Music on The Sopranos - When the Music's Over

Friends of ours: Soprano Crime Family

At one point early on in Sunday night's The Sopranos ("The Blue Comet,") special agent Harris says to Tony about the weather, "End of times, huh? Ready for the Rapture?" After what soon followed in this penultimate episode, that comment feels almost not apocalyptic enough to encompass all the carnage that ensued. It was an explosive and powerful episode that sets up a series finale that's sure to be talked about for ages (and consider that your spoiler.)

It's something else, though, that Agent Harris confides to Tony that kick starts the episode: Phil has set in motion plans to take out Tony and a few of his friends. Tony quickly ditches the gabagool sandwich in his hand (remember that meat was a catalyst of his first panic attack,) and gets 'management' together. At a meeting, they decide to hit Phil first, and then Tony and Sil crack up Bobby with some slow-mo boxing moves. The whole scene is backed by Pietro Mascagni's "Intermezzo" from Cavalleria Rusticana, which was used as the title theme to Scorsese's Raging Bull, making for a goose-bump-inducing moment. The piece was also used in Godfather III, in the scene where Michael Corleone's daughter dies, a dangerous reference if intended. Writer Terry Winter cleared that up yesterday at Slate:

...the use of Cavalleria Rusticana is Raging Bull and Raging Bull only. Godfather III does not exist for me. It ceased to exist at 3:30 pm on Christmas Day, 1990, when I walked out of the first ever showing at the Kings Plaza Shopping Center Multiplex in Brooklyn, utterly heartbroken at what I had just witnessed.

When Bobby delegates the hit on Phil to Paulie into the back room of The Bing, The Door's "When the Music's Over" is playing, which is both odd and appropriate. Odd to think that anyone would choose to strip/dance to the 10-minute long experimental jam, and appropriate in the sentiment that it is almost over for the series. When Paulie then delegates the job to Patsy, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's "American X" is playing, featuring the lines you?ve sold your soul but it?s only a fake / you?d kill yourself for a piece of the take, making me think, again, that Paulie could be playing both sides here.

Later, when Sil and Paulie figure out that the hit was screwed up, the Madder Rose song "You Remember" plays, and a couple lines from the song are highlighted: No one knows how to turn this thing around / it's moving faster now, be quiet and I'll tell you about the sound. There's obviously no 'turning back' now, but Tony's crew finds ways to 'turn their back' on the danger. First Bobby gets taken out in spectacular fashion (while purchasing a Blue Comet train replica train set,) and we're reminded that while he's come a long way from being Junior's driver, he's still a naive little kid at heart.

Then, even as Sil and Patsy are in the process of 'going to ground,' they're still caught unawares outside The Bing (while listening to Nat King Cole's "Ramblin' Rose.") Why wouldn't Sil have a gun on him? Does he think that Phil's goons will respect The Bing? As the carnage is going on, Chase makes sure to have patrons and strippers (still naked) from The Bing outside gawking at the scene. It serves as a nice "F-You!" to the Soprano lookie-loos who only watch for the violence and the occasional nudity - Chase has never shied from publicly loathing their patronage.

While Phil is an arrogant prick, the bumbling by Tony's crew validates much of Phil's complaints about the New Jersey family and their way of doing business. Meanwhile, Elliott (Peter Bogdanovich) is also an arrogant prick who's problems with Tony are validated. Elliott is not only similar to Phil in that regard, but also in his success at eliminating Tony's support, as he helps push Melfi into giving up on Tony. Her abandonment of him in his time of need was a long time coming, given the history of their relationship, but the timing couldn't have been worse as a realistic resolution. It's hard to believe that Yochelson & Samenow's "The Criminal Personality" can close the book on that part of the series so quickly.

