One Album Wonders

 6  One Album Wonders

So did you ever get excited by a band, you go out and get their first album or tape or cd, you start thinking the band is great but then all of a sudden they never impress you the way they did the first time?

I get that a lot, so I wanted to make a list today (in no particular order), of the bands that have really only had one great album. Maybe it’s commercially or critically, or even amongst a major group of people. Just a list of bands or artists that made us long for more but never created a decent follow up.

I want to point out quickly, that I am not talking about artists that never made a second album, so you won’t find The Sex Pistols or Lauryn Hill today. But I am thinking about dedicating a day to the Sex Pistols soon. So no more talking about it, let’s get on with it.

Hootie and The Blowfish

Their debut album in 1994 was Cracked Rear View.  It is the 16^th best-selling album of all time, I loved it.  Everyone knows at least one of the four hits from the album: Time, Hold My Hand, Let Her Cry, or Only Wanna Be with You.  They won a Grammy as Best New Artist for Christ’s sake.  My dad liked them, for Fuck’s sake my dad and I agreed on what was good music for this one point in my puberty era. (keep in mind this was before I heard Pinkerton)

So, Then 1996 came along, by the end of the year I would be finding new things to worry about, but in Spring Hootie put out a new album, and it was called Fairweather Johnson.  Well I became a Fairweather Hootie and the Blowfish fan.  I don’t want to say the album sucked,but it was not good. I just re listened to it again, and maybe I was biased, but it felt like they phoned it in. The whole world sort of agreed with me, sure they were on friends but that episode sucked too(the one where Rachel Phoebe and joey are poor) Rolling Stone got it wrong, they liked the album but that is because they fired the guy that wrote the original review of the album and it was negative. Don’t believe me, read this.

Ok, I will say this for the band, they had 1 last song that the world remembered, it was I Go Blind, a cover song, that ironically was on a Friends CD, not on any official Hootie CD until their greatest hits album.  But that was it in my opinion. Yes, they still sold albums but come on, their singles sucked.  

Hootie and the Blowfish made Three more studio albums 1998’s Musical Chairs, which still went platinum, but the other two, a self-titled venture in 2003 and Looking for Lucky in 2005 didn’t do shit.(maybe looking for Lucky was appropriately titled) Nothing they did seemed to recapture the grand sound on Cracked Rear View, and eventually stopped playing together.  They are not officially split up, but Darius Rucker, the front man of the band, has released a few solo albums albeit country albums, and they are actually good.

In the end I hope Rucker’s  career somehow brings the band back. I would go see them if they played Cracked Rear View from cover to cover, hell I would even sit through a couple of Rucker’s country songs. I just don’t want to hear any of that other crap.

Third Eye Blind

Ok, this one will not be as long as the last but let me start by saying that officially as of now Third Eye Blind is still a fucking band. Granted, you would only recognize the lead singer and the drummer, nonetheless they are still together. Also, they are in the midst of recording what lead singer Stephan Jenkins calls their last album.

Wait- Don’t go!

No- No I am kidding you should have hung your shit up in 1998!

Ok so that first album it was self-titled, it had arguably 4 good singles, three of which were top ten hits: Semi-Charmed Life , How’s It Going to Be, and Jumper.  I always liked Graduate so that’s why I consider it a hit, it reached number 14 on the hot 100 chart, so yeah that counts.  They were all good songs, honestly.  There is a darkness to Third Eye Blind’s music, a sort of angst, sure Semi-Charmed Life is a poppy song but it had dark lyrics about drug addiction and sex, so it still had a coolness to it. 

So, yeah I am not afraid to admit it, I loved this tape.  It held a spot for me, I was a sophomore at that point and I could really start relating to darker stuff, maybe I didn’t know anyone who had committed suicide, nor did I know anyone that was hardcore into drugs. We had tried pot by then, but the heavy stuff came later. But I liked it, there were great dynamic shifts in the album, somber moments, reflective moments, angry moments, just pick your favorite song.

