Singles: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
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Free Music Notes for Singles: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Free Music Review: A trip down memory lane with true classic
Hit: 5 Stars
It was the summer before my freshman year of college when this album was released. I remember seeing most of these bands at Lollapalooza that same summer and understanding good and well that it was a special time for American music (also see Beastie Boys, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Sonic Youth, Pavement, among others). This soundtrack (and movie) capture that time and place like no other. This compilation is historically signifigant, to be sure, but the music is stellar also, exemplars of the artists' impressive catalogues. Free Music Review: The Genius Of Cameron Crowe
Hit: 5 Stars
I'm a huge fan of Cameron Crowe, not only for his great cinema but his devotion to music. This soundtrack was the epitome of living in Seattle for me. I listened to it in high school, wore it out in college while writing my best term papers, and continually revisit it to this day. Singles was a great movie, but an even better soundtrack for the daily life of a Seattle-ite, or simply those who can appreciate good tunes.Free Music Review: Snapshot of Seattle Times
Hit: 4 Stars
Listening to the "Singles" Soundtrack is liking listening to a launching pad. Cameron Crow, he of much music fandom, directed the Singles flick at just the right time to help propel the Seattle grunge sound to a much larger audience. It's what happens when a seemingly alternative movement gets popularized...which is not a bad thing. Does a mass audience change the dynamics and quality of the music? I think not. Pearl Jam Ten is every bit as good as Pearl Jam No Code, so just because grunge got popularized through the success of Nirvana, PJ, Alice, doesn't knock the power of the music and the quality of the movement.
This soundtrack is indeed one of the stronger soundtracks you will listen to. But, like many other soundtracks, it has detracting qualities. Namely, soundtracks often try to throw in disparate music, songs from another time and another place, to possibly be eclectic or varying. The end result though is that it messes with the pace and tone of the work as a whole. For instance, the Singles soundtrack starts off mega-strong with a great 1-2-3 punch of Alice and Chains second best song in "Would?" (of course their best is Man in the Box). But then in steps Paul Westerberg's "Dyslexic Heart," which is a fine fine song in and of itself BUT...(ok here comes the big BUT that everybody has)...BUT...it doesn't have the feel of the rest of the album. Paul had just went solo from The Replacements and was carving out his own direction but Paul and his little band just happen to be from Minneapolis which has little to nothing to do with the Seattle grunge scene. Maybe Cameron Crow was a big Replacements fan.
For historical record there's some Mother Love Bone on here doing Crown of Thorns which is a great Zepplinesque dirge of Andrew Wood's voice summoning ghost of Robert Plant (wait...Plant's not dead yet?). And Chris Cornell makes two appearances on here with his own "Seasons" and Soundgarden's "Birth Ritual." Cornell's songs are just fine but his voice when he lets it rip is a matter of taste...a taste I don't have. It's over the top and overblown at times which brings us to Mudhoney's "Overblown," which is a fuzzed up distorted rave-up. The other album's big departure is Jimi Hendrix's "May This Be Love," who, like Westerberg, is certainly a fine musician but unlike Mr. Paul is from Seattle. So, one out of two ain't bad but his psychedelic 60's drugged haze of music doesn't quite fit in with the rest of the Soundtrack.
If you don't own any of Pearl Jam's live albums that include "Breathe" and "State of Love and Trust," or that band's fine fine work of b-sides and oddities, "Lost Dogs," run screaming to your neighborhood independent record store (or Amazon mind you) to get a hold of the "Singles" Soundtrack, if not for the historical collection of some darn fine grunge movement tunes...for the two gems from the greatest rock band this side of Van Halen...PJ. Listen on my good friends.
--MMW
Free Music Review: Could be the best soundtrack of all time
Hit: 5 Stars
Soundtracks never meant a lot to me. In fact, prior to buying this, I had never even taken the time to listen to one completely because I would get so frustrated with the choices so early in the CD. When my interest in 90s grunge was peaking is when I found the Singles soundtrack. My obsession with grunge has since diminished a tad bit but I still find myself listening to this all the time even though I've had it for a long time. From Alice In Chains' dark anthem Would? to The Lovemongers very good take on the Zeppelin classic Battle Of Evermore, I'm hardpressed to think of a soundtrack that delivers like this one does.
Alice In Chains' Would? is still one of my favorites by them. Layne Staley has always had a great voice and I think that song shows it very well. Pearl Jam's Breath is classic PJ in every way. It's got fantastic vocals, a great guitar solo, basically everything that makes you like PJ. Chris Cornell's Seasons is just a gorgeous track. If you like his voice, there's no way you won't like this song. Paul Westerberg's Dyslexic Heart seems a bit out of place to me, it's lumped in between two songs that aren't upbeat or poppy but then you have this. Dyslexic Heart is a good song but it's poor placement. The Lovemongers' Battle Of Evermore has become one of my favorite songs featured for the sole fact that they did such a great job with it. I first heard Mother Love Bone's Chloe Dancer/Crown Of Thorns when it was covered by Pearl Jam. PJ did such a good job that I figured the original must be excellent, and it really is. Soundgarden's Birth Ritual shows Soundgarden at their best and that's really all you can say. PJ's State Of Love And Trust is another classic PJ track that any fan knows by heart. Mudhoney's Overblown is pretty good, though I'll admit that it's not the best on here. Paul Westerberg's second entry on here, Waiting For Somebody, is just like his first, very upbeat. If you liked Dyslexic Heart you'll like this. Jimi Hendrix is someone I've never been a big fan of but this song, May This Be Love, is actually pretty good. Screaming Trees' Nearly Lost You is definitely a highlight, and the Smashing Pumpkins' Drown is a song any fan of them surely loves.
All in all my favorite songs are Would?, Breath, Battle Of Evermore, Birth Ritual, and Drown. Pretty much, if you like 90s rock you'll enjoy this. In my opinion though, this is sure to go down as the best soundtrack I've ever heard.
Free Music Review: Still Rocks after all these years...
Hit: 5 Stars
It's hard to believe this movie/soundtrack is more than a decade old. I get nostalgic listening to this entire album - I was a freshman in college, what a time for music, what a time to live.