Anyone who’s already gotten nerd goosebumps from watching the Watchmen trailers knows that the flick is going to look amazing. But how will it sound? Glad you asked. And the answer is: a lot like My Chemical Romance. Watchmen director Zack Snyder has just directed the band’s new video for his blockbuster-to-be’s soundtrack — a thrashy cover of Bob Dylan’s "Desolation Row" (you can check it out on iTunes). To my ears, the song is pretty…meh. And if you’re sniffing for clues to the film, you’re out of luck. No, in the clip, Gerard Way and the boys are simply onstage looking like anemic, pasty-faced extras from Twilight putting one of Dylan’s most beloved songs through their caffeinated emo grinder, while fans in the mosh pit are getting stomped by billy-club-wielding cops. It’s a dystopian reality, alright. Just not the one from Watchmen. If anything, it looks some long lost footage from 1984’s Streets of Fire (minus Michael Pare and Diane Lane, sadly).
Is this a good sign or a bad sign for the movie?
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I actually enjoyed what I have heard of the song so far. It’s kind of different from MCR’s normal sound, but it suits them well. I don’t know much of anything about Watchmen, but with MCR having a track in it, and the trailers looking great, I’ll probably go out and see it.
Eh… what has me worried is that Gerard Way (MCR Lead Singer) has said ““I don’t want to say too much but as far as the placement right now, it’s integral to the ending of the film,” in an interview with MTV News. I don’t mind if the songs heard as a snippet for a few seconds in passing during the movie… but if THIS is the song that’s going to accompany the end of the film (and Watchmen fans know how intense the ending already is) then we may have a problem on our hands… why not just use the original song in the first place? (http://splashpage.mtv.com/2008/12/04/exclusive-gerard-way-says-mcrs-track-for-watchmen-integral-to-the-ending/)
Pretty much no one in life loves Watchmen more than Gerard Way. Caffeinated emo? Please. MCR were never emo, even when the genre actually existed – for a short time about 5 years ago. If Zack Snyder thinks MCR were the ones to musically capture the spirit of his movie, then you’d best bow down and respect his decision.
Hmmm. I love MCR, and though I haven’t read Watchmen, it looks to be a pretty damn awesome movie. But I’m not sure they mesh well…
wuao
MCR es lo mejor y nunk los voy a dejar d kerer
I LOVE MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE!!!!!!!!!!
I don’t like the cover, and I don’t think it meshes well with the film.
I’d much rather have the original song on the soundtrack. After all, Dylan lyrics were featured in the graphic novel.
Don’t get me wrong, I like MCR. I think they’re oftentimes pigeonholed as untalented emo hacks. However, the Black Parade was really good, but this doesn’t work well. Desolation Row doesn’t need a remake, and the MCR version doesn’t fit well.
I Thought The Song And The Video Were Good I Love My Chemical Romance but i never read watchman
Caffeinated emo grinder? Jesus christ, could you be any more pathetic? Have you ever even listened to an MCR song before? I doubt it. They are *NOT* emo. They never were, and they never will be. I bet that most of the people who say they hate MCR are making judgments by simply looking at a picture of them.
I love Watchmen and I enjoyed the song. I disagree on the Emo part. I thought the song had more of a late 70’s thrashy punk vibe-Emo to me calls to mind acoustic guitar and angst
caffeinated emo grinder… sad.
i doubt you’ve listened to much of MCR’s stuff, they certainly don’t place ‘would-be good songs’ through their musical process and put-out some whiny emo music as some bands do. They create their own music, and beautifully, i might add.
The assumption of the coffee grinder thing comes out from people like you who listen once, look twice, and judge off on your flash of Gerard’s long black hair, angered face and the bands wild movements.
Sorry, this review was all wrong
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PASTY-FACED EXTRAS FROM TWILIGHT?!?EXCUSE ME? This isn’t a review, this is having a go at a bunch of awesome people.
Oh and if they were Twilight extras, the movie would be a hell of alot more entertaining.
OKAY. When the genre “emo” is mentioned, 95% of people will name bands like My Chemical Romance and Fall Out Boy. If you want to, you can keep whining about how *real* emo is Rites of Spring, or that MCR AREN’T EMO OMG, but you should probably accept that the definition of the word has changed over time.
Gerard Way is apparently a huge fan of Watchmen, so it’s nice that he can be involved with the movie. But the video is boring, and the cover doesn’t work very well at all.
I cannot adequately express how disappointed I am in Zack Snyder for directing this. Not only does it not mesh with the overall tone of Watchmen, it is possibly the most cliched attempt at representing “punk” that I have ever seen. The club, the cops, the riot, the arrests at the end… this has all been done before. Add in Gerard Way’s fake black eye and split lip and what you’ve got here is a pop band playing Dress-Up. Never mind the fact that this band’s fans are not dangerous “punks” but a horde of teenage girls.