Then Blue came out in the middle of my senior year. Stephan Jenkins might as well sat inside the cd case and just jumped out and spit in my face. At least then I could have punched him in his non existant nuts afterwards, but no instead I got to listen to a shitty CD and wonder why I wasted 13 bucks on that crap and wished I would have bought some tacos instead.

It wasn’t that the CD was bad, it still had some darkness to it, but every song felt poppy and fake. Like they said “hey, we are going to take our last album, paraphrase that shit, slightly alter the beat a little and call it a new album.”  On top of that, they took what I would consider the best song on the album, Slow Motion, and made it instrumental except for the chorus. ( I didn’t find out until a few weeks later at The Exclusive Company that they had done that, I thought the song was just supposed to be that way.) So here was this band that was cool and had a chance at becoming something great for me, and anyone else that wanted darker lyrics and they fucked it all up.

They put out two more albums  and an EP, but the only thing worth listening to was their greatest hits album, that finally had the whole song of Slow Motion on it. The world finally got to hear the verses. They haven’t had a single in the top ten since Jumper in 1998. Maybe they have some die-hard fans out there somewhere, but I have never heard anyone mention them fondly, and until I do, Fuck Em

Below is a video of the band performing Slow Motion, I felt like showing you this rather than anything off the self-titled release. This song has dark lyrics, and in my opinion it’s a tongue in cheek view of shit going on. I highly recommend it, plus go listen to Semi-Charmed life on your own time.

Jewel

Ok so I thought the last one was going to be shorter, maybe I should focus on artists that I didn’t really like for a while. This should be much shorter.

I wasn’t getting laid yet in 1997, but I like to think that any guy that bought Jewel’s first album, Pieces of You for his girlfriend would definitely be getting some. That album was everywhere you looked. It had come out two years earlier but just sort of did nothing, until someone decide to release Who Will Save Your Soul as a single and make a video. Then she did it again with You were Meant For Me and Foolish Games.  Jewel was awesome and incredibly talented, I will give her that, it was just never my taste. I don’t remember much about her really, other than her Snaggle Tooth.

Oh wait, I remember for another reason, and In my opinion, this is the reason she fell out of America’s graces, but I could be wrong. Super Bowl 32, one of my favorites , because it was the first time the Packers lost a Super Bowl. (Yes I know that it is the only time it happened and ha ha the Bears suck, whatever, it was a great moment for me.) The Half time performance was a damn good Motown revue as well.  But what happened before the game that was the bread and butter.  Jewel was clearly,clearly lip syncing . It wasn’t so much that she was lip syncing but the fact that she was still fucking waving and smiling when the song started. She fucking jumps towards the microphone.  Everyone at home noticed I am sure.(Brett Favre missed it cause he was high on Vicodin) Have a look for yourself here.

So why would that matter?  

  America knows that people lip sync, in fact some people just always assume that it is happening, but when it becomes obvious, it pisses us off. Think of Oz, the first time you watch the Wizard of Oz and you see that giant head you are like “what the fuck, that shit is crazy” depending on your age you might say something more like ‘that’s a big head”, the point being, by the time you watch it a third time you are like, “ Dammit Toto just go open that curtain so I don’t have to watch this nonsense, it’s just a normal sized dude with some bells and whistles”  Think about it What happened to Milli Vanilli, what happened to Ashlee Simpson, Hell people are still talking about whether or not Beyoncé did it at the inauguration.

 So for some odd reason, we just hate that shit.

After that Jewel put out like 7 more albums, none of which anybody really remembers. Sure she had that hands song on her second album, and I will admit I kind of liked that Intuition song, but it was not what any of her fans wanted to hear and, I think the only reason why I liked it was the T and A in the video. She just never made anything as good as that first album. But somehow Jewel manages to keep popping up everywhere, TV shows always seem to want her and keep her name in the news,  but she has yet to keep anyone interested.

