Angel: Live Fast, Die Never - Music from TV Series

1	Angel Main Theme / Darling Violetta The Sanctuary Extended Remix 3:23
2	Start the Apocalypse / Robert J. Kral 3:35
3	The End of the World / Robert J. Kral 1:42
4	Massive Assault / Robert J. Kral 3:14
5	Home / Robert J. Kral 1:56
6	Hero / Robert J. Kral 5:24
7	Judgment & Jousting / Robert J. Kral 2:02
8	The Birth of Angelus / Robert J. Kral 3:30
9	Rebellion / Robert J. Kral 3:09
10	The Trials for Darla / Robert J. Kral 5:59
11	Dreaming of Darla / Robert J. Kral 3:24
12	Untouched/Darla's Fire / Robert J. Kral 2:11
13	Darla's Sacrifice / Robert J. Kral 5:43
14	Welcome to Pylea / Robert J. Kral 4:22
15	Through the Looking Glass / Robert J. Kral 4:06
16	Castle Attack / Robert J. Kral 2:20
17	Cordy Meets Fred / Robert J. Kral 2:54
18	Princess Cordelia / Robert J. Kral 1:20
19	Farewell Cordelia / Robert J. Kral 1:09
20	I'm Game / Robert J. Kral 1:12
21	Touched / VAST 3:58
22	La Song / Christian Kane 3:06
23	Lady Marmalade / Andy Hallett 2:29
24	It's Not Easy Being Green / Andy Hallett 2:53
25	A Place Called Home / Kim Richey 3:57

Barnes & Noble

Canceled after five seasons, Angel was considered a slightly grown-up version of its sister show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The vampire with a soul, Angel, was a tortured, brooding sort of guy who rarely found happiness. This allowed the series to explore the darker side of human and nonhuman nature on an epic scale, thanks to plotlines rife with evildoers, monsters, demons, and, of course, vampires. That sinister undercurrent is certainly pervasive on Live Fast, Die Never. The disc largely consists of haunting episodic music from the series -- the work of Australian Robert Kral, who took over from first-season composer Christophe Beck. Fans of the show are sure to identify some great moments of Angel just by listening to Kral's music: It's easy to picture the fourth-season episode in which our heroes fight the Beast when hearing the dramatic and sinister "Start the Apocalypse." Performed by the band Darling Violetta, Angel's instantly recognizable opening theme appears in an extended remix. The theme's familiar moaning cello line is backed by a harder rock sound featuring added drums and a new vocal track by singer Cami Ellen. While the album also includes tracks by the electronica-laced Goth band Vast, Andy Hallett (that dashing green-skinned demon Lorne), and Christian Kane (who played evil lawyer Lindsey MacDonald), the highlight is definitely Kim Richey's "A Place Called Home." A mournful, folk-inspired ballad, this song was played over the final scene of the fifth-season episode "A Hole in the World," in which the beloved character Fred (Amy Acker) dies. It makes for a bittersweet and soulful finale for this intriguing audio companion to Angel. Christina Urban

All Music Guide

For those who can't get enough of Angel, the TV series, Rounder Records has released Live Fast, Die Never, an album comprised of music from the show. Much of the album reminds one of an orchestrated movie soundtrack. Pieces like the emotive "Start the Apocalypse" and the quiet "End of the World" are impressive, but still qualify as the type of music that works best as a backdrop to an appropriate scene. The real fun of the album doesn't really kick in until the last few tracks, when a variety of performers tackle a handful of songs. VAST's "Touched" builds a passionate, dense musical web, while Christian Kane's "LA Song" captures a quieter, folk-rock mood. There's also room for humor with Andy Hallett's "It's Not Easy Being Green," perhaps the oddest lyric ever attached to lounge music, and there's a good cover -- also by Hallett -- of "Lady Marmalade." The album comes to a satisfactory finish with the quiet, haunting "A Place Called Home" by Kim Richey. While some fans may have reservations about leaning toward 50 minutes of theme music, Live Fast, Die Never does offer a nice balance between orchestrated pieces and songs. Ronnie D. Lankford Jr.