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When I was younger and vainer, I would walk the mile and a half home from school alone, pretending I was the heroine in a movie about me. To complete the fantasy, I would score this scene with heartrending tunes I recalled from various movies (all of them tremendously dramatic and desperate for orchestral accompaniment). Pan the trees, my shuffling feet, the clouds, I would think—and set it to music.
Having been keenly aware of movie soundtracks since these after-school reveries, I set out to compile a list of the most noteworthy—those that have a life of their own outside the actual film they're linked with. In fact, they might just come in handy for scoring your own particular situations.
'THE BIG CHILL' ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK (Motown, $12.99): Was there ever a greater must-have soundtrack? For many, this collection became the ber-soundtrack, the one that brought on soundtrack madness. And hey, it worked! From the opening strains of "Heard It Through the Grapevine" to Three Dog Night's "Joy to the World" and two Smokey Robinson classics ("The Tracks of My Tears" and "I Second That Emotion"), this was a flick with soul. Does anyone actually remember what happened? I personally was too busy grooving to the music. Celebrate the 15th anniversary of this weekend reunion turned key party, and relive the songs that inspired this easily tempted cast (featuring a baby-faced Meg Tilly, a mustached Tom Berenger, and Glenn Close—not to mention Jeff Goldblum and Kevin Kline) and got me through high school. Damn, hearing Aretha deliver "You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman" is like hearing it for the first time. Forget that terrible date and run yourself a defiant bubble bath!
EYES WIDE SHUT (Warner Sunset/Reprise, $17.99): Though the movie's really nothing but one long come-on that doesn't deliver, parts of it do demonstrate Stanley Kubrick's genius for creating atmosphere. In the pretty but ineffectual sequences of a married couple being pulled apart by temptation, the whole thing plays like a silent movie—or a bad dream. Forget the immature dialogue; it doesn't tell you nearly as much as either the lustrous sets or the music. This soundtrack features everything from big-band cocktail-party fare (changing over from a lilting Shostakovich waltz to "When I Fall in Love") to a twinkling Lizst piano solo. Of particular note is the recurring piano theme of Gy� Ligeti's "Musica Ricerata II," in which two chromatic tones alternate in an ominous, steady tempo that will make your hair stand on end. This is perhaps the best suspense music since the squeals of Psycho or the Jaws theme; too bad the story didn't warrant such a feverish buildup. Then there's "Baby Did a Bad, Bad Thing" by Chris Isaak. Coming down from his "Wicked Game" falsetto, Isaak delivers a bad-boy growl that is downright sexy. Now this is music to crank up and undress to! Jocelyn Pook composed the music to the famously anticipated orgy scene ("The Masked Ball"), and, well, that wasn't terribly exciting to watch, but this music makes up for it. Taking up where Caligula leaves off, it's full of strange, Gregorian chant-like incantations against a wash of strings. It's enough to make imaginations run wild (at least wilder than Mr. Kubrick's). Pook also composes a world-music hodgepodge ("Migrations") that carries the two-tone piano piece to another level, complete with Indian singers, strings, and drumming.
MORE MUSIC FROM 'AUSTIN POWERS: THE SPY WHO SHAGGED ME' (Maverick, $17.97): Is there any more reason to buy this soundtrack sequel than the remix of Madonna's damn catchy "Beautiful Stranger"? It's hard to imagine better fare for the pop star, who gets to be sultry and go-go at the same time. So she hasn't exactly evolved since "Lucky Star," but who cares? The fact is, this movie was all about selling out. See, this isn't even the real soundtrack; it's "more" than the original offerings. Which is why the fake James Bond stuff (They Might Be Giants' "Dr. Evil" and George Clinton's "Austin Powers Shagadelic Medley") doesn't take up much space here. Instead, this disc is littered with leftovers from every '60s time capsule, like the Monkees' "I'm a Believer," the Guess Who's "American Woman," as well as Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On," Steppenwolf's "Magic Carpet Ride," and the Zombies' "Time of the Season." Booo-ring! But you can shake your tush to "Am I Sexy?" by Lords of Acid, and slide down a pole to "Bachelor Pad" by Fantastic Plastic Machine. Otherwise, can you say "marketing gimmick"?
THE STRAIGHT STORY (Windham Hill, $17.99): Ah, those amber waves of grain. In the opening scene of this gem, those amber waves are approached from above by a soaring camera that hones in on rows of wheat being sucked into a combine (in other words, a glorified lawnmower). Which brings us to the story of Alvin Straight and his John Deere odyssey through the heartland. The accompanying score, composed by Angelo Badalamenti, is chock-full of quiet guitars, some softly screeching fiddles ("Lauren's Walking"), and a lot of uncomplicated, echoey strumming and bowing ("Alvin's Theme"). The net effect creates a sense of open space, and is about as straightforward as Richard Farnsworth's Alvin stabbing a weenie with a stick to roast it over an open fire. Windham Hill, home of New Age mood music, has a charmer here. The tunes are sweet and memorable, much like the movie, and don't readily let us forget that there is something bigger out there than all of us. In Alvin's case, it happens to be forgiveness. Kick your feet up and stare out the window—this one calls for solo contemplation.
