For the second installment of music from his smash HBO show,
The Sopranos creator
David Chase has assembled a two-disc compilation that mixes classic rock nuggets such as
Van Morrison's "Gloria" with eclectic fare such as Madreblu's lush "Certamente," an electro-pop tune with vocals that suggest an Italian Dido. The soundtrack opens with a fascinating cross-pollination of
Henry Mancini's noir-ish instrumental "Peter Gunn" theme and
the Police's stalker ode "Every Breath You Take," and throughout the album Chase adeptly mixes in allusions to organized-crime icons -- both directly via dialogue from the series and indirectly through the selection of songs. Among the obvious instances are
Cake's rumbling tribute to
Frank "Chairman of the Board" Sinatra; Ol' Blue Eyes himself delivering the bossa nova-flavored "Baubles, Bangles and Beads"; and
Bob Dylan lightly swinging through Dean Martin's "Return to Me." Even cast members Steven Van Zandt (the guitarist with
Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band) and Dominic Chianese join this genre-busting mix:
Little Steven and his band, the Lost Boys, contribute the Boss-like rocker "Affection," while Chianese (a.k.a. Uncle Junior) croons and whistles his way through the Italian folk song "Core'ngrato." Rounded out by the moody pop of
Tindersticks, the deep soul of
Otis Redding, the operatic stylings of
Cecilia Bartoli, and the country twang of
Kasey Chambers,
Peppers & Eggs is a musical offer you can't refuse.
Dave Gil de Rubio