So it's just Tony and Paulie left, holed up in some nondescript safehouse. And as Tony tries to sleep clutching the semi-automatic rifle that dearly departed Bobby got him for his birthday, we hear the Tindersticks song "Running Wild" through the credits. It's the perfect moody, foreboding piece of work to end the episode, and while Chase uses the instrumental version, the lyrics to the song are relevant:

Running wild through my mind that I can't sleep tonight Like a child, like a child I have no place to hide Running wild, is there no ending for the...

Playlist: The Sopranos - Episode 620
1. "We Belong Together" - Robert & Johnny - Phil Leotardo sets plans in motion at his social club
2. "Intermezzo Stafonico (from 'Cavalleria Rusticana')" - Pietro Mascagni - Tony, Bobby, and Silvio talk and horse around at Vesuvio's
3. "Sympathy" - Keith Jarrett - Dr. Melfi and friends discuss her patient at a dinner party
4. "When The Music's Over" - The Doors - Bobby summons Paulie to the backroom of The Bing
5. "American X" - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Paulie and Patsy talk at The Bing
6. "Nuages" - Django Reinhardt - The Sopranos catch up with Artie and Charmaine at Vesuvio's
7. "You Remember" - Madder Rose - Silvio and Paulie read the news at The Bing
8. "Ramblin' Rose" - Nat King Cole - Shootout in parking lot of The Bing
9. "Running Wild" - Tindersticks - Tony goes to sleep

Thanks to Drake LeLane

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Three Alternate Endings to The Sopranos Shot

Friends of ours: Soprano Crime Family

The HBO series on Sunday night concludes its eight years of mob maneuvering, metaphor-laden dream sequences and mad exclamations of "Marone!"

Questions abound as the series finale nears. (Stop reading here if you're living on DVR or DVD time.) The gathering storm finally touched down in the penultimate episode that aired Sunday, where Phil Leotardo's New York family killed Bobby Bacala (in an instantly classic death scene) and left Silvio Dante clinging to life in the hospital.

Our last image was of Tony Soprano locked away in a barren, upstairs bedroom, drifting off to sleep with an automatic weapon draped across his chest. Everyone -- and it really does feel like everyone -- is wondering what fate lies in store for Tony.

Critics are weighing in, polls have been cast: Will Tony live or die? Other theories revolve around the Feds: Will he turn rat to save himself, or could Tony still be arrested? And what role will his son, A.J. play in the conclusion?

"Sopranos" creator David Chase reportedly filmed three different endings to the finale to help keep the conclusion secret. Chase has always reveled in denying audience expectations (most memorably by never returning to the escaped Russian), and likely delights in foolhardy pundit prognostications. But it's fun to try anyway.

Back in 2001, Chase was illuminating about his approach to the ending while speaking to Rolling Stone magazine: "The paradigm of the traditional gangster film is the rise and fall. You have to ask yourself: Do I want to bother with that paradigm?"

The bloodletting of the second-to-last episode has some -- including unlikely "Sopranos" blogger Brian Williams (whose day job is anchoring NBC's nightly news) -- predicting a finale low on action. "We need to be as prepared for ambiguity as we are prepared for certainty," says Williams, a New Jersey native who has blogged about "The Sopranos" on Slate.com. In his posting Tuesday, he called these days leading up to Sunday's show "the longest week of our lives."

"I have learned in searing fashion never to try to predict what goes on in David Chase's mind," adds Williams.

Nevertheless, the enormous build up (just about everything has gone badly for Tony lately) and the great secrecy of the ending suggest that Chase still views the finale as -- to put it simply -- a big deal.

Most dramas and sitcoms that bid adieu with a much anticipated finale do so without the weight of passing a final judgment on its main character. In this way, the ending of "The Sopranos" might have more in common with the conclusion of "Sex and the City" than it would appear.

In that show, whether Carrie Bradshaw would remain single or get hitched was always the question. Likewise, whether Tony is -- as he claims in therapy -- "basically a good guy," is the perpetual conflict of "The Sopranos."

