Customer Reviews

Streets Of Fire: A Rock & Roll Fable (1984 Film)

5 star:		(50)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

There is not a bad song on here and the variety makes this a winner. It's just got a rock 'n roll feel to it, the kind of electricity that rock 'n roll has when you first discover it as a youth. It is alive, adrenaline pumping and fills you with possibility.

'I Can Dream About You' became a huge hit and The Fixx was a relative phenomenon in the 80s. But the best of this soundtrack can only be found by digging in. 'One Bad Stud' and 'Hold That Snake' have a swing to them that you can't help but be smitten by and 'Sorcerer' and 'Never Be You' are so filled with that angst of youth it just oozes through the speakers. The other songs are also good.

But the two songs that stand out are 'Nowhere Fast' and 'Tonight Is What It Means to Be Young' by Fire, Inc. The latter has to be one of the best songs ever to pump into your brain all the power and potency of youth, to take you right back to the time when you felt invincible and life was filled with a sense of urgency you almost couldn't contain. It's a seven minute opus to those feelings.

Saturday Night Fever was a double, Grease was a double (albeit it was the 70's and double albums/soundtracks were aplenty).Also, those films were blockbusters which ,unfortunately, Streets of Fire was not (luke warm reviews , moderate ticket summer sales and so-so public viewing interest/acceptance at best). If BladeRunner from 1982, two years prior, had been a musical-sci-fi flick, Streets is what it would have been...Streets of Fire could have easily contained more tracks by other artists or the same ones. I have always felt that the soundtrack is so awesome but too short in length...After a year of hearing fantastic soundtracks like Flashdance and being bombarded by the break dance craze (Breakin', Beat Street, etc.), Streets of Fire offered something fresh (part retro and part future).

The music was phenomenal! It's one of my favorite soundtracks of all time due to it's great range of different styles and time periods of various genres that work incredibly well together(musical cohesiveness?). You have the Broadway-esque Steinem production of Nowhere Fast and Tonight Is What It Means To Be Young.The country pop-rock flavored ballad tune It'll Never Be You.The late Dan Hartman's sadly enough ONLY huge pop/R&B/Motown-like hit I Can Dream About You. The track Sorcerer by Marilyn Martin has Stevie Nicks' unmistakeable trademark style of lyrics and sound all over it since Nicks wrote the song---you can actually hear Nicks on background vocals, though she's not credited on the album (it has a bit of a Tom Petty edge).The Blasters and Ry Cooder also contribute some 50's sock hop rockin' tunes.A doo-wop number by Greg Phillinganes called Countdown To Love buddies up nicely with Hartman's I Can Dream About You.Aside from the smooth-crooning tracks you have The Fixx's rockin' futuristic sound of Deeper And Deeper. A previous reviewer mentioned that this track "feels out of place". It doesn't. Remember the film's time period is never clear (it's a "fable").It can be the past, the present, or future (even in a galaxy far, far...you get the picture)!When hearing the music in visual context with the film, it's as though (visually)it's Grease meets BladeRunner.There's a 50's futuristic/40's noirish atmospheric look and feel to the film itself...Streets of Fire (soundtrack) seems to have established itself over the years as more of a cult-status level as opposed to what other soundtracks had become in the sound track blockbuster arena of the 80's. It is 20 years and Streets of Fire has aged incredibly well with it's many styles and different range of music and talent ! If only MCA would re-release a re-mastered version containing more material that would include alternate takes, and possibly tunes that were meant for the film but ended up getting shelved---throw in some extended versions and re-mixes as well...

Another soundtrack that I will highly recommend is from the film Absolute Beginners(1986)---If you can get a hold of the import version on cd which contains 18 outstanding tracks by various artists (David Bowie, Sade, Style Council)the music contains everything from late 50's early 60's hip-swing,jazz-like infectious grooves!The American soundtrack version release only had 10 tracks and an alternate album/tape art cover;The European import contains many more tracks on one cd. A couple of tracks might have a contemporary sound but nevertheless it's an awesome cd to get a hold of (and rare, also)!...

On the strength of two songs, I must give this album a perfect score. For those of you who might not know (it's pretty apparent in the production), Fire, Inc., the ensemble that performed Nowhere Fast and Tonight is What it Means to Be Young, was the brainchild of producer/songwriter extraordinaire Jim Steinman (Meat Loaf, Bonnie Tyler). There were three singers and a batch of session players including Steinman himself. One of the singers, Rory Dodd, was the male voice ("turn around bright eyes") in Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and also sang on a couple Meat Loaf songs. Oh and we can't forget Elaine Caswell, who was later in another Steinman project called Pandora's Box (they sang the original version of Celine Dion's "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" - it's great).

Because of Nowhere Fast and TIWIMTBY, this album is incredible. They could have easily been rock opera songs and both are deserving of worldwide recognition. A third song, Stevie Nicks' "The Sorcerer" is a great song as well. Dan Hartman and Ry Cooder also offer strong material, but really, the focus should be on Fire, Inc.

In particular, TIWIMTBY should be everyone's "song". It is full of everything - a rock ballad intro that pulsates into driving drum rhythms and an angelic chorus of vocalists. The lyrics are astoundingly evocative and hyperbolic...yet identifiable. If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend that you pick up this album. If the two Fire, Inc. songs had been written for a stronger movie or even a play, I guarantee they would have taken off.

The music on this CD is incredible. It boggles my mind that someone hasn't turned this into a Broadway musical yet (if it ever happens, you heard it here first). It would run for years! I just don't know who they'd find to match the power and range of Laurie Sergeant.