Matchbox Twenty

Matchbox Twenty put out their debut album  Yourself or Someone Like you in 96, but it didn’t really catch on until 1998 But it had 6 hit singles, technically 5, technically technically 2. Ok so The 6 are Long Day, Push, 3 A.M. , Real World, Back 2 Good,  and Girl Like That.   Girl Like That never officially charted on any charts whatsoever. And due to some obscure rule about official singles, the only songs that made it to the US Hot 100 were Real World and Back 2 Good.  Literally Side 1 of the tape was all singles.

That is Fucking Crazy!!!!

Seriously, that’s the craziest album marketing that I have ever heard of, but it worked. Matchbox Twenty were in hot demand after that. Rob Thomas the lead singer quickly became a heartthrob, especially when he did that song with Santana(Don’t try to think of it now, it fucking sucks and you know it) I will admit I did my hair just like Rob Thomas and  I thought that shit looked good.  So there is no place to go from there except higher and higher right?

Wrong, Their next album Mad Season actually included a Number One single, Bent, but it was too late. They also released If You’re Gone and two other songs as singles but their popularity was on its way down, the album sold only a third of the copies that the previous one had, and really if you talk to someone about Matchbox Twenty the average person will recall fondly of the first album, mention briefly their second album and wonder what the hell they are doing now.

That is a great question,  after Mad Season they released albums in 2002, and 2007. Then last year they came out with a new album, North.  It fucking went to number 1 in the US backed by the kinda hit song She’s So Mean, but then they disappeared again.  Two other songs were released as singles, but nobody really seemed to care, but who knows, maybe this year more will be issued, but I am not holding my breath.

Bush

Every fucking kid in my junior high could play Glycerine on the guitar!

Bush released their debut album Sixteen Stone in late 1994 and started dropping singles off it in 1995. First it was Everything Zen, which was good and got everyone interested, then Little Things, not as good, I think at that moment me and my friends were not quite impressed yet. Then Comedown came out, “hey this is good shit” By the time rock radio started playing Glycerine we already had the tape or that was why we bought it, and Machinehead as a single made us so excited we went fucking nuts at our  junior high dances. 

Every song was great and yeah sure they sounded a bit like Nirvana but Kurt Cobain was dead and we needed a god damn replacement. These British dudes had everything we were looking for; loud guitars, raspy voices and songs that only kinda sorta made sense to us.  So everything was perfect again, we had our new grunge hero to look forward to and new songs to learn.

So what the fuck happened?

1996 happened, Razorblade Suitcase happened. The biggest fucking sophomore slump of my life. Fuck Gavin Rossdale and everyone that looks like him. (And in 1996 that was a lot of people) They tried to make a new sound of their own; those whiny bastards didn’t want to be the next Nirvana.  It least that’s what they said, but the song Swallowed might as well been written by Kurt Cobain.  But then other songs on the album just plain sucked ass. There were no songs that we could get into deeply.  Hell they had singles from this album that the fucking band, the own fucking musicians themselves didn’t even want on their greatest hits 1994-1999 record! Seriously, it was just uninteresting dribble and I don’t know what it was like at your school, but at my school we moved on, we found punk and ska and anyone that still liked Bush sucked.

Bush managed to put out 3 more albums, The Science of Things in 1999, which was complete bullshit,  they added electronic elements   “are these fuckers trying to be Nine Inch Nails now?” Golden State in 2001 which no one cared about and apparently The Sea of Memories in 2011(I say apparently because I was completely unaware until today that they had done this) to my best record I thought they broke up in 2002. Well it turns out like other overly obsessed with themselves lead singers, Gavin Rossdale kept Bush alive and just pumped new members into it.

 Either way, for me if it’s not the original lineup and they are not playing a Sixteen Stone heavy set list, I don’t want to hear them.

