Customer Reviews

Singles: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

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4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(5)
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1992, what a year. The early `90s was an exciting time in rock. Now I'll admit to having a soft-spot for hair-metal, but the late 80s, early 90s was getting pretty lame, i.e. "Cherry Pie." Although there were some good bands in the days before Nirvana (some genuinely good, some guilty pleasures) the alternative/grunge movement of the early 90s was a refreshing change.

The soundtrack to the romantic comedy "Singles" is the perfect soundtrack and snapshot of that era. With the exception of Nirvana, almost every major Seattle/grunge band from the early 90s is represented, as well as some other alternative artists from that era.

Even if you own the complete works of the bands on this disc, this album is still worth buying because many of these songs are not on studio albums or on compilations.

You know how it is sometimes when a band puts a song on a soundtrack...the song often sounds like filler or a b-side that wasn't good enough to put on a proper studio album. Not so with the "Singles" soundtrack. Each song on this disc represents the artists' best work.

Alice In Chain's start off the album with "Would," from their sophomore classic "Dirt." This alternative/metal classic is one of the album's heavier, darker songs. "Would" remains a radio staple and the blueprint that other mediocre bands copied from (that means you Godsmack). Pearl Jam contributes two songs to this album, the mid-tempo "Breath" and the harder-rocking "State of Love and Trust." They sound most similar to "Vs." era PJ. These songs remain two of the finest, if not finest, songs that Pearl Jam has ever recorded. Chris Cornel (Soundgarden/Audioslave) contributes the soulful contemplative "Seasons." Paul Westerberg (Replacements, solo artist) contributions include the incredibly catchy "Dyslexic Heart" and "Waiting for Somebody." These are also easily two of the best songs Westerberg has recorded. The Lovemongers (aka Heart) contribute a cool rendition of Led Zeppelin's "Battle of Evermore." Mother Love Bone (the prelude to Pearl Jam) includes their morose classic "Crown of Thorns." Soundgarden's hard hitting "Birth Ritual" sounds as though it could have easily have been included on their "Badmoterfinger" (1991) album, and it is easily just as good as any other song from that album. The underappreciated Mudhoney include their fuzzy grunge classic "Overblown." The CD goes back in time a bit for Jimi Hendrix's classic "May This Be Love." The inclusion of a classic rock song on a grunge album does not break the pace as its tone/style compliments the other songs nicely. The Screaming Trees awesome "Nearly Lost You" (from the "Sweet Oblivion" album) and Chicago's Smashing Pumpkins "Drown" round-up the CD. Again, those are two of the best songs that either band has recorded.

Every song on this soundtrack is excellent. There is simply no filler. It's a perfect time-capsule of the early 90s and a terrific introduction to the Seattle/grunge sound of the early 90s. It's a modern rock classic and well worth owning.

Eleven years later, and this is an unequalled achievement: Even post-Tarantino soundtracks and countless other greats, "Singles" stands up as the best soundtrack of all time.

Effortlessly blending all of the all-stars of the early 1990s Seattle scene except Nirvana, recorded JUST before they broke into the international music consciousness, "Singles" is both an amazing snapshot of a point in time and a great companion piece for fans of that music.

Songs unavailable elsewhere from Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Chris Cornell, Smashing Pumpkins and Mother Love Bone is something of a dream come true for many music fans, and what's especially nice is that there's no filler anywhere on this album. Even lesser lights like The Lovemongers turn in great tunes, such as the band's rocking cover of Led Zeppelin's "Battle of Evermore."

Sticking out as not being part of the Seattle scene is post-Replacements Paul Westerberg, but his two songs -- the only performer on the album to do two, although Chris Cornell performs both with and without Soundgarden -- are probably the best tunes in the collection.

While this makes a great companion piece to the movie, which features music quite strongly -- one scene even features a character stopping the action so his girlfriend (and the audience) can listen to a good section of Jimi Hendrix's "May This Be Love" (included on the soundtrack) -- it stands alone as simply a great album as well.

My strongest possible recommendation for fans of early 1990s rock music.

The "Singles: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack," released in 1992, is a special album, and perfectly captures a cool time in rock and roll history. Singles was a somewhat hyped-up movie that was a tad lacking in my opinion, but this less-hyped CD lived up to the promise and talent of the Seattle rock and roll scene. Furthermore, the artists who contributed to this album had a real connection with each other, feeding off one another with a sense of purpose, community and committment to make the best music possible. Truthfully, this is one of the best rock and roll soundtracks I've ever heard.

Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam and Chris Cornell, as well as Cornell's raucous band, Soundgarden, all sound amazingly seasoned and mature on "Singles," not anything like new kids on the big-rock scene back in the early 1990s. These guys obviously spent years before this album honing their skills and craft, experiencing life in order to give us great music. This album broke some bands, but it also re-established the talent of the heavyweights like Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains and Soundgarden, all of whom roamed the earth touring at the time, churning out music and making a great name for themselves with the ease of a fluid guitar chord.

Chris Cornell's beautiful "Seasons" is incomparable, a breathtakingly reflective song that's nearly foreboding with its dim message of life and time moving on while one possibly gets left behind. "Seasons" is best absorbed and enjoyed after several listens, but many of these songs are instantly hummable. The "Singles" soundtrack offers a bit of everything: heavier "grunge" rock ("Birth Ritual," "Overblown); pop gems by Paul Westerberg ("Dyslexic Heart," "Waiting For Somebody"); a glam-rock ballad ("Chloe Dancer"); a live song ("Battle of Evermore"); old stuff by Jimmy Hendrix ("May This be Love"); and some radio-ready hits ("Nearly Lost You," "Would"). There are also some oddities and unexpected artists thrown in, perhaps to lighten the heavy grunge load that many expected at the time. Overall, the beauty of this soundtrack is in its unexpected diversity.

Smashing Pumpkins were outsiders to this project, a Chicago band that fit in like a new Hendrix perm. Many people were introduced to the Pumpkins via this soundtrack (like me), and the lucky Pumpkins did not disappoint, offering the spaced-out "Drown," a lulling, breezy track that turns deadly by the end, and ranks as one of the band's best offerings ever. For me, this was the first time I realized that music could be dreamily hypnotic, spaced-out to the max. "Drown" eerily closes the CD on a bleak and blaring note, a myriad of squealing guitars mixed with heavy base and jazzy drumming by Jimmy Chamberlain. It's the type of song that, if played until the end, would scare people out of bars by closing time. "Drown" offers no real hope, no sense of happiness to be alive or thankfulness for being included on a big-named soundtrack, yet in its raging sadness, the song actually reaffirms the dedication, heart and true feelings that all these contributing artists were pushing at the time.

Strangely, if you run down the list of artists and their songs featured on this classic album, you notice two things: either the band's shelf life has completely run its course commercially or, even sadder, the bands are completely defunct. The talented, revered and deceased Andy Wood summed it up perfectly in his beautiful soother-turned-rocker "Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns:" "You ever heard the story, of missed and faded glory?" Though its time has well passed, the "Singles" soundtrack remains a brooding musical gem from the Pacific Northwest.

The Singles soundtrack is the companion to Cameron Crowe's 1992 film and demonstrates that movie soundtracks could be marketed as excellent compilations.

The whole alternative/grunge scene really exploded in 1991, and for awhile Seattle was the hip, cutting edge place to be. By 1992, there was already some backlash, and Pearl Jam, Alice and Chains, Soundgarden and Mudhoney were not really fledgling bands, most of their members having paid their dues in smoky local clubs in the late 1980s. This disk is a great snapshot of Seattle in the early 1990s, with many of the songs written especially for this soundtrack. I think it's a great time capsule that holds up well even ten years later.

Alice and Chains starts us off with "Would," a slow burn with rumbling bass, muddy guitars and haunting harmonies by Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell. Great lead-off punch.

"Breathe" by Pearl Jam follows, perhaps a cut that didn't make their debut "Ten" but a fine song with cool sliding basslines, dual guitar interplay and nice drum track. Eddie Vedder displays his powerful baritone and backs himself up nicely.

"Seasons" is a solo piece by Soundgarden frontman, Chris Cornell, singing with only guitar accompaniment with introspective lyrics that remind one of sitting on the wall at Kerry Park on Highland Drive and overlooking Seattle.

"Dyslexic Heart" come from non-Seattleite Paul Westerberg, who had success with the Replacements. This song is fun grunge pop, with clever lyrics, and was the theme for the character relationships in the movie. Very popular with the girls, too.

Cameron Crowe linked his relationship with Nancy Wilson and her Seattle roots for The Lovemongers cover of Led Zeppelin's "Battle of Evermore." The guitars and mandolins have a very live feel, and Ann and Nancy's harmonies blend well.

"Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns" comes from Mother Love Bone, whose singer, Andrew Wood, was an early casualty from overdose before his band had a big breakthrough. Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam were also in this band.

"Birth Ritual" is some true metal crunch from Soundgarden, all feedback, distortion and Cornell's pipes at full throttle.

"State of Love and Trust" by Pearl Jam is a more urgent performance than "Breathe" and rocks harder.

"Overblown" by Mudhoney is another great rocker with brain-bashing drums, from a band that never received the national attention of many other Seattle bands, but stayed true to its course and rattled the walls of many a club.

