calkins's Blog

When summer time is not about liquid refreshment, or hot time hard ball, it’s often about movies.  And music.  And movies remembered as much, if not more, for the music, as the names above the marquee. 

The Bloggorrhea taking a break from the sports beat, and here with films to revisit, for the best-ever soundtracks, regardless of scripts the plots the twists the characters.  In descending order.  No rock operas, no disco, no follin' around.  And cheaper by the dozen. 

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

Honorable Mention, for unreleased soundtrack.

Round Midnight  (1986)

Honorable Mention, for cool.  Herbie Hancock’s jazz tracks and Oscar-nominated Dexter Gordon as American sax man in Paris.

This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

Quintessential mock-rock-umentary.  And the cast of heavy haired metalists actually played.  And rocked. 

Viva Las Vegas (1964)

The King will always be The King.  Especially when in tandem with Ann-Margret, even if crooning The Yellow Rose of Texas.

Rushmore (1989)

Less-than-big hits from big Brits and other charmers.  And filmed at St. John's in Houston.  

Rock 'N' Roll High School (1979)

Never to be confused with a high school musical.  Rather, punk's Fab Four of Forest Hills, Noo Yawk's Ramones banging the likes of Blitzkrieg Bop and eight other signature tunes.

National Lampoon's Animal House (1979)

Minus the title tune, of course.  Otherwise, it’s Sam Cooke and Bobby Lewis, and Lloyd Williams’ Shout and Shama Lama Ding Dong.  You’re signing it right now.

Dazed and Confused (1993)

Crank-up Alice Cooper's School's Out and assorted other 1970s guitar-rock anthems that sum the last day/first day of school/summer.

Pulp Fiction (1994)

Taratino's hand-picked stash of 1960s surf, R&R and R&B.  And Girl, You'll Be a Women Soon, Urge Overkill's delicious Neil Diamond redux.

Superfly (1972)

Curtis Mayfield's masterpiece punctuated by Freddie's Dead.

The Big Chill (1983)

Motown classics dominate with Three Dog Night, without Creedence and Steve Miller's Quicksilver Girl.

High Fidelity (2000)

Tunes to contemplate the top five musical crimes perpetrated by Stevie Wonder in the 1980s and 90s, to determine if it is in fact unfair to criticize a formally great artist for his latter day sins, to decide if it is better to burn out or simply fade away.  The Damed, The Flying Burrito Brothers, The Velvet Underground.  Elvis's Mystery Train.  Shipbuilding by another Elvis.  Costello.  Throw in the Kinks and Austin's psychedelic rockers 13th Floor Elevators.  Tough to top.

Goodfellas (1990)

1950s doo-wop to Darin to Derek and The Dominoes, even if it's only the piano exit.  Won't find Gimme Shelter on the commercial release, nor Monkey Man and Magic Bus.  But there's Cream and Aretha.

Hard Day's Night (1964)

No explanation needed.  The first and still only truly great rock and roll musical and truly underrated as a film.  Really.

Any questions?