Weezer

      Let me begin by saying that it took me forever to write this and stay true to the subject of the post. I honestly tried my hardest. It’s hard to be honest about something you have fought against for so long, for Christ’s sake my son’s whole name is Rivers Jonas Wade, I have 1 tattoo and it’s a weezer symbol, so this was hard

Ok I thought that I was going to have to write a paragraph or two about Weezer, and I will. I can’t make this list without being subjective right?  Let’s be honest, they came out with their self-titled debut album (The Blue Album)in 1994 and the thing was off the damn charts. Undone – The Sweater Song was cool as hell. Rivers Cuomo was the band leader and the leader of geekdom. (I still wear thick black glasses) Then, oh man then they had this video directed by Spike Jonze where they were playing in their band on the set of God Damn Happy Days. Al Molinaro said they were from Kenosha. Of course I quickly figured out that they weren’t but some people still believed it.  Then Say It Ain’t So got a video.  Weezer was all over MTV they captured every geeky kids heart. The whole album could have been hit singles for all I cared. 

Then Rivers Cuomo went to Harvard and got his leg fixed(he was born with one leg longer than the other) He wanted to make a rock opera as the band’s next album. Sadly they didn’t instead they made Pinkerton, an album critics hated and Rolling Stone called one of the worst of the year. (of course fans and tons of musicians consider it to be one of the best of all time) But Frankly from a commercial point of view the band didn’t do squat. The songs were deeper somewhat darker  but most of all sadder and deeply invasive into Cuomo’s personal life.

Then what happened? Well,  the band took some time off, Cuomo supposedly went dark, burned the Pinkerton master tapes and bounced a tennis ball off a wall for four years(that’s not really what happened, but rumors of it were rampant) Then Cuomo was ready for a return, bassist Matt Sharp left the group and was replaced by Mikey Welsh, and weezer put out another self-titled album(The Green Album).

Then Welsh left the group and new bassist Scott Shriner jumped in. The band released 6 more albums, including yet another self-titled album(The Red Album).  They found some success in 2005 with Make Believe, which included Beverly Hills, the number 2 downloaded song of the year, and they were nominated for a Grammy.  But they never really made anything of it. They just continued to jump in and out of the light, with no major success and no CD that sold more than the original self-titled debut.

There are two camps out there, there are people like me that are waiting for a Pinkerton 2 and there are other people still waiting for a second Blue Album. Who knows which will come first, it will no doubt piss someone off. Let’s just be happy for the recent Memories Tour where they played both albums back to back 2 nights in a row.

So that’s it- that is the list for today, and another glimpse into my world. I hope this makes you think and maybe somehow we can solve this dilemma for our children’s favorite bands,  until then, enjoy my angst let me know what you liked didn’t like about today’s list or maybe I left someone off. 

The Best of the Rest

The best of the rest

When I originally started this whole movie thing it was supposed to be five days in a row, Monday through Friday all about movies.  Unfortunately, it did not work out as planned, so I have been talking about movies on a music site for what seems like forever. Today is the last day, and it is basically, the best of the rest, all the movies that I thought about going onto one list or another. I am not going to give the movies big write ups or anything like usual; just a quick mention and why I liked it and why it didn’t make the list, and of course a small clip to keep you entertained. So put away the popcorn, this won’t take long, then tomorrow we rock. By the way, there is no particular order here.

Change of Habit

Surprisingly, none of Elvis’ movies made the list of musicals. This one was the only one that I considered because it was not completely hokey.  It was also Elvis’ last movie. It’s not a bad film, I left it off the list though, because I couldn’t discern whether or not I knew the songs because of the movie or just because my love of Elvis

Control

This didn’t quite make the biopic list. The movie is about Ian Curtis, the lead singer of Joy Division. If you haven’t heard anything by them you should,  while you are at it check out the band New Order(Besides Blue Monday) So it didn’t make the list because I feel that although the movie is good, I don’t love it and unlike most of the movies on the list, it didn’t make me more interested in Joy Division. 

