MOULIN ROUGE-MU(2LP)

"Lady Marmalade" won the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals.In turning the story of the famed Paris nightclub the Moulin Rouge into a modern day fable celebrating love and creative inspiration, Baz Luhrman creates an accompanying soundtrack that exalts 20th century pop composers at the same time as it's blurring their musical boundaries. It's an approach best exemplified by dramatic leads Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor during the gorgeous "Elephant Love Melody," an endearing call-and-response during which lines from songs by the Beatles, Kiss, U2, Wings, and Thelma Houston are tossed back and forth as the duo argue over their burgeoning emotional involvement.Elsewhere, Kidman quotes Madonna ("Material Girl") and Marilyn Monroe ("Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend") amidst brassy, Vegas-like arrangements and dance beats. McGregor also pulls off a gorgeous version of Elton John's "Your Song," complete with sweeping orchestration, Placido Domingo's swooping tenor, and a powerful children's chorus. Among the most interesting collaborations here are between David Bowie and Massive Attack, who perform a chilled-out trip-hop cover of the standard "Nature Boy," and the Missy Elliott-produced superstar summit of Labelle's "Lady Marmalade," featuring Lil' Kim, Christina Aguilera, Pink, and Mya. Beck and Timbaland also team up for a blipping, bleeping minimalist take on Bowie's "Diamond Dogs

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