'The Nightmare Before Christmas' was special. Before its 1993 release there'd been nothing quite like it... and there's been nothing quite like it since. It's not everyday that you come upon a dark but whimsical stop motion animation musical by a major director. More than ten years later, the movie has amassed a large and loyal fan base that is unflinching in their obsession and I am one of the many that make up their ranks.
When I heard about the new digitally remastered DVD and Blu-Ray coming out with never-before-seen special features, I was ridiculously excited. When I heard about Nightmare Revisted, an entire album of covers of the well-known and loved songs from the original soundtrack, I was incredibly apprehensive. Fortunately, the album turned out to be much better than I had expected - though I'd have to add my standards were pretty damn low.
The album has twenty tracks - and fortunately only two true nightmares. Sorry, I simply couldn't resist that one. Keeping with a gruesome Halloween-y theme, All American Rejects bloodily butchered one of my favorite songs from the original movie, "Jack's Lament". Tyson Ritter's vocals on this track are at best, mediocre and at worst, grating. His delivery lacks the emotion necessary for a song that is all about despair. Musically, the band did absolutely nothing unexpected or interesting to save the song from the shameful vocals. Awful. Awful. Awful. Easily the album's worst track.
Coming in at a close second for auditory misery is Flyleaf. They covered "What's This?" and I couldn't agree more. As a fan of Flyleaf, this sad attempt was all the more painful for me. Lacey Mosley sounds almost unrecognizable. You can tell the strain of screaming onstage is taking its toll on her voice. She starts the song sounding inappropriately bored rather than bedazzled and the track only gets slightly better as we go on. However, vocals aside, Flyleaf struck an interesting balance between their signature sound and the original sound of the song. Thematically it was a good song choice for Flyleaf as it is all about coming from a place of ugliness and finding beauty; it's all about being saved. Though the track had major potential, they missed the mark with this one.
The majority of the songs on the album are good though just missing the mark on being truly spectacular. Though they may not be as mind-blowing as we would have liked, they are definitely interesting and ambitious covers with very varied results. DeVotchKa brings a Gogol Bordello vibe to "Overture" while the Yoshida Brothers manage to blend a traditional Japanese sound with jazz and a touch of hip hop in "Nabbed". Shiny Toy Guns offer a slightly creepy, very dreamy, deconstructed take on "Finale/Reprise". Sparklehorse, a band whose sound is as offbeat and trippy as its name, provide a unique take on "Jack's Obsession". Whether I mean that in a good or a bad way, even I'm not sure yet.
If nothing more, the album will provoke nostalgia for the movie and works well as a teaser showcase for the artists involved. In many cases my interest was piqued in hearing more of their original work, where they wouldn't feel constrained by doing cover versions.
So I don't leave fellow Nightmare fans in too much distress, I've saved the standout tracks for last. The first is from Rodrigo y Gabriella, a wonderful Mexican duo who play beautiful acoustic guitar. Their take on "Oogie Boogie's Song" is fresh and original and my favourite song on the album.
Coming in at a very close second is "Sally's Song" as performed by Amy Lee of Evanescence. Though I'm not the biggest fan of her original music, her vocals are beautiful and haunting, with the music following suit. The music has a light quality which transforms as Amy goes towards a deep, dark sound in the choruses and gets even more intense in the breakdown. Great job on her part. For even more beautiful "Sally's Song" renditions, check out Fiona Apple's cover that came out with the re-release of the soundtrack in 2006.
Manson's cover of "This Is Halloween", also off of the 2006 re-release, was recycled for this compilation and for good reason. It synchs perfectly with Manson's style as well as with the playful but dangerous feeling of the original and though it's slightly less heavy than some of his original work, it's great nonetheless.
KoRn also makes an appearance on the album, pumping their nu-metal magic into "Kidnap the Sandy Claws" and making the song totally their own. I've always felt that the band's strength lies in their breakdowns and this song is no exception. It was difficult for me to refrain from breaking into a headbang during various parts of the song. All in all, an awesome track.
Last but definitely not least is The Polyphonic Spree. Sounding epic as ever, their cover of "Town Meeting Song" is larger than life and the longest track on the album at a somewhat insane nine minutes and forty nine seconds. They altered the melody a bit but it works well for their sound. The song unfolds like a story would, and it's mesmerizing 'till the end. Harps, horns, guitars and a children's choir provide interest, and as The Polyphonic Spree move from soft to loud, slow to fast, they constantly keep us guessing. Fun!
Despite its low points, Nightmare Revisited is an interesting, essential and canny addition to the Nightmare franchise, packed with a few unmissable tracks. If you loved the movie, you owe it to yourself to give it a listen.
This article was originally posted on and edited by Mookychick and was re-edited for this blog.
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