Purple Rain

Ok, some people love this movie and live and die by it. The first time I saw it, I rented it, and my mom had to watch it first so she could fast forward over everything that her little 7 year old boy shouldn't see.  So if you think about Purple Rain for a second, or Prince for that matter, I didn't get to see much. Sadly that is why the movie didn’t make any of the lists. So if you are upset by it not being included go yell at my mother.

Alright I knew this was going to be a problem when I started writing this, for those of you that don’t know, Prince is out of control. I don’t mean “change my name into a symbol then to Christopher then back to Prince” out of control, I mean, the fucking guy doesn’t believe in the internet. He has now embraced itunes but go ahead try to look him up on youtube. Instead I will link you to a few articles about the subject.

Mirror

Dr Funkenberry

Yahoo Answers

Rocky III

I have the soundtrack on record for christ’s sake. I thought about putting this one on the soundtracks list, but in the end, I really only loved Eye of the Tiger and Gonna Fly Now  the latter of which was used in almost every Rocky movie. So I left it off the list, but The movie is still my favorite Rocky movie. 

Popeye

Say what?
 

Damn straight there is actually a Popeye movie and it is a musical starring Robin Williams as Popeye himself.  The soundtrack is actually ok and was written by Harry Nilsson, but in the end I can positively say I only have a few of the songs partially memorized so I just couldn’t add it to the musical list

Duets

This is another obscure movie that I love, obscure because not too many people have heard of it, but most people remember the Huey Lewis/Gwyneth Paltrow cover of Cruisin.  I also loved the fact that all but one of the actors actually sang in the movie and had their songs on the original soundtrack.  However in the end, I was stuck on the fact that I love Huey Lewis and other than his stuff, everything else is just decent covers. So I cut it from the list.

Hairspray

Let me start out by saying right away that I would have only been talking about the original John Waters film, and while I am glad that people liked it enough to take it on Broadway, and I love Christopher Walken, Fuck the new version. Sorry I guess I am nostalgic, and honestly that is why I held this one from the list; even though the original movie had a killer soundtrack of great 50’s music.  I just didn’t want people to pine for the new version, cause I felt like that new one stole a piece of my childhood, had it’s way with it and didn’t bother to call it the next day.

West Side Story

Since we are on the subject of perverting my thoughts of what is good in this world; there was once a time in my life when I though West Side Story was the cat’s pajamas.  But then I found the original and I liked it a lot better, the original of course being Romeo and Juliet. And realistically my favorite song in the movie is America, don’t ask me why I just like it better than the rest. None of the other songs really stuck out. It is a cool movie and all;  I just didn’t feel it was an incredibly memorable musical.

Romeo and Juliet

Since we are on the subject, I of course am talking about the 1996 Baz Luhrmann adaptation. The soundtrack is actually incredible; I mean it has Young Hearts Run Free on it, and Kissing You is actually a beautiful song. I hope by now everyone has heard Lovefool by The Cardigans. Plus Garbage and Everclear and Butthole Surfers all make appearances on the soundtrack.  So why did I leave it off?  Pure commercialism, I am still pissed off that my favorite song from the movie was not in the original soundtrack,  When Doves Cry- I thought that song was killer in the movie. And I knew the song, so I loved it. So then I had to buy 2 tapes, and back then kids, you couldn’t just download 1 song(Fucking Napster didn’t even exist yet!) So I have always argued to anyone that will listen that Capitol Records were assholes that owed me money. So that disgruntlement left it off the list.  

I wish I could show you a scene with When Doves Cry, but a good one is not available. (See Purple Rain Above)

Dirty Dancing

This one is barely worth my time, yes the music in it is good, and I love the movie as well, but I have always had one grudge against it, and it’s a big one. Some people might think I am crazy for hating this so much but the reason I didn’t include it is She’s like the Wind, I fucking hate that song. Hate it, and it doesn’t fit in the movie. It’s a period movie and then you have an obvious 80’s song in there. Hungry Eyes also always threw me off, but I still feel like She’s like the wind was a shitty attempt to make Swayze a music star, it did but only for one song. I just always felt like those parts where they had 80’s music were dumb.  (Time of My Life is gets a pass  because a Righteous Brother sings it) It’s a movie about the 60’s use good 60’s music please. And as much as I hate it, here it is….