"Waiting for Somebody" is another Paul Westerberg tune that's musically similar to "Dyslexic Heart" but not quite as catchy.

"May This be Love" is a somewhat obscure Jimi Hendrix tune, another homage to a Seattle hero, with some trippy guitars, vocals and lyrics.

"Nearly Lost You" is one of the sleepers here, and one of my favorites. Fantastic guitar/drum interplay and outstanding throaty vocals by Mark Lanegan. Screaming Trees were true flannel-wearing guys from the eastern Washington cow town of Ellensburg and used to play at barn parties for local school kids.

The disk closes with "Drown" by the Smashing Pumpkins, another non-Seattle band, but one that was part of the initial grunge movement, with layers of distorted guitars and Billy Corgan's trademark vocal style.

It's interesting to see where these groups and individual members are at now, and how the music all goes in cycles.

I was really young when this soundtrack came out, so I missed it, along with the heyday of all the bands on it... still, to add to the cliche, this is the best soundtrack of the nineties, and probably the best soundtrack ever... I used to think the crow soundtrack took that honor (it did have two very amazing songs by the cure and nin), but this is just overall better. "state of love and trust", "chloe dancer/crown of thorns", "drown", "would?" - the list goes on. amazing. wish mtv still played music like this - wish new bands still made music like this... as a piece of youth known for limp bizkit and n sync, i feel truly cheated...

released in 1992 on epic records, this album came out right around the beginning explosion of seattle. in 1992 seattle was to rock what bethlehem is to christianity and this album encased in a movie and a soundtrack a good part of the idealogy of the movement. This album holds many great bands. We kick off with Alice in Chains with thier song WOULD? a dark contemplative song from 1992's DIRT. Pearl Jam contibute two with BREATH(think ten era PJ) and STATE OF LOVE & TRUST(a favorite of theirs to play live) Chris Cornell makes a solo appearance with SEASONS(a slower more thoughful piece) The Lovemongers (otherwise known as Ann & Nancy Wilson from heart) cover Led Zepp's BATTLE OF EVERMORE quite brilliantly. Mother Love Bone (queen meets Pearl Jam style rock) contribute their classic CHLOE DANCER/CROWN OF THORNS . SoundGarden show up with the rocking BIRTH RITUAL (also in the movie!!) Mudhoney contribute with the ironic song OVERBLOWN while the great but lesser known seattle band Screaming Trees hit with the catchy NEARLY LOST YOU. Jimi (the classic seattle star) makes a ghostly appearance with MAY THIS BE LOVE. The only two bands here not from Seattle are Paul Westerberg who penned the very catchy DYSLEXIC HEART (which runs through the movie) and WAITING FOR SOMEBODY.
The final song on this album is to me the chciago born SMASHHING PUMPKINS best song ever. It is really ony a three minute rock song but it clocks in at 8:17 because of the five minutes of wonderful feedback at the end. Only Billy Corgan (the greates 90's guitarist in my opinion) could craft such noise so brilliantly AND meldocially. the textures and tones of the music he creates continually blow me away and of course he is backed by the master drummer Jimmy Chamberlain who keeps the song rock solid and yet still manages to throw in his usual genius fills. never too much not too little. this song is the perfect rock song and worth the price of admission.
Singles delivers from begginning to end and you cannot go wrong with this album

This soundtrack is almost like a collection of hits and b-sides from some imaginary amalgamated band from the great beyond. "Would?" is one of Alice in Chains' best songs ever. "Breath" and "State of Love and Trust" were leftover from Pearl Jam's "Ten" sessions. They're both too good to have been left off "Ten," but it's a delight to have them here. "Seasons" is a peek into Chris Cornell's solo career which is now just beginning. You miss Cornell's old band mates? "Birth Ritual" is a nice slice of classic Soundgarden. "Nearly Lost You" is by far the Screaming Trees' best work. Although very few listeners will know who Mother Love Bone is, when they listen to "Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns," they may recognize a familiar guitar and bass player. That's because Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam were both members of Mother Love Bone, long before they ever found Eddie Vedder working at a gas station. Ironically, Mudhoney's "Overblown" gives singer Mark Arm a chance to whine about the fact that he's recorded at one time or another with almost every big-time Seattle musician, yet no one knows who the heck he is. For kicks, producer Cameron Crowe threw in a Jimi Hendrix tune and a Led Zeppelin cover. Paul Westerburg drops in with a pair of pop songs, and the Smashing Pumpkins add a twelve minute long closer. As a side note, if you see the movie on video, check out the band on stage at the club -- it's Pearl Jam. No one will like all 13 songs on this CD, but every fan of Seattle music and most rock fans in general should be able to find at least eight or nine songs they really like, to make their purchase worthwhile.

