德国导演威姆·温德斯的这部《百万美元大酒店》之所以这么引人注目,很大程度是因为大名鼎鼎的U2乐队领军人物Bono是本片的编剧。为了给他这个既令人困惑而又让人感到莫名兴奋的故事以最大的感染力,Bono拉来了自己合作多年的好友,制作人Daniel Lanois和Brian Eno临时组成了名叫MDH(百万美元大酒店的缩写)的乐队,负责创作了本片的电影音乐。而Bono自己还和威姆·温德斯担任了唱片的制作人。
The soundtrack to a Wim Wenders joint is often as creative and satisfying as the movie itself (see Until the End of the World and Wings of Desire), serving not only as a companion to the film but as a stand-alone work of art. The Million Dollar Hotel is no exception, indeed it ups the ante. The film is based on a story conceived and written in part by U2's Bono, and his influence is all over the score. U2 contribute three stunning songs, most notably a collaboration with Daniel Lanois, "The Ground Beneath Her Feet," a soaring pop ballad with lyrics penned by writer Salman Rushdie (from his novel of the same name) that stands among the best U2 cuts ever recorded. In addition, Bono joins the all-star "Million Dollar Band" (comprising Mr. Fly himself, Daniel Lanois, Bill Frisell, Brian Eno, and others) for a host of great tracks, including the ethereal groove of "Never Let Me Go." And as if that weren't enough, The Million Dollar Hotel also features a duet between Brad Mehldau and Frisell ("Tom Tom's Room"), a surprisingly smoky cover of Lou Reed's "Satellite of Love" by model-actress-chanteuse Milla Jovovich, and a raved-up, Americanized, Spanish-language version of the Sex Pistol's "Anarchy in the U.K." ("Anarchy in the USA") sung by Tito Larriva with the Million Dollar Band. Despite such a wide ranging host of contributors, Bono's sure hand keeps the album within the same emotional spectrum, colored by a kind of melancholic longing and a wistful wonder, resulting in not only one of the best and most original soundtracks ever recorded but a sure nominee for Album of the Year. --Tod Nelson