The way things have gone this final season, it appears Chase has decided Tony is beyond redemption. Tony has essentially given up on his "mama's boy" son and killed Christopher Moltisanti, his virtual son and heir apparent. Just before that harrowing suffocation, Tony and Christopher drove while a version of "Comfortably Numb" by Pink Floyd played: "The child is grown/ The dream is gone."

Dr. Melfi, too, has given up on Tony. She abruptly terminated their therapy sessions after being persuaded by recent psychiatric studies that talk therapy doesn't rehabilitate but emboldens sociopaths. That she could wonder whether it all was worth it might reflect Chase's own doubts in so long humanizing such a violent, corrupt figure.

In a recent interview with The Associated Press, James Gandolfini acknowledged that he also has lost faith in his character. Asked whether he likes Tony, Gandolfini said, "I used to. But it's difficult toward the end. I think the thing with Christopher might have turned the corner."

"It's kind of one thing after another," he added. "Let's just say, it was a lot easier to like him before, than in the last few years."

Killing Tony would perhaps restore morality to the series. Can someone who so regularly breaks the law and murders even his closest friends be allowed to walk? Or will a more deeply cynical view pervade, where Tony's crimes are tolerated, or at least unpunished.

Sydney Pollack, the revered filmmaker ("Tootsie," "Out of Africa") who played a one-episode part on "The Sopranos" earlier this season as a disgraced doctor turned hospital orderly, believes the series will end in tragedy.

"Something bad is going to happen," says Pollack, who expects to see Tony die. "I don't know, but I know that David Chase can be counted on to surprise us -- or not -- but at least to do something that's bold and not safe."

A.J. has become a critical character in this, the second leg of the sixth season, which has so largely revolved around themes of legacy and parenthood. He is essentially the wild card in the combustible mix of characters heading into the finale. Will A.J.'s newfound conscience lead him to turn his father into the cops? Will Tony have to make a decision between saving his son or saving himself?

Tony's sporadic interactions with the FBI agent have led to conjecture that Tony might flee to the police. His conversations with the agent have been limited, though, and it seems possible they constitute nothing more than a red herring.

The different possible conclusions for "The Sopranos" could forever color fans' memories of the show. For a series that has always preferred a realistic messiness to tidy plot resolutions, grand fireworks would be against Chase's nature.

"There'll be people who will like the finale and people who won't like it," Chase recently told Entertainment Weekly. "But I think that if people look at what the show was, or could even watch the whole story again, they'll understand what the ending is."

Whatever the outcome, the one thing that is clear, is that "The Sopranos" -- often hailed as the greatest show in the history of television -- will conclude Sunday. As Tony is fond of saying, "End of story."

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While Most Like Tony, New Jerseyans Like 'The Sopranos' Most

Friends of ours: Soprano Crime Family

Although both New Jerseyans and the rest of the nation like Tony Soprano, New Jerseyans watch the show set in their back yard more often and are more tolerant of its sharper edges, according to a new poll released today.

The poll by Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind comes with HBO set to air the final episode of "The Sopranos" on Sunday. The survey compared New Jerseyans' views of "The Sopranos" to the nation's views and found everyone - by a 2-1 margin - wants to see Tony Soprano survive the end of the series.

Those who have watched many episodes are twice as likely as casual viewers to prefer that he live, although views are split among his continuing as a mobster, going to jail, turning honest and other ideas.

"Perhaps they see a glimmer of goodness in him," said Gary Radford, a communications professor at Fairleigh Dickinson. "Perhaps they identify with his constant struggle to keep his family and his business together in the jungle that is mob life."

New Jerseyans seem to really like the series set in their world. Three of five New Jersey voters have watched the show, compared to two of five nationally, with New Jerseyans more likely by a 54 percent to 30 percent margin to have watched "many episodes."

The poll found 90 percent of New Jerseyans know the show is set in their state, compared to 56 percent nationwide. And New Jerseyans are less likely to agree with charges the show is too sexually explicit, has excessive violence, glorifies organized crime and portrays Italian-Americans in a negative way.

