The Hunger Games: Catching Fire [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]

Overview

Like other young adult book series turned into blockbuster franchises, it's easy to tell that The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is a more lavish affair than its predecessor just by looking at its soundtrack, which features some of pop and rock's biggest names. Coldplay opens the album with the typically sweeping and earnest "Atlas," while Christina Aguilera's "We Remain" delivers the empowered balladry she's been known for since "Beautiful" (it also sounds a lot like Alicia Keys' "Girl on Fire," which seemed like a natural fit for this album). The album also includes several of the artists who defined 2013: Lorde turns the wry paranoia of Tears for Fears' "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" into something more obviously dark and creepy. Meanwhile, Imagine Dragons take the lumbering thrust of their hit "Radioactive" in a slightly more complex but still fist-pumping direction on "Who We Are," while the Lumineers' "Gale Song" evokes the first Hunger Games soundtrack. Aside from this track and the acoustic leanings of the National's "Lean" and Of Monsters and Men's "Silhouettes," Catching Fire downplays the bluegrass and folk elements of The Hunger Games. While this is somewhat disappointing, it also makes sense: the series' second installment focuses on the decadent Capitol, the hardships facing Panem as a whole, and the tournament's diabolical arena rather than the Appalachian-like District 12. Grimly anthemic songs like the Weeknd's "Devil May Cry" express the life-or-death struggles of The Hunger Games' characters in and outside of the tournament, but some of the best moments, such as Ellie Goulding's sparkly "Mirror" and Santigold's taut "Shooting Arrows at the Sky," allow some hope to peek through its brooding. However, if the album was a competition to the death, Patti Smith's "Capitol Letter," which turns The Hunger Games' themes and imagery into what sounds like a timeless lament, would be the survivor. Even if every track here isn't quite as inspired as this song, or the music from the first movie, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is a solidly entertaining soundtrack. ~ Heather Phares

Product Details

Release Date:	11/19/2013
Label:	Island / Republic
UPC:	0602537514526

Tracks

1. Atlas
2. Silhouettes
3. Elastic Heart
4. Lean
5. We Remain
6. Devil May Cry
7. Who We Are
8. Everybody Wants to Rule the World
9. Gale Song
10. Mirror
11. Capitol Letter
12. Shooting Arrows at the Sky

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Mikky Ekko   Primary Artist
Diplo   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Sia   Primary Artist
Coldplay   Primary Artist
Christina Aguilera   Primary Artist
The National   Primary Artist
Antony and the Johnsons   Primary Artist
Patti Smith   Primary Artist
Ellie Goulding   Primary Artist,Vocals
The Weeknd   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
Of Monsters and Men   Primary Artist
The Lumineers   Primary Artist
Lorde   Primary Artist
Imagine Dragons   Primary Artist
Phantogram   Primary Artist
Santigold   Primary Artist
Arnar Rosenkranz Hilmarsson   Percussion,Drums
Brynjar Leifsson   Guitar
Nanna Bryndis Hilmarsdottir   Vocals
Ryan Tedder   Piano,Vocals (Background)
Jason Lader   Bass,Guitar,Keyboards
Aku Orraca-Tetteh   Synthesizer
Brent Kutzle   Bass,Drums,Piano,Strings
Heritage Orchestra   Strings
Steve Hassett   Vocals (Background)
Davide Rossi   Strings
Ian Fitchuk   Drums,Keyboards,Percussion
Aaron Anderson   Guitar
Tony Shanahan   Double Bass
Nick Zinner   Percussion,Synthesizer
Kristjan Kristjansson   Bass
Ragnhildur Gunnarsdottir   Trumpet,Flugelhorn
Ian Longwell   Synthesizer
Steingrimur Karl Teague   Piano
Jesse Smith   Pump Organ,Tack Piano
Tobin Law   Cello
Jackson Smith   Guitar (Acoustic)
Caroline Shaw   Violin
Kris Bowers   French Horn
Justin Carpenter   Trombone
Ragnar Þorhallsson   Vocals
Doc McKinney   Guitar
Eric Hoegemeyer   Bodhran,Tambourine
Nate Albert   Guitar

