Music From The Wire Television Series Coming On Two Soundtracks

12/10/07 8:00pm

Fans of the gritty, Baltimore-based crime drama The Wire may have already purchased the DVD of the show's fourth season when it was released last week, but now they can look forward to two soundtracks from Nonesuch on Jan. 8.

And All The Pieces Matter — Five Years Of Music From The Wire features music from the television program's first four seasons, including four versions of the Tom Waits-written theme song, "Down In The Hole." Show dialogue is interspersed between songs on the 35-track release, and an accompanying booklet features essays from series writer George Pelecanos and hip-hop journalist Jeff Chang as well as an interview between show creator David Simon and writer Nick Hornby.

The second album, Beyond Hamsterdam: Baltimore Club Tracks From The Wire, is what you'd expect from the title. It features 11 songs, nine of which are also included on the first soundtrack, from members of the city's hip-hop underground.

The fifth and final season of The Wire will premiere on Jan. 6.

Here are the tracks on And All The Pieces Matter — Five Years Of Music From The Wire:

"This America, man." (dialogue)
The Blind Boys Of Alabama — "Way Down In The Hole"
"Why would anyone ever wanna leave Baltimore?" (dialogue)
Michael Franti & Spearhead — "Oh My God"
Rod Lee — "Dance My Pain Away"
DJ Technics — "My Life Extra"
"The king stay the king." (dialogue)
The Neville Brothers — "Way Down In The Hole"
"We used to make shit in this country." (dialogue)
The Nighthawks — "Sixteen Tons"
Lafayette Gilchrist — "Assume The Position"
"What the fuck did I do?" (dialogue)
Jesse Winchester — "Step By Step"
Paul Weller — "I Walk On Gilded Splinters"
Solomon Burke — "Fast Train"
The Pogues — "The Body Of An American"
"All the pieces matter." (dialogue)
Stelios Kazantzidis — "Efuge Efuge"
"Omar comin'!" (dialogue)
DoMaJe — "Way Down In The Hole"
"If it's a lie, then we fight on that lie." (dialogue)
Tyree Colion — "Projects"
"Later for that gangsta bullshit." (dialogue)
Bossman — "Ayo"
Sharpshooters — "Analyze"
"Wars end." (dialogue)
Masta Ace featuring Stricklin — "Unfriendly Game"
Ogun featuring Phathead — "What You Know About Baltimore"
Diablo — "Jail Flick"
Mullyman — "The Life, The Hood, The Streetz"
"An act of daily journalism." (dialogue)
Steve Earle — "I Feel Alright"
Tom Waits — "Way Down In The Hole"
"You remember that one day summer past?" (dialogue)
Blake Leyh — "The Fall"

Here are the songs on Beyond Hamsterdam: Baltimore Tracks From The Wire:

DoMaJe — "Way Down In The Hole"
Tyree Colion — "Projects"
Rod Lee — "Dance My Pain Away"
DJ Technics — "My Life Extra"
Ogun featuring Phathead — "What You Know About Baltimore"
Diablo — "Jail Flick"
The Get 'Em Mamis featuring L. Cash — "When You See Us"
Dirty Hartz featuring Verb — "That's Da Sound"
Bossman — "Ayo"
Mullyman — "The Life, The Hood, The Streetz"
Lafayette Gilchrist — "Assume The Position"