For instance, 42 percent of New Jerseyans agree the show has vulgar and offensive language, compared to 47 percent nationwide. Also, 24 percent of New Jerseyans agree the show cast Italian-Americans in a negative light, compared to 27 percent nationwide.

William Roberts, chair of Fairleigh Dickinson's Public Administration Institute and author of several books on modern Italian history, is among those agreeing with that sentiment. "'The Sopranos' certainly showcased some of the best talent in the profession," he said. "However, the show helped to perpetuate one of the more problematic and stereotypical images of Italian-Americans."

The poll of 776 randomly selected voters nationwide and 602 New Jersey voters was conducted from May 29 through June 3 and has a sampling error margin of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

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Six Pack of Mob Hits on The Sopranos

Friends of ours: Soprano Crime Family

The characters who inhabit the modern mob world of The Sopranos endure a precarious existence. Death lurks around every corner - taunting even the most firmly established players. And when these sad saps eventually meet their makers, we find it incredibly hard to turn away. So in honor of the HBO show's finale (9 p.m. Sunday), we're paying tribute to the whackings that kept us buzzing around the water cooler. Here's a chronological list of the hits that were especially hard to forget.

1. Richie Aprile (Season 2): Janice Soprano may have fallen prey to some bad men in her life, but she's nobody's punching bag. So when former fiance Aprile administered a few blows before dinner one night, Janice retaliated by calmly firing two shots into his chest. Little brother Tony helped clean up the mess, sending Aprile to the chopping block at Satriale's and loose cannon Janice back to Seattle.

2. Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero (Season 2): Talk about a fateful trip. When Tony learned that his most beloved crew member had turned FBI informant, he invited him on a boat ride into the abyss. But hand it to Pussy for facing death like a man. After failing to talk his way out of the situation, he asked his executioners for one saving grace: to avoid shooting him in the face. Tony and his captains riddled his body with bullets instead and cast him overboard, dooming him to spend eternity swimming with the fishes.

3. Ralph Cifaretto (Season 4): A victim of one of the longest, most gruesome, most deserved beatings of the series, a drawn-out, drag-out brawl that ended with Cifaretto's head being stuffed into a bowling bag. And the worst part? The secretly bald (and apparently vain) Cifaretto (who drew Tony's wrath for allegedly killing the racehorse Pie-O-My) was buried without his wig.

4. Adriana La Cerva (Season 5): Poor, naive Ade. Believing love could conquer all, the show's hottest Mafia girlfriend turned mole confessed to her beloved Christufuh, hoping the made man would agree to life in the witness protection program. Instead, he ratted her out to his one true love. The last we saw of her, Adriana was crying and crawling away from a gun-wielding Silvio Dante in the middle of the woods, shots filling the air as her desperate face faded from the screen.

5. Tony Blundetto (Season 5): Call it a mercy killing. Blundetto was doomed the minute he rubbed out Phil Leotardo's brother, Billy. Though he initially rebuked Phil's call for retribution, Tony eventually did the deed himself, saving his cousin from a far more brutal death. Blundetto's demise came quickly, after Tony surprised him at a farmhouse hideout with a shot in the face.

6. Christopher Moltisanti (Season 6): In the end, Tony turned on his most loyal soldier, sure that his nephew had become his biggest liability. When Christopher, high on heroin, crashed his car on a deserted road, Tony decided to solve his problem, suffocating the severely injured Moltisanti and never shedding a tear.

Thanks to Erika Gonzalez

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Soprano Fans Mob Filming Locations

Friends of ours: Soprano Crime Family

Every Saturday afternoon, the staff at the Satin Dolls go-go lounge clears the bar of matchbooks, coasters, napkins and anything else not nailed down because a sold-out tour bus is on the way from New York. But the luxury coach heading for the nondescript, windowless building on a busy stretch of New Jersey highway isn't carrying rowdy bachelors with Bacchanalia in mind.

