Customer Reviews

High Fidelity

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

The official soundtrack is a good listen, but for those who are curious as to what was left off, below is the complete (I think) list of songs used and/or referenced in the movie.

(from DVD credits, in order of appearance in film)

1. "You're Gonna Miss Me", The Thirteenth Floor Elevators
2. "I Want Candy", Bow Wow Wow
3. "Crocodile Rock", Elton John
4. "Crimson and Clover", Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
5. "Seymour Stein", Belle & Sebastian
6. "Jacob's Ladder", Rush (not actually in the film -- Jack Black is "singing" part of guitar solo as he comes in to work late)
7. "Walking On Sunshine", K.C. and the Sunshine Band
8. "Baby Got Going", Liz Phair
9. "Little Did I Know", Brother JT 3
10. "I'm Wrong About Everything", John Wesley Harding
11. "I Can't Stand the Rain", Ann Peebles
12. "The River", Bruce Springsteen
13. "Baby, I Love Your Way", Lisa Bonet
14. "Jesus Doesn't Want Me For a Sunbeam", The Vaselines
15. "Cold Blooded Old Times", Smog
16. "On Hold", Edith Frost
17. "Hyena 1", Goldie
18. "I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More, Babe", Barry White
19. "Always See Your Face", Love
20. "Soaring and Boring", Plush
21. "Leave Home", The Chemical Brothers
22. "Four To the Floor", John Etkin-Bell
23. "Loopfest", Toby Bricheno and Jan Cryka
24. "Who Loves the Sun", The Velvet Underground
25. "Robbin's Nest", Illinois Jacquet
26. "Rock Steady", Aretha Franklin
27. "Suspect Device", Stiff Little Fingers
28. "Dry the Rain", The Beta Band
29. "We Are the Champions", Queen
30. "I'm Glad You're Mine", Al Green
31. "Your Friend and Mine", Love
32. "Shipbuilding", Elvis Costello
33. "Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You", Bob Dylan
34. "Get It Together", Grand Funk Railroad
35. "Fallen For You", Sheila Nicholls
36. "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'", The Velvet Underground
37. "This India", Harbhajhn Singh and Navinder Pal Singh
38. "Tread Water", De La Soul
39. "The Moonbeam Song", Harry Nilsson
40. "Juice (Know the Ledge)", Eric B. and Rakim
41. "Doing It Anyway", Apartment 26
42. "What's On Your Mind", Eric B. and Rakim
43. "Good and Strong", Sy Smith
44. "Mendocino", Sir Douglas Quintet
45. "Inside Game", Royal Trux
46. "The Night Chicago Died", Paper Lace (Jack Black spoofs it -- "The Night Laura's Daddy Died")
47. "Chapel of Rest", Dick Walter
48. "Most of the Time", Bob Dylan
49. "I Get the Sweetest Feeling", Jackie Wilson
50. "Lo Boob Oscillator", Stereolab
51. "The Anti-Circle", The Roots
52. "Everybody's Gonna Be Happy", The Kinks
53. "Homespun Rerun (Cornelius Remix)", High Llamas
54. "Hit the Street", Rupert Gregson-Williams
55. "Let's Get It On", Jack Black
56. "I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)", Stevie Wonder
57. "My Little Red Book", Love

(songs mentioned in dialogue but not in credits)

1. "Little Latin Lupe Lu", Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels / The Righteous Brothers
2. "I Just Called To Say I Love You", Stevie Wonder
3. "Leader of the Pack", The Shangri-Las
4. "Dead Man's Curve", Jan & Dean
5. "Tell Laura I Love Her", Ray Peterson
6. "One Step Beyond", Madness
7. "You Can't Always Get What You Want", The Rolling Stones
8. "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald", Gordon Lightfoot
9. "Many Rivers To Cross", Jimmy Cliff
10. "Angel", Aretha Franklin
11. "You're the Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me", Gladys Knight

A number of reviewers have voiced concern over the song selection compared to the movie. The biggest reason that all the songs in the movie do not appear on the CD would probably have to do with licensing costs. So, choosing a selection of songs for the cd becomes quite like the process that John Cusack's character goes through when making a tape for someone. Define the audience: Moviegoers who enjoyed the movie and the music, but are not avid record collectors. Main song selection criteria: Balance the familiar names (Kinks, Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello) with the less familiar (13th Floor Elevators, Smog, Royal Trux). Enter personal bias: Stevie Wonder vs. Otis Redding, 2 Velvet Underground songs, 3 Drag City Records (Chicago based recording label) related artists (Stereolab, Smog, Royal Trux). And of finally, of course, make sure that the whole thing flows to help keep you from reaching for the 'skip' button.

This is a more extensive list than the one previously mentioned. It includes all songs in the movie, all songs mentioned, and all songs from heard and mentioned in the deleted scenes. Enjoy.

