since July 7, 2004.They are one of the most memorable elements of motion pictures. They can leave you just as upbeat or down as the images onscreen. They’re soundtracks, and their music is as varied as the films in which they are featured. Here’s a small sampling:
Easy Rider - This counterculture biker flick not only made stars out of its leading men – particularly Jack Nicholson – but it also boasted a psychedelic soundtrack just as popular. Featuring the likes of Steppenwolf, the Byrds, Jimi Hendrix, the Electric Prunes, and Bob Dylan covers, the album permanently cemented the odyssey of two friends on their way to Mardi Gras into American pop culture and captured the essence of a generation on its way out.
The Graduate - The majority of this album was written (well, Paul Simon wrote it) and performed by Simon & Garfunkel, propelling them to pop stardom. Not only did the duo contribute original songs – several of them hits – but a driving score as well.
American Graffiti - Released in 1973, this film’s tagline asked, 'Where were you in ‘62?' and revived an abundance of doo-wop and early rock-n-roll. Coupled with the vocals of legendary disc jockey Wolfman Jack, this double-album soundtrack has become a pop culture classic.
Wonder Boys - As colorful as the film’s characters, this one features older cuts by John Lennon, Clarence Carter and Tim Hardin as well as a slew of Dylan tracks, including the Academy Award-winning "Things Have Changed." Count this as destined to become a classic.
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves - This has got to be one of the few score soundtracks that has inspired a hit as popular (or overplayed) as Bryan Adams’ "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You." Never mind that Jeff Lynne’s "Wild Times" was included in a forest scene (and a castle scene, if you have the extended version), while Adams’ tune just plays over the credits.
Movie Musicals - 42nd St. The Sound of Music. Jesus Christ Superstar. Hair. Cabaret. The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Grease. A Chorus Line. Chicago. (And I know there’s many more I’m forgetting.) All unique in their own ways, yet similar in the sense that they (well, most anyway) convey crucial plot elements through song and sometimes dance.
So, whether it’s psychedelia, folk rock, doo-wop, modern rock for pot-smoking professors, renaissance meets soft rock, song and dance, or whatever your fancy, it’s the music not the picture that keeps you humming as you leave the theater.
Copyright © 2004, Talia M. Wilson
published in Cooper Point Journal, March 4, 2004
since July 7, 2004.