Movie Soundtrack Musings

In response to a buddy of mine's wonderful response to Vanity Fair's '100 Best Soundtrack' list, here are my soundtrack musings...

Speed well, a revival/reunion of kick-ass proportions thanks to Billy Idol + Steve Stevens starts things off, and then the sly automobile theme keeps things chugging right along...through a blistering Gary Numan 'Cars' remix and other memorable tunes by Blues Traveller, Cracker, and Saint Etienne. (I do give it minus points for the whole 'Songs from and inspired by' thing...who the heck ever dreamed that marketing scheme up? hey these tunes aren't in the movie...how can we fit them on a soundtrack?)

The Color Of Money sure it's not chock full of 100% 'can't miss' tunes, but the biggies that it does have are monsters - 'It's In The Way That You Use It', and of course 'Werewolves Of London'...this epitomizes a great soundtrack song for me - I absolutely love 'Werewolves', and to this day, every time I hear it, I think of the scene in TCoM that it appears in. (especially Tom Cruise preening to the 'his hair was perfect' line...spectacular!)

Reservoir Dogs I'd put this one slightly above Pulp Fiction (maybe due to the reason my buddy half-mentioned - PF needs a 'Volume 2', and moving some of those missing songs to the released soundtrack could have put it in the stratosphere...but I digress), and no, not for that now-overplayed 'Stuck In The Middle With You' (though it's still a great tune)...it's the dialogue ('Madonna's big dick' anyone?) and the venerable Steven Wright that power this one.

The Doors yes, mostly a Doors 'greatest hits' package (though there are other soundtracks that follow that lead, and some of those are on the VF list), but also brings the haunting 'Carmina Burana' and the wonderful 'Heroin'...and did I mention that it's a Doors greatest hits package? Big points for that.

Good Morning, Vietnam I don't listen to this much nowadays, but for quite a few years after the film was released, this one was on my playlist a lot (on cassette, natch)...some enjoyable Robin Williams riffing interspersed with some of the most fun and rocking tunes of the Vietnam era...including 'I Feel Good'...definitely a much more fun listen than the 'Apocalypse Now' soundtrack (which I also own, and like, btw)

Pretty In Pink A venerable who's who of 80's pop: OMD, New Order, The Psych Furs, Echo & The Bunnymen...plus the best non-album INXS track ever - 'Do Wot You Do' (though one on the next entry gives it a run for its money)

The Lost Boys Mostly for the 2 INXS + Jimmy Barnes tracks, it also has a pretty good Lou Graham tune (what the heck happened to him?) and one of the coolest cover songs ever in Echo & The Bunnymen's take on 'People Are Strange'

Honorable Mentions, for various reasons: The Matador, Flash Gordon, Forrest Gump, Do The Right Thing, Heat, Ghostbusters