Moulin Rouge: Music From Baz Luhrman's Film Various Artists (Vinyl 2LP) * * *

Baz Lurhman's majestic 2001 musical romantic comedy Moulin Rouge follows a poet (Ewan McGregor) who defies his father by moving to Monmarte, France, the 19th century equivalent of Andy Warhol's Factory. He falls into the world of Toulouse-Lautrec (John Leguizamo) and his entourage, and is drafted to write a nightclub spectacular. In this seedy world of sex, drugs and electricity, he begins a passionate but ultimately doomed love affair with the club's highest paid star and courtesan (Nicole Kidman).

Music is essential to the film and its freewheeling soundtrack is available on vinyl for the first time commercially! It took almost two years for Lurhman to gather the rights for all of the amazing songs needed to complete his grandiose musical vision and tell the tale of the turn of the century Paris cabaret. With "Come What May" being the only original song in the movie, the soundtrack includes massive hits like the Grammy winning "Lady Marmalade" and contributions from David Bowie, Bono, Beck, Fatboy Slim, Massive Attack and the first-rate cast.