Notorious

This one was pretty recent and it is a good flick, but when watching it, I realized that I would rather watch a huge in depth documentary about the East Coast/ West Coast rivalry. I think the movie was made ok, and the guy who plays Biggie is fantastic but in the end, I guess just for me personally I wasn’t taken back by his life, and I knew what was coming the whole time and I already knew the songs so, I just didn’t add it to my biopics list.

Oliver!

I always loved this musical and sort of sometimes wished that I was an orphan. The music in it is fun and, I mean musical music nothing crazy jumps out at you. So in the end I realized that I’d Do Anything and Consider Yourself were the only songs that I really loved from the movie and barely remembered any of the rest. And frankly what I really remember is “may I have some more” So I decided that other than that, the movie is kind of dark and scary so I don’t want to think fondly of it so it didn’t make the cut.

Dead Man on Campus

This one was recently pointed out to me as missing from the soundtracks list, and guess what, total correct assessment, I honestly forgot about this movie. This movie is where I discovered Supergrass and really enjoyed Marilyn Manson.  There are other good ones by Goldfinger, Soul Coughing, Blur, and Creed (shortly before they started sucking….sorry, it’s my opinion) So, as much as I want to I can’t drag this on. I guess it’s safe to say that I don’t know where I would have placed it on the soundtracks list especially since I forgot about it, but it’s not bad.

Ok, that does it for all the movies. I have told you about now in total 53 movies. So I hope you take some time soon to watch maybe 1 or 2 of them, especially something you didn’t know about or ever bother to see. I had a lot of fun with this, but I don’t want to have to think about movies for a while. Thanks 

Best Soundtracks Ever!!

Finally the list that has been in my head for a while; Movies with killer music, now this list I know will be controversial, because I will tell you right away I left off Pulp Fiction. The thing for me was, I had to come up with my list, soundtracks that I loved and gravitated to. So these are the movies that I love, for multiple reasons but the main reason being the music. Please note I do not describe the movies so if you want to know what the actual movie is about, go look it up, don’t rely on me for everything   I decided to not include any movies that could have been on any of the other lists, so no movies about bands or musicals. A lot of these movies are about life, musical personalities and time periods. So hey let’s just jump right into this shit.

10. Juno

Very cliché’ I know.  Every late 80’s/early 90’s born hipster- kid loves this movie and thinks that Kimya Dawson is a Goddess.  Well, I am not down with that, I think some of her music is good, and of course all the good stuff made the movie.  Realistically Ellen Page and Michael Cera make the song Anyone else but you more likable and better than the original.  The real reason why this movie cracked my top ten is the fact that it included Belle and Sebastian, Buddy Holly, Cat Power, The Velvet Underground, and most importantly, the way Sonic Youth’s cover of Superstar got a bit of a promotion from Michael Bluth. Any scene that he was in really made for good music and conversation.  So   I like the movie for what it is, but the soundtrack makes it that much more watchable.  Funny side note, when Woman of the House and I started dating I tried to buy this movie for her but could not find it anywhere. Coincidentally I ended up buying her a different movie that is on this list. (I have bought it for her now in case you are wondering)

9. Beetlejuice

Yep, that’s right Beetlejuice! Why? This movie introduced me to the beautiful sounds of Harry Belafonte. Not only that, but because of this movie I indirectly discovered Oingo Boingo.  When you watch this movie, the music doesn’t really stick out, but the soundtrack had that beautiful Danny Elfman touch to it. It wasn’t the first movie that Elfman did, but the first one where I remembered it and heard those sort of tones that now you only get from him. (Say what you want about John Williams but I want the soundtrack of my life to be scored by Danny Elfman.)  But the real beauty of this movie was the 4 just 4 Harry Belafonte songs that were in the movie, it feels like more but I promise you. Everyone knows Day-O (The Banana Boat Song) and Jump in the Line (Shake, Senora) but the movie also included Man Smart, Woman Smarter and Sweetheart From Venezuela. I think that without those little glimpses of Belafonte the movie would have been a little darker, but man when you hear calypso you can’t help but get up and dance.