Soon, about four dozens fans of the hit television series "The Sopranos" file into the club, which since 1999 has doubled as the show's notorious, mob-run strip joint, the Bada Bing.

"Everything gets stolen off the bar, even if it doesn't say 'Satin Dolls' or 'Bada Bing' on it," said club manager Rouz, who, like the scantily-clad young women working the brass poles behind the bar, prefers to be known by just his first name.

HBO broadcasts the series finale of "The Sopranos" on June 10, and locations made famous by the saga of a northern New Jersey mob boss struggling to keep both his "families" in line attract flocks of fans.

"The 'Bada Bing' brings extra attention from people who wouldn't normally go to a go-go bar," Rouz said. "Most of them come in and have a look, then buy some merchandise and leave. And they don't know about the state laws."

Rouz was referring to the poetic license taken by the show's producers regarding New Jersey's policy on topless dancing and establishments that serve alcohol: you can have one or the other, but not both.

So while Tony Soprano and his crew sit in "the Bing" and plot their latest crimes amid a gaggle of topless dancers, Satin Dolls patrons are entertained by girls wearing bikinis and lingerie, albeit of the skimpiest variety.

One of the tour bus visitors is Paul Rickard of Inverness, Scotland, who says his rabid devotion to the show has little to do with the mob-related plot lines. "It's about family, food and togetherness," he said between sips from a beer. "The mob is just a job, a distraction. Despite scenes of extreme violence, the show is about love."

Swiss tourist Antony Simone, sitting just down the bar from Rickard, says he's dreading a world in which he won't have fresh episodes to look forward to. "I would like no end, because the Mafia has no end," he says.

While "the Bing" has played a central role throughout the show's run and understandably attracts a fan following, any association with "The Sopranos" can prove a boon for business.

Pizzaland, a few miles south of Satin Dolls in North Arlington, appears for about one second during the show's opening credits. Despite never actually being in an episode, the already-thriving neighborhood favorite saw pizza sales spike once the show gained popularity.

The surprise to owner Paul Pawlowicz was how big a slice of his revenues now comes from shipping pizzas nationwide. "They get shrink-wrapped, put on dry ice, and shipped overnight," Pawlowicz said as he pulled a steaming pie from the oven. "This week alone I've shipped pizzas to Texas, Louisiana and California, and I've sent 58 pies to a guy in Safety Harbor (Florida) this season alone."

"Hey, it's good pizza," he says, then adds a line that would be right at home in an episode of the show: "Once I get a customer, I got 'em for good."

Interior scenes of the Soprano family home are actually shot on a soundstage in the New York City borough of Queens. But exterior shots, often showing Tony in an open bathrobe shuffling down his steep driveway to pick up the newspaper, are set at a "real home" in the affluent town of North Caldwell.

No federal agents taking pictures or waiting to have a "talk" with Tony were seen parked in front of the house on a recent drive-by. But the code of omerta was in effect for two carloads of fans circling the cul-de-sac to have a look at the house: both sped off quickly when approached for a comment.

While most of the well-known locations on the show are actual commercial establishments, Satriale's pork store in Kearny has never existed. Signage and the large pig that sits atop the brick-faced building were put up only for filming, and the site that saw its share of sit-downs and dismemberments will soon be whacked itself: Kearny officials say the town's planning board has approved an application from the owner to turn the property into condominiums.

Whether sight-seeing fans will continue to seek out "Sopranos" locations after the show's finale remains to be seen. But tour bus guide Marc Baron of On Location Tours (http://www.screentours.com), who has been an extra in several episodes, is optimistic. "There is such an interest from overseas fans and the popularity of the show has only grown since it began showing on A&E," Baron said, noting the cleaned-up reruns now showing on another cable station. "I think we've got a good five years left."

Thanks to Christian Wiessner

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