16 soundtracks to TV shows that didn’t need and/or deserve them - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TMC · 10-03-2014, 09:55 PM

http://www.avclub.com/article/did-yo...oundtra-209820

Quote:

14. Melrose Place Jazz: Upstairs At MP (1998)

By the time Melrose Place reached its sixth season, it was no longer populated by restless twentysomethings, but grown-up professionals whose murder cover-ups and incestuous hookups belied their sophistication and refinement. At least, that’s the apparent idea behind Melrose Place Jazz, a soundtrack rooted in the decision to swap out Shooters, a divey pool hall, for the Upstairs Jazz Club as the gang’s new watering hole. There was wisdom in trying to overhaul Melrose’s musical sensibility, given that the giddiness of its earlier alt-radio cues—Letters To Cleo’s “Here And Now” among them—didn’t gibe with the show’s increasingly gothic tone. But then again, neither did the new cues, which were drawn from diluted smooth-jazz fare from the likes of Diana Krall and Tuck & Patti. The result overshot the goal of making Melrose’s denizens seem more mature, instead making them seem old and out of touch. By the seventh season, Melrose Place’s last, Upstairs abandoned its jazz roots and started bringing in youthful pop acts instead, beginning with a guest appearance by Hanson. “MMMBop” isn’t the right sonic accompaniment for soapy intrigue, but it’s more fun to listen to than sleepytime jazz. [Joshua Alston]

Mace Dolex · 10-04-2014, 04:05 AM