Look if you’re gonna start an album off with Chris Cross singin’ “Ride Like The Wind”, you pretty much sucked me in for the duration. Should you decide to follow that with ‘Change’ by John Waite.. well Im never gonna shake off.
There is a magical trigger in music that is rarely pulled. You can have a tasting of nostalgia but it is rare (this side of Rhino reissues) that can pop you back in time like a slap in the head. I wont lie- I was not a fan of the first installment of Ron Burgandy Anchorman, despite my love of Will Ferrell. I mean he’s funny but eh.. it missed it for me. What I think occurred in the sequel is the music provided such a fabulous backdrop that I actually focused harder and opened up to receive the cornball jokes a bit more than I would have.
Those glorious Pixi Stix fueled 70s can bring back the proverbial best of times/ worse of times in such dramatic fashion to me. If you were a kid in the 70’s youre gonna be right back on your banana seat bike if you spin this one.. or click it.. or whatever method you opt to hear it on.
“Every1’s a Winner”, by Hot Chocolate is timeless. The funky background is so thumped in a cocaine haze that you instantly want to hustle, in whichever way you chose. They just dont make dance tunes like this anymore, drenched in polyester this shit is flammable
Neil Diamonds “Shilo” has the best placement of any tune in a movie. Go see the film and you’ll agree. The song is just fucking amazing by the way. I have no idea why this song is so incredibly sultry. “Shilo, you always came Come today” say what? It’s a dog.. yeah I know.
“Thunder Island” is outrageous. I had to describe it once and did so as a ‘snort coke get laid anthem’, c’mon it totally is. Sha lah lah la mu’lady”, its hilarious in its smarm but in it’s day I am sure it fired up some backseat passion. The wailing guitars are second only to the intense backing vocals. C’mon whens the last time you fell down laughing in the wet grass?
The problem with this soundtrack is the good vibes are interrupted by film voice overs (and songs) I suppose thats the point but it totally harshes my mellow. Luckily when its all said and done we get the uber sexy England Dan and John Ford Coley with “Really Love To See You Tonight’ if you dont love this song you need a shot of testosterone STAT. Its filthy in a way that makes you want to wash your hands but again, such a fabulous tune that it’s kitsch is worth it.
When you start sliding in to home with the Captain and Tennille classic “Muskrat Love”, things are getting nuts. ‘he’s tickling her fancy and rubbing her toes’? Really? yeah think of it,are these rodents or is it.. them? Yikes, and you wonder why the Captain never spoke. Maybe this one is a bit lame, but the odd bongo ‘outro’ is a giant wtf bong blast.
Look I wont like I was in the theater and when Argents “Hold Your Head Up” came on I was nearly fist pumpin’. This my friends is what us kids of the 70’s were served and while the rest of the world was drunk and fucked up on drugs the kids were thinking.. hey what a feel good motivational tune. Yep, this one was wasted on the adults. It should have been cleaned up and served on Sesame Street. I’m not kidding this song is what life is all about and I cannot believe it took me a film to realize how this is fact is the basis for life itself.
And if it’s there don’t let it get you down
You can take it
And if it hurts don’t let them see you cry
You can make it
Hold your head up, oh
This soundtrack is an A and I don’t grade stuff. This soundtrack is fabulous if only for the flashback realization that the 70s were pretty fucking cool.