Pitchfork: Dead Can Dance's Lisa Gerrard Snubbed by Mel Gibson, Jesus

Dead Can Dance's Lisa Gerrard Snubbed by Mel Gibson, Jesus
"It is as it was, but there was some loose ADR and the third act needs work" - The Pope

[Updated Wednesday, January 28th, 2004 04:35:00 Pitchfork Central Time]

In a story you read here a coupla months ago, ex-Dead Can Dance frontwoman Lisa Gerrard was tapped to provide the score to Mel Gibson's controversial film, The Passion of the Christ. Well, as it turns out, that ain't gonna happen. Don't get me wrong, Gerrard provided the score, but when it came down to it, Gibson decided to go with John Debney instead. The choice is a bit weird, as Debney is most well known for scoring super-action flicks like The Relic, and more light-hearted work such as Bruce Almighty and the recent holiday smash Elf (which, come to think of it, both have loose religious ties... maybe it's not such a weird choice after all).

In a vodka-and-Red Bull-enhanced vision, Jesus offered Pitchfork the following insight: "Dude, sometimes you just gotta go with the Elf guy, you know? What can you do. I know I'm part of the Big Three and all that, but I ain't tryin' to mess with Mel Gibson. That cat kicked wicked ass in Braveheart." The Savior then went back to playing Grand Theft Auto on his XBox while singing along to Mandy Moore's cover of the XTC classic "Senses Working Overtime."

As for Gerrard, her collaboration with Irish composer Patrick Cassidy, Immortal Memory, was released this week on the 4AD label. Losing the Gibson score is an especially big deal, seeing as Gerrard dedicated a great deal of time to working on the music, and therefore has foregone a great deal of publicity for her new record. In addition, rumors are spreading that perhaps she isn't happy with the way 4AD is handling the album. On the message board on her own website, her husband writes that "it is my personal opinion that [Lisa] needs to work with a bigger, more powerful label," and "no matter what, 4AD is not powerful enough to get an album/soundtrack to the heights that some other labels could. [Lisa] is in another league now." So don't get all Mad Max on her, Mel-- it could come back to haunt you. Tracklist:

01 The Song of Amergin
02 Maranatha (Come Lord)
03 Anergin's Invocation
04 Elegy
05 Sailing to Byzantium
06 Abwoon (Our Father)
07 Immortal Memory
08 Paradise Lost
09 I Asked for Love
10 Psallit in Aure Dei