I just hope this isn’t an indication of what the film is going to be like.
The cover is absolutely awful. Its juts the band screaming Dylan’s lyrics.
I am appalled by the negativity in these posts. If children are looking for a source of bias then this website it teaming with it. My Chemical Romance’s remake brings more feeling to the song , i find at least. The comic book can be interpreted in many a way, but this song is one aspect. People please do not judge the film by this song. (which is awesome)
this song is awesome and the film looks great mcr emo ? answer NO this punk sound realy suites them cant wait 4 the new album
btw ur right micheal
This song is not punk. If anything it is manufactured faux-punk. What’s worse is the guitar riff sounds like a ripoff of Poison’s Talk Dirty to Me. It’s cliché and boring. Both Dylan and Watchmen deserve better.
I love Dylan and I love MyChem and I think the cover is phenomenal. I think you really missed the mark on this one.
What’s interesting to me is that this is closer to original, New York-style punk than anything I’ve heard in a long time. We think of punk music as Green Day or Blink-182 now, but these guys took the sound way bay. The riff has way more of “I Wanna Be Sedated” than of Poison in it. It’s eerie how well the final verse is recontextualized for the purpose of the movie. I’m more and more impressed by how much bite and guttural swagger Gerard Way’s vocal has in it.
To alex below me, you need to remember this coer plays during the credits, which seems highly appropriate. It doesnt interfear with the movie, and lets someone whos a fan of the novel have a part in the movie.
I dont think its that bad acctually. Alot of bands could have done alot worse
i will wach this movie because the tittle sounds cool and becauce it will have my chemical romanca
My Chemical Romance is my favorite band and I love them very much! So, naturally I am disgusted by what some people are saying. I will admit that some of their songs might sound a bit emo; however “Desolation Row” doesn’t sound emo at all! I like it but it is not my favorite MCR song. Watchmen looks awesome. I really liked the Smashing Pumpkins song for the trailer. Personally I think that the credit song should have more of that feel.
I love MCR and I wish people would stop bashing them but I don’t think it is the right song. I will have to see the movie to know if the song fits but in the meantime I will be very happy for My Chemical Romance and excited about Watchmen!!!
I give it this: the song is quoted at the end of Chapter I. I haven’t heard the whole song, but it might work. Remember, there’s continual reference to a punk concert throughout the comic. I forget the band’s name, but the concert is depicted in the aftermath of the climatic event. If this is playing of that, and it has an 80’s punk vibe, I fine with it.
That’s the name of the band in the comic.
Yup, I bet it’s the Pale Horse concert.
I enjoy MCR, even though they’re by no means one of my favorites. This is decent cover…not great, not bad. I’ll have to see how the song is incorporated into the film.
The video does include a couple of Watchmen references, though: an airship flew by in the beginning, Pale Horse was listed on the marquee and on a bunch of flyers, and they were performing in front of a giant Rorshach symbol. It also looked lie there were a few knot-tops in the crowd.
i really like mcr they arent emo tho and they make that clear i am looking foward to the movie and hope to get the sound track
And in comes the mcrmy to whine and cry because some people have the nerve to dislike something their favorite band does.
Grow up and get over it. Not everyone is going to think this band can do no wrong. I don’t like this cover; that’s my opinion, not “negatvity”, bashing, nor the end of the world. It sounds nothing like “I Wanna Be Sedated” to me. Gerard Way said he was going for a Sex Pistols vibe, but what I think he achieved is a manufactured “pop punk” sound. And while the video does contain references to the comic, that does not automatically make the cover appropriate for the story. The lyrics of Desolation Row are extremely important to the storyline and many fans of the graphic novel do not think MCR’s version of the song does it justice. That is our opinion and we are entitled to it.
I am by no means a My Chemical Romance fan or EMO. I am however a music fan and have actually heard the original version of this song as well as being pretty well versed in the background of this movie and how this song came to be on the soundtrack.
Listen up kids and emo-bashers alike. This is by no means an Emo cover of a great great song. This a definitely a raw rock and roll(maybe punk style)- not over produced(but well arranged) The song is a huge challenge to cover and I give MCR a lot of credit for doing it relatively well. This cover works with the film – I see a lot of you guys mentioning the punk rock references of the film and you are on point.
As for the video – looks fine. Not grimy and dirty enough to be a REAL punk show from the 80’s but it’s hollywood and let’s remember the MCR fanbase is about 15(although if they stay with this style of rock that could change a bit) they can’t be exposing them to the reality of some punk shows from the 80’s.