8. Wayne’s World

Ok, before you go hurling on me and saying that it should be in the top five, name a song from the movie other than Bohemian Rhapsody. I am sure some of you got that one, but there are others I am sure who are scratching their heads.  So the movie also had Dream Weaver in it, and Ballroom Blitz(not the original but not horrible) Also, honest to god, this was the movie that introduced me to Jimi Hendrix, Now I had heard his songs before and definitely knew that I couldn’t be a music fan if I didn’t like him, but Wayne Campbell made Foxy Lady a kick ass song.  I mean for christ’s sake I was only 10. Also the movie had a great Alice Cooper moment in it, not just the music, but come on, the history lesson that he gives Wayne and Garth backstage is classic. But now that we have covered that; Bohemian Rhapsody- that is exactly where it was at. I mean the movie and soundtrack put Queen in the number 2 spot on the charts, for a song that was 17 years old at that point, that is pretty damn impressive. And the video they did for it was killer too. I wanted a Pacer forever. Plus the licorice dispenser. But seriously good music in the movie, Schwing!

7. Forest Gump

Well, this one had to be on the list, I mean really, how could it not be?  There was music in this movie that spanned across 3 decades and featured some great classic rock, country, soul and pop.  I think this movie turned me onto a lot of things, definitely Running on Empty sticks out. There was a lot of the Doors in this movie too, I don’t know if it was the first time I had heard the Doors but I will tell you for sure that it is the first time I really listened.  Not only that but Elvis is in the movie, having learned to dance from Forest and apparently Forest Gump helped write Imagine. (I know sacrilegious, but it was in the movie that way, sorry.).  Also weird is that even though Lennon appears in the movie there is no John Lennon or Beatles tune in the flick. The movie worked so well musically because it followed a timeline, so you are able to cut pieces back and forth through time. The other thing was the difference between Forest and Jenny’s lifestyle. The soundtrack could almost be broken in two with a disc for each one of them. Hell I am sure Lt. Dan could have his own playlist, but Not Bubba. The music in the movie is just really good what can I say, CCR, Buffalo Springfield, hell even the 5^th Dimension makes an appearance.  Go watch the movie again and just listen. Good shit. I promise you

6. Just Go With It

So this is a newer one, and this is the movie that I got for Woman of the House when I couldn’t find Juno. Ok, so most people will probably think this is crazy, the movie was a critical failure and the movie was lambasted by the press but, I like it. I also like Funny People and Punch Drunk Love, so apparently I am the reason Adam Sandler keeps making supposedly bad movies. But enough on that, this is about the music. Ok first off, this soundtrack is heavy as hell on classic Police tracks, shit man, So Lonely and Canary in a Coalmine make appearances, but the real heavy hitters in this movie are the Mash ups. Tenderness (from Weird Science or Clueless depending on your generation) mixed with Umbrella by Rhianna. Chasing Cars mixed with Every Breath You Take. Oh and of course Tainted Love mashed under Is This Love by Bob Marley, come on that is so fucking awesome. There are others and sometimes you don’t realize it until it smashes you in some weird remix. Oh also, Dave Matthews is in the movie, and I don’t know if he is still relevant, but he is there. So go ahead hate the overly predictable plot, or the un funny moments but enjoy the music

5. Good Morning Vietnam

Another period movie, yeah and a good one at that.  I mean you get transported back to 1965 and you get thrown into the clutches of war, you need good music to make you feel better.  So this movie has it all. The Beach Boys, James Brown, Martha and the Vandellas, and of course Louis Armstrong. Look, I will give you that the Hawaiian dude’s version of What A Wonderful World is good (yes I know his name but don’t know how to spell it, too many vowels) but Louis Armstrong’s voice and slower version in this movie is timed precisely when you are looking at war footage. The imagery to the song is so ironically beautifully, Armstrong says skies of blue and clouds of white, and you see a bomb explode. That shit will get at your heart every time.  Apparently the song was so hot after the movie came out that it went back on the charts. Another impressive fact. Hey and if you don’t trust me, how about the fact that Eminem used Game of Love from which appears in this film by Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders as the backdrop for his new song Love Game. Yeah!

