Soundtracks

This week I had to re-watch Boogie Nights, for my film class which was fantastic. I was fourteen when that film came out and I remember going to the movies with my two friends Justin and Nathan, and sneaking into it at the old Copper 7 by my house. We knew we weren't suppose to, but we were tall, and no one questioned us once inside, and plus we really wanted to see Heather Graham cause we all heard she was naked in it. Well needless to say we were exposed to a whole host of new information, images and terms that at the time we didn't know what they meant, but that didn't stop us from enjoying the movie, and the soundtrack. The whole film was like a party, and the music just carried it along. When the film ended we felt a certain sense of triumph, at having succeed with our little plan of youthful mischief. Weeks later I bought the soundtrack at Media Play because I couldn't get the great music of 70's funk, and pop songs out of my head. Thus began my great love affair with soundtracks. Soundtracks when done right can  come together to create a perfect musical narrative. Plus sometimes I just want the one song without having to buy an individual artists whole album. I always liked how a song from a film can evoke  a powerful memory or feeling. Most people remember John Travolta strutting to Staying Alive by the Bee Gees without really remembering the actual film. Of course Pulp Fiction had a great soundtrack. Tarantino has a great knack of resurrecting long forgotten classics. Dick Dales Misirlou, Jungle Boogie, by  Kool and the Gang, Chuck Berrys excellent You Never Can Tell, and Lonesome Town by Ricky Nelson. Wheres else could you find such an eclectic compilation.Same with Jackie Brown, with its use of old funk songs Across 110th Street by Bobby Womack and Peace works so well within that film, and then you get Johnny Cash's Tennessee Stud, awesome. Other soundtracks I grew up with, were Trainspotting, which made Iggy Pops Lust for Life iconic, and then ending it with Underworlds Born Slippy made it even better. It was all the fun without the problematic heroin addiction. Wes Andersons Rushmore exposed me to the Kinks, and Cat Stevens. And then of course their is the Coen Brothers really use music to enhance the narrative of the film, even when unearthing obscure songs. Raising Arizona really only had one song Carter Burwells Way out There, that great yodeling song that is its theme, but damn if it isn't catchy. I remember seeing the trailer for O'Brother Where Art Thou, and buying it before it came out, because I loved hearing that old fashioned bluegrass music. That soundtrack had a lot of great old songs, of course the Soggy Bottom Boys Man of Constant Sorrow turned out to be a big hit when it was released. Sometimes you get a soundtrack with a song made directly for the film that goes beyond the film. Wonder Boys is one of my favorite films and Bob Dylans Things Have Changed made the film even better for it. American Gigolo is alright but the absolute best part of that film is Blondie's Call Me. That song should have won the Oscar that year, but when it comes to Oscar song winners it seems they rarely get it right except for Loose Yourself by Eminem from 8 mile that was right on. But sometimes you go to buy a soundtrack and the one song you want isnt on there because they didn't get the rights to the song or who knows. Why Does the Soundtrack to Blue Velvet not even have  Blue Velvet on it???? WHY!!! Oh well I digress, Here's to you soundtracks, keep on rocking....in films..and on cd because Iam the last person who still buys them.