Straight To Hell Returns
MOJO Magazine October 2004

Straight To Hell Returns Big Beat
****

Soundtrack to Alex Cox's'87 mutant spaghetti western doubles in size. 

In mid-1986, a dusty crew of musicians gathered at an old film location in Almeria, Spain to don mariachi uniforms, shoot guns and rub shoulders with Dennis Hopper, Jim Jarmusch and a pre-fame Courtney Love. The resultant film, Straight To Hell, had a rocky ride from the critics, but this expanded version of the Morricone-influenced soundtrack is a definite winner. 
Joe Strummer's Evil Darling is worth the ticket price alone, as indeed is Cait O'Riordan's beautiful a cappella rendition of Danny Boy. There are 13 excellent Pogues tracks (nine previously unissued), mostly atrnospheric instrumentals. Pray For Rain turn in a half-dozen stirring themes, Zander Schloss sings something juvenile about sausages (Saisa Y Ketchup), and Elvis Costello goes flamenco with his wife and his dad. A fistful of tracks for your dollars.

Max Déchamé.