I was only 6 or 7 during the whole grunge era, and now I'm 17 and in the Britney Spears generation, so I've always felt kind of cheated. This soundtrack only adds to my jealousy of those who were teens in 1992. It's an excellent retrospective of alternative music, mostly artists from Seattle. It starts off with "Would?" one of the greates songs known to man, by the brilliant Alice In Chains. Layne's vocals are passionate and haunting... RIP.

Pearl Jam has two amazing songs to offer on this soundtrack as well, the rocking "Breath," and the manic "State of Love and Trust." This album also contains a relic of the Seattle scene. Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard's previous band Mother Love Bone has a song on here "Chloe Dance/Crown of Thorns" an 8 minute highly emotional song, kind of like Queen meets REM meets Soundgarden. MLB broke up in 1990 when vocalist Andy Wood overdosed, probably grunge's first casaulty, making the song about 100 times more emotional.

Soundgarden makes a few appearances here, one as a group (in the adrenaline-pumping "Birth Ritual"), a very eerie Chris Cornell solo song "Seasons" and a collaboration with Ann and Nancy from Heart (known as the Lovemongers) on a cover of Zeppelin's classic ode to JRR Tolkien, "The Battle of Evermore," which is very decent, with Nancy Wilson's backing vocals totally blowing out Sandy Denny's (a member of some late 60s-70s folk group) in the Zeppelin version.

Despite the fact that there is no Nirvana, it is still excellent. Mudhoney and Screaming Trees, two lesser known Seattle bands, offer some amazing songs here as well. Jimi Hendrix's "May This Be Love" gives a glimpse into Seattle's past legacy in music (Hendrix himself was born and raised in Seattle).

Paul Westerberg, formerly of the seminal Minneapolis alternative band the Replacements, has two songs here. "Dyslexic Heart" is the most catchiest song I have ever heard in my life.

The closing to this soundtrack is from Chicago's the Smashing Pumpkins, heavily affiliated with a few Seattle bands. They close the album off with "Drown," an 8 minute song that ranks as one of their best songs. The song itself is about 4 minutes, then the ending consists of feedback and crazy guitar sound effects.

If you want a great soundtrack, and more proof that the early 90s had a lot to offer musically, pick this baby up, and crank it. The music is bound to affect you.

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.

There have been plenty of soundtracks that have just totally owned. From 'Dazed and Confused', both CD's, to 'Grosse Pointe Blank', also both, and even 'American Graffiti', but when I think of the best soundtrack, it's gotta go to 'Singles.'

Cameron Crowe hit the nail straight on the head when he made the romantic-comedy-drama which conveniently happened to spur around the greatest music scene ever. With bands like Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains, the vivid Paul Westerberg, intricate Chris Cornell, legendary Mudhoney, or the ultimate shredder rock, Soundgarden, what else can you really put on there?

The answer is all there. Every song on this album is easily and equally just as great as the other. Hell, my girlfriend and I's song is even on here! With original songs just for the film, Pearl Jam takes the cake with 'State of Love and Trust', a powerful number, that should have made it to Ten, but instead we find it here. Along with 'Breath', the two, in my opinion are some of the band's finest pieces ever.

Chris Cornell contributes a major part to this record as well, with his band Soundgarden and even his solo stuff. The song 'Seasons' is so beautiful and soothing, I could play it during a mid life crisis and hopefully sanction some sort of sanity. That being said, it's a terrific song.

Andy Wood's moving song, 'Chloe' is also on here, and easily worth the price of the album. Considering the rarity of the Mother Love Bone disc itself, this song shines on here, and readily available. This and Paul Westerberg's songs fill the movie, so anyone who has watched the film and listens to the soundtrack, these stand out, a lot.

I almost forgot, 90's most eccentric, powerful band, The Smashing Pumpkins also contribute. 'Drown' is probably one of my favorite songs in their catalog now, not just because it's in such a great film, but because overall, the song is just enthralling. Listen for the guitar and Corgan's pitch, this song screams 'Siamese Dream', but it's not...it's on the soundtrack.

See that's where soundtracks are memorable. When bands go exclusively into making their own song be on that album, and just that album. Although Alice in Chains 'Would?' is on their record, it fits in fine here, especially how it's used in the film, as well. Nevertheless, the bands that actually just went out to make the songs for the film, is the primary reason why this album stands out so much.

I say this with all honesty, buy this album. It's easily thee best soundtrack I have ever listened to. Even before seeing the film, anyone could enjoy this. Buy this and buy the movie. It's an honest picture with a real effort into both film production and soundtrack department. Reading Crowe's journals on the set of the film, it's apparent the bands took such a fledging effort to make this film what it is.

Well, see the result.