But back to the CD - The order of the tracks is not the same as the movie and the alternate version of "Countdown To Love" is somewhat lacking compared to the movie version. Also, "Deeper and Deeper" by the Fixx is good, but seems out of place. These minor quibbles aside, this atypical classic 80's rock soundtrack should be in every music lover's collection.

Jim Steniman, Ry Cooder, Tom Petty, Bob Seeger... the array of talent on this disc is outstanding. Most notable are the Jim Steniman compositions ("Nowhere Fast" and "Tonight Is What It Means To Be Young") - pure GENIUS. If TIWIMTBY doesn't send chills up your spine, you're dead or ought to be.

Often overlooked are two numbers performed by the Blasters ("One Bad Stud" and "Blue Shadows"). These tunes are HOT. "Sorcerer " (penned by Stevie Nicks) is a haunting lament that really suits the mood of the movie (as do most of the songs on the disc).

Fire, Inc. does an incredible job (who were these studio musicians and where are they now) and Dan Hartman's "I Can Dream About You" was a huge single that played on the radio for months during the mid 80's. It's a shame much of the CD got little air play.

Anyway, do yourself a favor, buy the CD if you don't own it. Buy the DVD too. Hearing the music is one thing, but hearing it in context is another. You'll love it!

Here's my advice: Buy this CD. Put this CD into your CD player. Skip to track 6. Turn off the lights. Experience "Tonight is What it Means to Young". (It's best if you have surround sound as well). It's the kind of song you don't merely listen to, you "experience". I am a hardcore Jim Steinman fan and this was one I bought solely to add to my collection. I now don't know how I lived without "Tonight is What it Means to be Young". I would have to say it has become one of my favorite songs. I can't fall asleep at night without having listened to it. Steinman is a genius, he truly is. I have to admit I bought this soundtrack, as I mentioned, because I am a Steinman fan. I actually bought the soundtrack to a movie I've never seen or heard of! But I have to say, after listening to it, I presume the DVD will be arriving in my mailbox soon! Both Steinman songs are awesome, I also like "Never Be You", but they're all great. As another reviewer said, this is the kind of CD you can put on loop mode and listen to over and over again. Don't hestitate, you won't be disappointed!

This soundtrack is one of my "desert island" picks. You know the routine, "what 10 albums/CDs would you want to have if you were stranded on a desert island ..." routine.
I've worn out two cassette copies and am ordering 2 new copies on CD for the house and the car. I'm on my second copy of the movie - if you're feeling low about life and such, put in the CD and crank up "Tonight is What it Means to be Young" or "Nowhere Fast". I guarantee you'll be on your feet before the song is over.
If you like hot horns and a good driving beat, "One Bad Stud" will do it for you. Unlike a LOT of other soundtracks that tie in the music and the movie with an eye on marketing, this is NOT the case here! This is one that plays well from the first track all the way through to the end. Put it in the CD player, select 'continuous play', and you're set for hours!
If you haven't seen the movie yet, watch it if only for the cast performances - Rick Moranis, Amy Madigan, Michael Pare, Diane Lane, a very young Willem DeFoe, even a small part for Bill Paxton! The blend of 50s settings, cars and clothing meshes beautifully with the driving music and 80s neon. They are worth the time.

This has been one of my favorite soundtracks since I first viewed the movie when it came out in 1984. The group Fire Inc. is incredible. Dan Hartman, the Fixx and others are fantastic as well. The movie is one of a kind. It's surreal settings and 50's look was very cool. I still pull the video out every year or so to watch it. The soundtrack gets played more frequently. If you like Michael Pare in this movie and haven't seen Eddie and the Cruisers, that is another fantastic soundtrack reminicent of Springsteen's music.

This soundtrack is the only place you can find "Tonight Is What It Means to Be Young,"a cut that Jim Steinman aficionados rank among the man's best. Steinman songs can be taken as face-value celebrations of hormonal teenage glory, or , if you find the touches of humor sprinkled throughout, taken as well-aimed parodies of rock 'n' roll's grander impulses. When "Tonight" achieves liftoff, though, it's hard to be a doubter. When Steinman's hallelujah chorus starts chanting, "Before you know it, it's gone," you're slapping your pants pocket, searching for the keys to your old Kawasaki. Great stuff. However, a rock philosopher once said that the farther the music gets away from Chuck Berry, the thinner the pleasures become. To rescue you from that fate, the Blasters and Ry Cooder contribute terrific songs, as well as a pre-Lone Justice Maria McKee. Get a hold of this before it goes out of print.

This is a true jewel in our family of runners and I would like to thank our oldest brother Tom for the introduction to what quickly became known as "the mother of all running tapes." I cannot possibly tell you how many times I have heard the phrase "who has my Streets of Fire tape" growing up in our house. This tape is full of inspiration as well as nostalgia. When your on your last mile of your run, and track number 6 kicks on(Tonight is What it Means to be Young) you know you can make it home, and you can make it home fast.
Thank you Streets of Fire, All 7 of us love you!!!!!!!

The two songs on this album that tend to get the most attention are the two Steinman songs, Nowhere fast and Tonight is What it Means to Be Young. While these are great songs that have a relentless beat, they are not the only good songs here.

The Stevie Nicks penned Sorcerer, performed by Marilyn Lartin, offers a more subdued and tranquil setting during the verses, but hang on tight, once that chorus comes along, she rocks the house. Countdown To Love offers a barber shop type feel in an almost 50's style, sreet corner quartets come to mind here. Ry Cooder, with Hold that Snake and the Fixx with Deeper and Deeper offer even more diversity to this soundtrack.

Don't be fooled, although you get a sample of epic rock, this album will almost give you a history lesson in the progression of rock through the years. Amazing and eclectic album!!!