I finally saw Filth for the first time last night. It wasn't a surprise that it was a pretty dark affair - Irvine Welsh doesn't tend to write light-hearted books and people rarely get Clint Mansell involved on the soundtrack unless the film is pretty messed up.
I bought the soundtrack about a year and a half ago having been a fan of Clint Mansell's soundtracks ever since watching Pi many years back. The fact that he was in Pop Will Eat Itself came as quite the surprise and never fails to amuse me - the same guy who wrote Can U Dig It? and BulletProof! also composed Lux Aeterna.
It was quite strange watching the film for the first time despite knowing the soundtrack so well. The most noticeable thing was that I knew something significant was going to happen long before it did because I knew the score was going to get more dramatic. It's not necessarily the best way to watch a film, but I don't think it took away from my enjoyment.
As a record, the soundtrack lived up to my expectations - I bought it knowing it'd make for an enjoyable, dramatic, instrumental album. I listen to a lot of instrumental music at work and it certainly works well in that setting; periodically grabs your attention but also encourages you. The main theme in particular, which reappears throughout with increased tension, is an excellent piece of music. Starting with Winter Wonderland is a great trick - lulling you into a false sense of security that what's about to come isn't going to be as unsettling as it is.
I bought the record a while after Record Store Day 2014, for which it had been released on vinyl. On RSD itself, my friend snapped up the only copy that Truck had but luckily Banquet still had a bunch of copies when I popped in afterwards. It's a pretty nice package (die-cut sleeves always impress me) and the blue vinyl is very thick. Mine has some unfortunate pops and crackling during a couple of songs, particularly on Smokey Bacon & A Kiss Goodnight where it actually makes the needle skip.
Format: 12", gatefold, die-cut sleeve
Tracks: 11
Cost: £16 new
Bought: Banquet Records
When: 24/05/14
Colour: Transparent blue
Etching: none
mp3s: no
