Siouxsie and the Banshees - Face to Face (1992)
Christopher Nolan's eagerly anticipated follow-up to Batman Begins hits cinemas in just a couple of weeks, and in celebration, the Infinite Wars are indulging in all things Bat - soundtracks included!
After the success of 1989's Batman, it came as no shock that Tim Burton would head-up the eagerly anticipated sequel three years later.
What was a shock was the heavy shift in artistic direction, which was taken closer to Burton's trademark swirls of black and white, described by some as looking fresh from an ink blot.
References to The Killing Joke and Dark Knight Returns has earnt Burton much praise for his work on the original film, but if the distillation of Batman's retro-inspired origins were a requisite of securing Burton's stock, all of that went out the window for the sequel!
The director fairly openly describes Batman Returns as his vision, a requirement to maintain his interests in the franchise. That truth seems to carry through to the soundtrack, where Burton was able to replace the studio-demanded Prince pop with something closer to home. It's not hard to imagine a teen Burton wiling the day away to the tunes of Siouxsie and the Banshees, nestled into a dark bedroom in inner suburbia.
Purists might have a hard time locking in to the uncharacteristically deranged interpretations of Catwoman and the Penguin, but it's undeniable that Burton's bold, gothic designs made a positive impression on the Bat-universe! Not to mention the millions of dollars generated through merchandise still sought today!
Ponder these historical facts as you wile the afternoon away, listening to Face to Face, an enjoyable track to be sure, if no more suited to the Dark Knight Detective than the guttural writhings of Prince.
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