badalamenti would begin to improvise on the piano. Some of the motifs were recycled from Lynch and Badalamenti’s collaboration with songwriter, actress, and musician Julee Cruise, a version of her track “Falling” was used as the main theme to the TV series. “Audrey’s Dance” is meandering marimba-based jazz with finger snaps and abstract shuffling percussion. “Night Life In Twin Peaks” is held note rumble with horns shrieking in the distance, “Dance of the Dream Man” is a more straightforward jazz track but becomes sublime through repetition. This music was only released on CD format in the 90’s, leading to a proliferation of bootlegs and deluxe reissues alike in the past decade. Superior 2017 European reissue; word on the street is that this sounds better than the previous versions on Death Waltz. Recommended.

• 180g black vinyl pressing
• European import
• remastered audio
• original release year: 1990
  
• music label: Warner Bros 2017

reviewed by KELLY MCCLURE 02/2020