Customer Reviews

Pump Up The Volume: Music From The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

First off, this soundtrack compilation is worth owning. Chagall Guevera's Tale O' The Twister, for example, is difficult to come by. The rest of the songs are excellent alternative music and represent the spirit of the film well. But as everyone has pointed out, there are some crucial omissions.

To fix the problems with it will require mixing additional tracks on your CD burner. I added "Everybody Knows" and "If It Be Your Will" by Leonard Cohen, "Love Comes In Spurts" by Richard Hell and the Voidoids, and "Hello Dad.., I'm in Jail" by Was (Not Was) and now have a five star collection. Leagal downloads should run about $4 or so. You'll be much happier afterwards, I promise.

You know the song that starts out the movie, Leonard Cohen's "Everybody Knows," with that awesome deep voice that's all mysterious and stuff? It's not on the soundtrack. They have a cover by Concrete Blond... which isn't a bad band, and not a bad song, but it certainly isn't anything like Cohen's version. If you're going to put a cover of the theme song, at least put both of them on the sound track... the original and the cover. That's what I want. Is that too much to ask?

...that can be found on other CDs. There's so much that is wrong with this whole Cd and very little that is right. NO Leonard Cohen is just utterly horrid as two of the film's key scenes are basically set to Cohen's "Everybody Knows,' and "If it be your will," perhaps the two best songs he wrote in the 80s. Hell, Everybody Knows is basically the theme song for HHH's show...

The absence of Cohen in a film where his presence is almost channelled is damn near a sin. Furthermore- the Beastie Boys tune is left out. The Ice-T tune is left out. The Descendents tune is left out. They could have packed some more cream onto this, especially as there is so much crud...

Let's get to the bad of this CD. The Peter Murphy song is perhaps the worst thing he's ever done and that's really saying something. Don't get me wrong I swear by bauhaus, but this song is anti-bauhaus music. 'I've got a miniature secret camera,' yeah and i've got a miniature bleeding migraine whenever this song forces me to skip it...

Moving on to the execrable dud "Tale o' the twister'- sample lyric: "I stole a sideways glance at her continental shelf and i knew she was the devil herself," I'd have been embarassed if I scrawled that in the margins of my history notebook in the 8th grade as teen-angsty poetry...

The soundgarden tune sounds exactly the same as every other soundgarden tune, pre-badmotorfinger: indecipherable keening (FLOAT LIKE A LOOOOGGGGGGG!!!!!!!) and churning, muddy guitars... Master Yoda says, "A handful of wails short of unlistenable, this song is."

As for the sole hip hop tune "freedom of Speech;" it's a dated and forgettable 'conscious-rap' from a dated and forgettable group. And I have yet to listen to Liquid Jesus mimic their way through a watered down version of Sly and the fam's 'Stand!' in its entirety. Admittedly it is hard to improve on genius.

OK, that leaves Concrete Blonde's beautiful cover of L. Cohen's "Everybody Knows" (sans the last two verses)." You can find this song on the 'Still in Hollywood,' compilation of B-sides. A good lil CD. And you can get the sonic youth tune, titanium expose (nigh 6 minutes of noise) on their first DGC release, "GOO." Moreover, the Pixies UK Surf version of Wave o' mutilation- it's on any number of pixies comps, and is a b-side on one one of the doolittle singles- either here comes your man or monkey gone to heaven, i believe...

The Ivan Neville tune I can't seem to find anywhere else. Unlike Aaron neville, he doesn't put out lots of albums. 'Why can't i fall in love,' is a great, sad, bluesy, meaty, funky R&B tune. It sweats. So that's one good mark. The Bad Brains/Hank Rollins cover of the MC5's 'Kick out the jams,' is an able-bodied cover of a song that many have attempted and most have failed. It works more because of bad brains frenetic pulse and Dr. Know's guitar insanity (I'm biased here- IMHO Bad brains can do no wrong... except for Rise and God of Love). I don't know if this track is on any other release- so that's the second good thing.

Finally- the Cowboy Junkies version of Robert Johnson's 'Me and the devil blues,' is perhaps their best song. EVER. This coming from A) one of the best bands of the last 20 years and B) a band that excels in covering other artists songs and making them their own. I kow you've heard their 'sweet jane' cover- *yawn*. This song... It is a gypsy-esque orgy of bluesy harmonica, wailing violins, madhatter accordion and the most sublime electric slide guitar solo I have ever heard, all while Margo's voice drifts in and out like the sexiest lost soul since brandon lee donned face paint and died young... So this Cd (used copies abound for about 2 bucks in here...well, plus the 2.50 s&H...) is worth it for the one Cowboy Junkies track alone. To my knowledge this song is not on any album by them (it's not the same slow version that you find on their first album, "Whites Off earth Now).

While I am and always will be a great fan (even despite the horrible shirts slater wears at school) of this rather dated film (saw it '92 as an impressionable 13 year old- it blew my mind and fomented my slater-esque alter ego... yikes), I have to say that the majority of this Cd marks the low-tide point in early 90's soundtracks. And it cudda bin a contenda. Sigh, oh well....

Forgettable soundtrack, with the exception of Concrete Blonde's cover of "Everybody Knows" [which is for some reason included here, even though Cohen's version was the only one used in the movie, as far as i can remember], and a different mix of the Pixies' "Wave of Mutilation".

