Wuthering Heights: Soundtrack (2003)

The classic story of "Wuthering Heights", the one and only novel completed by Emily Brontë and published in the year 1847, has been the inspiration for a whole slew of different adaptations over the years. Among them is the classic 1939 film version with Merle Oberon as Catherine opposite Laurence Olivier as Heathcliff.

In 2003, an updated version based on the coast of Northern California emerged from MTV starring Erika Christensen, Mike Vogel and Christopher Masterson. Directing was Suri Krishnamma with a score by Stephen Trask (author of the rock musical "Hedwig and the Angry Inch"), executive produced and with music produced by none other than Jim Steinman of Wagnerian rock.

I've covered his work before, including his hit albums with Meat Loaf "Bat out of Hell" and "Bat out of Hell II: Back into Hell", his musicals "Tanz der Vampire" and "Whistle down the Wind", his work with Bonnie Tyler, Celine Dion, Air Supply, Barbra Streisand and more. Jim once said: "If you don't go over the top you'll never see what's on the other side."

The dramatic and operatic power of Jim's work, as exemplified in songs like "Total Eclipse of the Heart", “"Making Love Out of Nothing at All", "Holding out for a Hero", and "It's All Coming Back to Me Now", seemed like a promising match for "Wuthering Heights". Indeed, it is well known among fans that "All Coming Back" was inspired by this story. Here is a quote from Jim himself.

QUOTE

"It's All Coming Back to Me Now" is my attempt to write the most passionate, romantic song I could ever write.

I was writing it while under the influence of Wuthering Heights, which is one of my favorite books.

This song is an erotic motorcycle. It's like Heathcliff digging up Cathy's corpse and dancing with it in the cold moonlight. You can't get more extreme, operatic or passionate than that.

I was trying to write a song about dead things coming to life. I was trying to write a song about being enslaved and obsessed by love, not just enchanted and happy with it.

It was about the dark side of love and about the extraordinary ability to be resurrected by it once dead.

It's about obsession, and that can be scary because you're not in control and you don’t know where it's going to stop. It says that, at any point in somebody's life, when they loved somebody strongly enough and that person returns, a certain touch, a certain physical gesture can turn them from being defiant and disgusted with this person to being subservient again. And it's not just a pleasurable feeling that comes back it's the complete terror and loss of control that comes back. And I think that's ultimately a great weapon.

END QUOTE

That was printed on the Jim Steinman Dream Pollution web site in the Original Sin section.

Wow.

I had been vaguely aware that there had been a movie version Jim was writing with screenwriter Patricia Knop (Patricia had also written the book for Jim and Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Whistle down the Wind"). The title of this movie was being referred to as "Total Eclipse of the Heart" which probably would have meant that song would have been used as well. Ultimately, "Total Eclipse" became "Wuthering Heights" in 2003 with a screenplay by Max Enscoe and Annie deYoung.

To this day, I have not seen this movie. I hear different things. I will get around to it someday. 

In the meantime, I arrived home about a week ago to find a parcel sitting on the doorstep which contained the soundtrack EP issued for this film. Rapt kind of explains my reaction here. This CD is a coveted piece of many a Steinmaniac's collection over the years and when it turned up on my doorstep, thanks to one of the brilliant fans in the Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman orbit, I felt like it might have been Christmas.

I put the CD in, with every intention of typing up this review, fully absorbing the Stein-experience in the process. So here are my thoughts, considering this is more of an observation of an album than a soundtrack to a movie I haven't even seen.

"Prelude: The Future Ain’t What It Used to Be (A Cappella)" --- Erika Christensen who plays Cate (this movie's version of Catherine, I mean yeah) sings this A Cappella only version of two of the verses for "Future". Stirring! This ultimately comes full circle with the acoustic piano version at the end.

"More" --- Mike Vogel who plays Heath (Heathcliff) gives us what is probably the heaviest sounding Jim Steinman song I've ever come across. Jim co-wrote it with Andrew Eldritch and it is just phenomenal here. The chorus is the icing on the cake: "And I need all the love I can get/And I need all the love that I can’t get too". Now watch what Jim does next: "And I need all the love I can get/And I need all the love that I can’t get to". "To/too" is more of Jim's lyrical brilliance.

"I Will Crumble" --- Mike sings this version of the Hewitt Huntwork song, and to me this is probably the best song Jim produced that he didn't also write. For this reason alone, this CD should be reissued. It is incredibly beautiful and moving.

"If It Ain't Broke (Break It)" --- Mike once again leads us on another heavy rocker, with some great lines like: "There are designated angels who just might save our souls/They give me words to live by and that’s all that I know". The chorus is a kicker. I'm used to Jim’s songs being longer though, and actually this is part of a longer song called "Only When I Feel", but this does make for a fascinating change.

"Shine" --- Mike sings another song from Hewitt Huntwork. It's unfortunate for me that I have to measure this song against "I Will Crumble" because this is also a good one in its own right.

"The Future Ain't What It Used to Be" --- we end with this haunting acoustic version sung by Erika, with lines like "Were there ever any stars in the sky?/And did the sun ever shine so bright?/Do you have any dreams I could borrow/Just to get me through the lonely night?" It goes on, before the ending just washes over us. "The future just ain't what it used to be/It's never gonna be like it was/The future just ain't what it used to be/I wish it wouldn't come but it does." I'm just going to let those lines speak for themselves.

So that brings us to the end of the EP. And yes, because this is Jim, some of these songs have been recorded before, but that's all part of the Jim Steinman songwriting parlour game, and after all, as someone else once said: A song is a terrible thing to waste.

Thank you for reading,

Ryan.