Technical Credits

David Covell   Assistant
Joel Little   Mixing,Vocal Producer
Chris Martin   Composer
Sean O'Brien   Engineer
Rona Rapadas   Assistant
Joseph Bonn   Mixing
Jeff Ryan   Engineer
Billboard   Producer
Antony Hegarty   Composer,Producer
Mikky Ekko   Composer,Producer
Santigold   Producer
Cynthia Sexton   A&R
Rob Kleiner   Vocal Engineer
Tracy McKnight   Executive in Charge of Music
Aaron Dessner   Composer,Producer
Arnar Rosenkranz Hilmarsson   Composer
Ben McKee   Composer
Dan Reynolds   Composer,Composer,Composer
Wayne Sermon   Composer
Brynjar Leifsson   Composer
Nanna Bryndis Hilmarsdottir   Composer
Neyla Pekarek   Composer
Sia   Composer
Bo Hill   Assistant
Ian Stanley   Composer
Coldplay   Producer
Jacquire King   Mixing,Engineer,Producer
Diplo   Engineer,Producer,Drum Programming
Iestyn Polson   Mixing
Roland Orzabal   Composer
Ryan Tedder   Composer,Producer,Programming
S. White   Composer
Santi White   Composer
Rick Nowels   Composer
Peter Katis   Mixing
Rick Rubin   Producer
Guy Berryman   Composer
Rob Moose   String Arrangements
Brian "Big Bass" Gardner   Mastering
Sia Furler   Composer
Josh Mosser   Composer,Engineer
Manny Marroquin   Mixing
Jason Lader   Engineer,Digital Editing
Michael A. Levine   Composer
Patti Smith   Composer
Chris Galland   Mixing Assistant,Assistant
Olga Fitzroy   Engineer
Chris Kasych   Engineer
Jonathan Low   Engineer
Mark Santangelo   Assistant
Brent Kutzle   Composer,Producer,Programming
Alex Bush   Engineer
Bryan Cook   Engineer
Vlado Meller   Mastering
Alex Nizich   Mixing
Nicolas Fournier   Engineer,Pro-Tools,Mixing Assistant
Alex da Kid   Composer
Ryan Lipman   Assistant
Ellie Goulding   Composer
Tim Palen   Photography
Alex Pasco   Engineer
Mat Lejeune   Mixing,Engineer
Sandy Brummels   Creative Director
Martin Cooke   Engineer,Pro-Tools,Mixing Assistant
Matt Berninger   Composer
Bryce Dessner   Orchestration
Bob Ludwig   Mastering
Chris Hughes   Composer
Aaron Anderson   Programming
Nick Zinner   Engineer,Producer
Jonny Buckland   Composer
Rik Simpson   Mixing,Engineer,Producer,Programming
Joe Zook   Mixing
Thomas Wesley Pentz   Composer
Chelsea Avery   A&R
Angelo Caputo   Assistant
Kristjan Kristjansson   Composer
Laura Sisk   Engineer
Alexander Grant   Composer
Mathieu Jomphe   Composer
Ammar Malik   Composer
Daniel Green   Engineer,Producer,Programming
Of Monsters and Men   Producer
The Lumineers   Producer
Wesley Schultz   Composer
Rich Rich   Engineer
Nikki Triplett   Coordination
Ryan Svendsen   Coordination
Ernesto Olvera   Engineer
Wesley Schutlz   Composer
Jenny Beal   Producer
Jonathan Zacks   Assistant Engineer
Joshua Smith   Engineer
Joe Kearns   Vocal Engineer
Mathieu Jomphe Lepine   Composer
Jeremiah Fraites   Composer
Peter Shurkin   Producer
James Frazee   Engineer
Tom MacKay   A&R
Imagine Dragons   Composer
John Hill   Producer
Olivia Smith   Package Design
Josh Carter   Composer,Producer
Sarah Barthel   Composer
Sean Oakley   Assistant
Jason Quenneville   Composer
Andrew Swanson   Composer,Engineer,Drum Programming
Stuart Schenk   Engineer
Lucas Cantor   Composer
Delbert Bowers   Assistant,Mixing Assistant
Nick Ruth   Composer,Producer
Ragnar Þorhallsson   Composer
Abel Tesfaye   Composer
Doc McKinney   Engineer,Producer
Greg Kurstin   Engineer,Producer
Will Champion   Composer
Justin Smith   Engineer
Rich Costey   Mixing