1. "You're Gonna Miss Me" - The Thirteenth Floor Elevators
2. "I Want Candy" - Bow Wow Wow
3. "Crocodile Rock" - Elton John
4. "Crimson And Clover" - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
5. "Seymour Stein" - Belle & Sebastian
6. "Jacob's Ladder" - Rush(guitar solo Barry is singing on entrance)
7. "Walking On Sunshine" - Katrina and the Waves
8. "Little Latin Lupe Lu" - Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels
9. "Baby Got Going" - Liz Phair
10. "Little Did I Know" - Brother JT 3
11. "I'm Wrong About Everything" - John Wesley Harding
12. "I Can't Stand The Rain" - Ann Peebles
13. "I Just Called To Say I Love You" - Stevie Wonder
14. "The River" - Bruce Springsteen
15. "Baby, I Love Your Way" - perfomed by Marie de Sal
16. "Jesus Doesn't Want Me For A Sunbeam" - The Vaselines
17. "Cold Blooded Old Times" - Smog
(18-22 Rob's side 1s, track 1s)
18. "Janie Jones" - The Clash
19. "Let's Get It On" - Marvin Gaye
20. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - Nirvana
21. "White Light/White Heat" - The Velvet Underground
22. "Radiation Ruling the Nation" - Massive Attack vs Mad Professor
23. "On Hold" - Edith Frost
24. "Hyena 1" - Goldie
25. "I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little More Babe" - Barry White
(26,27 from deleted scene with Beverly D'Angelo)
26. "Only The Lonely" - Roy Orbison
27. "God Save The Queen" - Sex Pistols
28. "Always See Your Face" - Love
29. "Soaring And Boaring" - Plush
30. "Leave Home" - The Chemical Brothers
31. "Four To The Floor" - John Etkin-Bell
32. "Loopfest" - Toby Bricheno and Jan Cryka
33. "Who Loves The Sun" - The Velvet Underground
34. "Robbin's Nest" - Illinois Jacquet
35. "Rock Steady" - Aretha Franklin
36. "The Killin Moon" - Echo & The Bunnymen
37. "Suspect Device" - Stiff Little Fingers
38. "Dry The Rain" - The Beta Band
39. "We Are The Champions" - Queen
40. "I'm Glad You're Mine" - Al Green
41. "Your Friend And Mine" - Love
42. "Shipbuilding" - Elvis Costello and The Attractions
43. "Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You" - Bob Dylan
44. "Behind Closed Doors" - Charlie Rich
45. "Get It Together" - Grand Funk Railroad
46. "Fallen For You" - Sheila Nicholls
47. "Oh! Sweet Nuthin' " - The Velvet Undergound
48. "This India", Harbhajhn Singh and Navinder Pal Singh
49. "Tread Water" - De La Soul
50. "The Moonbeam Song" - Harry Nilsson
51. "Juice (Know The Ledge)" - Eric B. and Rakim
52. "Doing It Anyway" - Apartment 26
53. "What's On Your Mind" - Eric B. and Rakim
54. "Good And Strong" - Sy Smith
55. "Mendocino" - Sir Douglas Quintet
56. "The Inside Game" - Royal Trux
(57-72 a laura's dad tribute list)
57. "Leader Of The Pack" - The Shangri Las
58. "Dead Man's Curve" - Jan & Dean
59. "Tell Laura I Love Her" - Ricky Valance
60. "One Step Beyond" - Madness
70. "You Can't Always Get What You Want" - Rolling Stones (immediate disqualification because of its involvement with "The Big Chill")
71. "The Wreck Of The Edmund Firzgerald" - Gordon Lightfoot
72. "The Night Chicago Died" - Paper Lace
73. "Chapel of Rest", Dick Walter
(74-78 song's at Rob's funeral)
74. "Many Rivers To Cross" - Jimmy Cliff
75. "Angel" - Aretha Franklin
78. "You're The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me" - Gladys Knight
79. "Most Of The Time" - Bob Dylan
80. "I Get The Sweetest Feeling" - Jackie Wilson
81. "Lo Boob Oscillator" - Stereolab
82. "The Anti-Circle" - The Roots
83. "Everybody's Gona Be Happy" - The Kinks
84. "Homespun Rerun (Cornelius Remix)" - High Llamas
85. "Hit The Street" - Rupert Gregson-Williams
86. "Let's Get It On" - performed by Jack Black
87. "I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)" - Stevie Wonder
88. "My Little Red Book" - Love

Rob's all-time top five, as told to Caroline Fortis

89. "Sin City" - The Flying Burrito Brothers
90. "New Rose" - The Damned
91. "Hit It And Quit It" - Funkadelic
92. "Shipbuiling" - Elvis Costello and The Attractions
93. "Mystery Train" - Elvis Presley
94. "Spaced Cowboy" - Sly & The Family Stone
95. "Summertime Blues" - Blue Cheer
96. "The Upsetter" - Lee 'Scratch' Perry
97. "Let's Get It On" - Marvin Gaye
98. "Sound And Vision" - David Bowie
99. "Dirty Water" - The Standells
100. "Dancing Barefoot" - Patti Smith
101. "Me And My Baby Brother" - War
102. "Grandma's Hands" - Bill Withers