This is a decent soundtrack, but the frustrating thing is that it could have been incredible. As other reviewers have stated, it is missing quite a few songs that were featured prominently in the movie. Leonard Cohen is not on it, and songs by The Beastie Boys, The Descendents, Ice-T and Was(Not Was) are all absent as well.

What is on it is not bad, though. It's a mix of different styles of music all thrown together. Some songs stick out more than others. Here are some of the highlights. Concrete Blonde gives us a nice version of Cohen's "Everybody Knows" and Ivan Neville contributes a cool little song. I absolutely love the UK Surf Mix of "Wave Of Mutilation" by The Pixies and it is almost impossible to sit still while listening to the cover of "Kick Out The Jams." The lone hip-hop track is pretty good and has a jazzy feel to it and lyrics about censorship.

So, as I said it's not a terrible soundtrack, but the exclusion of certain songs hurts it a little. I also think it would have been cool if they would have had little clips from Hard Harry's show in between the songs so that you would feel like you were listening to his show. Oh, and one more thing, English singer-songwriter John Wesley Harding wrote a song for this soundtrack that was rejected. You can find it on his Dynablob album. It's called "Ask Why."

I bought this CD in 1990 after seeing the movie. I was looking for one song that was in the film. I went through the disc quickly and when I didn't find the song, I was so annoyed that I didn't listen to the CD again for a while. (The missing song was "Weinerschnitzel" by the Descendents, by the way).

When I did listen to it again, I discovered music from many essential bands of the pre-Nirvana era; back when grunge was still an underground thing. The tracks on here are incredible. I think the Pixies' slow version of "Wave of Mutilation" is worth the purchase price. It is completely different than the Dolittle version; so calming and breezy. Then Soundgarden's "Heretic" jumps out at the listener, a wonderful track that epitomizes their Louder Than Love era.

The Bad Brains and Henry Rollins explosive cover of MC5's pre-punk anthem "Kick Out The Jams" is a needed track for any punk fan. Top off the CD with Peter Murphy (Bauhaus), a Sonic Youth song from their Goo era, and some Concrete Blonde; it was had to be disappointed in this CD that was missing a few great tracks. Basically, if you like the early 90's alternative scene, this is definitely a CD to pick up.

I haven't actually listened to this CD as yet - but I am a HUGE fan of the movie. I'm a bit dissapointed to see a few tracks ommitted that would have made this CD excellent. Tracks by Ice-T, Beastie Boys, Butthole Surfers and the Descendents would have done just to the theme of the movie. You MUST see this movie.

The Surf Mix of the Pixies is a must-have.. as is Rollins/Brains crushing Kick Out the Jams. And my finest memory of this time.. I hung out in a boring college town (I know- what horrible irony) and the bars all had the same bland, JACKED-UP collection of CD's at the time: classic rock / U2 / Pearl Jam / Matthew Sweet / "new" country... Frat boys wearing polo shirts and playing pool.. smelling like cologne. Well, someone stocked this CD in the jukebox. And when Rollins started screaming "Kick out the JAMS, MOTHERF****!!!" All the vanilla clones would jerk the heads around and wonder how something like THAT! Something they didn't RECOGNIZE! Something they didn't play at their bull**** frat parties could show up in THEIR bar!!! God it was a brief, wonderful moment in a long dark time.

I got this CD for the deliciously noir and pessimistic "Everybody Knows," surely one of the best songs I've ever heard. Concrete Blonde's version far outshine's the master who wrote it, Leonard Cohen. While I really dig Cohen's songs, his version is a bit tinkly with a cheesy synthesiser. Johnette Napolitano brings more menace and the band brings deft muscle to the song.

Although I bought it for "Everybody Knows," it turns out the whole CD is pretty darn good! "Why Can't I Fall in Love" is a good follow-up song and holds its own. Next is a very respectable version of Sly's "Stand!" followed by another big treat on this CD: the Pixies' unplugged slow-wave version of "Wave of Mutilation!"

Unfortunately, Peter Murphy's "I've Got a Secret Miniature Camera" sounds like a second rate Fixx song. What a change from Bauhaus! It's just O.K.

"Kick Out the Jams" has never been my favorite song. Not even the great Bad Brains or Henry Rollins can salvage it for me, although they totally shred. You can definitely rock out to it.

"Freedom of Speech" is a great rap set to a jazzy hip-hop background. An anti-cencorship track with positive points of view.

"Heretic" is some wicked old-school Soundgarden while Sonic Youth contribute a song of driving weirdness that somehow manages to behave like a normal rock song. Well, sort of. How cool that a track this out-there found a place on a popular movie soundtrack. (and obviously, this is about the soundtrack, not the movie . . .)

The Cowboy Junkies' reading of Robert Johnson's creepy "Me and the Devil Blues" is first rate.

Finally, "Tale o' the Twister" rivals "Miniature Camera" as the weakest track in the bunch. Skip these 2 and you've got one heck of a soundtrack album. If you're like me and you like to rock as well as appreciate diversity, this one could be 4 U!

That's a great soundtrack with some good songs. Unless, I'm sad that the cd doesn't have the Leonard cohen's version of "Everybody Knows" because it was for that song that I wanted the sondtrack. Anyway, I don't regret to have this cd.