(the "Let's Get It On" of the book)
103. "Got To Get You Off My Mind" - Solomon Burke

There are some great songs on this soundtrack, some of which I'd never heard before. I was also excited to see that one of my all-time favorite songs, "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'" by The Velvet Underground was included. It's one of rock's perfect songs and deserves the attention. The fact that everyone will argue about what songs are included or excluded here is completely appropriate given the themes in the movie/book. Everyone feels passionately about the music they love and thinks everybody else is insane. That's exactly how it should be.

Well, okay, I guess "High Fidelity" proves the worth of its own existence every time someone writes one of these reviews. And at the risk of getting laughed out of Championship Vinyl, permit me to add my two cents' worth to this page.

For my money this soundtrack more than amply serves to showcase a goodly cross-section of the film's amazing breadth of music. From Love, the 13th Floor Elevators and the Velevet Underground (2, count 'em, songs!) to gems like Stereolab's "Lo Boob Oscillator", Royal Trux and the Beta Band. What's not to like?

I'm sure there's something I'd like to see here that went missing, but I'm so delighted with this collection, who needs to argue?

The inclusion of Jack Black's wonderful rendition of "Let's Get it On" is absolutely inspired.

Living in good ol' Indianapolis, I don't exactly have the best radio selection. So, after I decided to give up on listening to the radio (those 'n sync ballads were getting on my nerves) I discovered that all I have to do is buy John Cusack movie soundtracks. So far, they are invariably great. I had only heard two of the tracks before buying the CD, which made me somewhat nervous about spending around $18 dollars for it, but I was not disappointed. If there is a CD that has something for almost everyone, this is it. The Bob Dylan track is slow, melodic, and moving. Sheila Nicholls has an achingly beautiful voice that is clear and refined. The John Wesely Harding song is great for singing along to. I am greatly indebted to the producers of this soundtrack for exposing me to the music of the Velevet Underground, which I had heard of but never heard. The sound is relaxed, with the exception of Inside Game and Lo Boob Oscillator, admittedly my two least favorite tracks on the CD. If you've seen the movie, you know that John Cusack is heart-broken for most of it, and most of the music reflects that. If you only listen to upbeat songs, this CD is not for you. Nevertheless, it does not convey a depressed tone, and that gorgeous Stevie Wonder song ends the CD on a high note.

So many people have complained that this soundtrack isn't comprehensive, and I'm starting to get tired of it. Considering the overwhelming volume of incredible music in the movie it would be nearly impossible to accomodate everyone's desires and tastes on one album. When you analyze the difficulty of the task they were posed with, it's clear that the album producers did an excellent job of track selection(with the possible exception of "Inside Game" by Royal Trux).

Highlights include the exceptional "I'm Wrong About Everything", "I Believe", "Oh Sweet Nuthin", and Jack Black's astounding rendition of Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On"

It goes without saying. You like music, you have eclectic tastes, you saw this movie and it clicked with every fibre of your being. I am an Irishman and as such I have the European issue of this album. For everyone crying out for more soul Stateside try and get a copy this issue. John Wesley Harding, Love and (sadly) the great Royal Trux are absent but in their place you get some stone cold soul with Aretha Fanklin's "Rock Steady" and the round mound of sound Barry White giving you "I'm Gonna Love You A Little More Babe". Where is the Marvin Gaye I cried? Maybe in Volume II (fingers crossed) Also here is "Town Called Malice" by The Jam an excellent Eighties track that would have slotted easily into Grosse Point Blank's similarly eclectic soundtrack. Oh, and the Hard Dayds Night spoof cover is also sadly absent. PLEASE GIVE US MORE TRACKS FROM THE FILM ON A SECOND VOLUME is about all that is left to say.

If you thought that the movie, High Fidelity couldn't get any better than John Cusack's moody, introspective, yet often dark and cynical approach to love, then you haven't listened to the soundtrack. Although some titles are missing, the fifteen tracks blend together in retracing the movie and adding a few new experiences to the collage. Starting out hip and upbeat then settling into a more somber mood, the soundtrack takes us back to the movie and makes us feel for (if not like) lead character Rob Gordon. The Stevie Wonder track serves as a perfect ultimate track.

What about Stiff Little Fingers? Albeit, I'm not real big on releasing these underground favorites/best kept secrets to the "mainstream", but what a miss. I walked out of the theater with a glimmer of hope that the soundtrack would pull through - the film sure did. I really loved the edgier, harder stuff and the makes-me-remember-where-and-when of days gone by, but I want more! Some truly great songs, I do admit, but too many gaps. Maybe too much material to contain in just one record.