4. High Fidelity

A great movie with an incredible cast and soundtrack.  A beautifully put together movie with a great cast. And I don’t care who you are, Denise Huxtable’s version of Baby I love Your Way is a masterpiece. Her Marriage with Lenny Kravitz must have done something. Of course you can’t mention High Fidelity without talking about Barry Jive and The Uptown Five or is it Kathleen Turner Overdrive by now? (One thing is for sure, they are not Sonic Death Monkey anymore)  Ok so I hope I didn’t lose you on that tangent. The music in the movie is incredible, in fact there are supposedly over 50 or 60 songs in the movie, which makes sense, but they were all picked by some screenwriters including John Cusack himself.  That my friends is why the movie is so good I mean, they work in a record store, so there always has to be music on. And they went through and picked out every song. Fucking incredible.  Plus, they have some of the greatest musical conversations in the world. A bunch of music snobs talking good music making top ten lists and the music of The Velvet Underground, Queen, Joan Jett , Elvis Costello, Elton John, Belle and Sebastian , oh and to top it off Katrina and the Waves. That is where I really fell in love with Walking on Sunshine. Odd enough it is. So quick Top 5 side Ones Track Ones?

3. Footloose

Ok, of course one of the 80’s dancing movies would be on this list. And let me quickly state, Dirty Dancing is not on this list because of serious personal reasons. That’s my thing. Same with Flashdance.   So Footloose did make the list, maybe it’s an emotional connection to the movie, but hell I still know every single word to Let’s Hear it For the Boy! Footloose is the first album in my triple threat club, what that means is I own it on record, cassette, and CD.  I don’t count digital as a format and if anyone can get me a copy of it on 8 track that would be sweet. Yes I know they remade it, No I have not seen it yet, I don’t know if I ever will. (I have heard Blake Shelton’s Footloose, and I kinda like it) But let’s get to the music, Kenny Loggins, He wrote all the movie hits of course he sings a few great songs on Footloose, Bonnie Tyler’s Holding out For a Hero, that song still gets me pumped out and I listen to it when I am riding my dad’s riding lawnmower.  Almost Paradise by Mike Reno and Ann Wilson, I don’t think I dj’d too many weddings where I didn’t sneak that in as a slow song. And usually came out of it with the song Footloose. How about when everyone suddenly learns to dance when Dancing in the Sheets comes on? Hang the fuck on, the angry dance seen to Never by Moving Pictures. I mean that scene alone has been recreated in so many ways.  I think this movie taught me how to dance, taught me to love music, I think this is the movie that started it all and the songs that got me interested in music. So what else can I say, I don’t care if its 80’s crap or whatever you think about it. It came out when I was 2 and somehow I had access to it for my whole life so far.

2. Loser

This movie is probably not one that you have seen too much of, or maybe even heard of. But it stars the American Pie dude, and the chick from American Beauty. I will be totally honest, I saw this movie in the theatres, and it was simply because of the music.  Ok this was just some great late 90’s early 2000’s stuff. Most of all Everclear was in the movie! The soundtrack though, that featured Foo Fighters, The Cure, a couple of Bloodhound Gang songs, even that She’s So High song by Tal Bachman. But the 2  real reasons  I loved it, Right Now by SR-71  The song never even cracked the top 100 but I promise you it is a grand song,  it rocked and rolled up there with the best in the pop punk world, but they just never really caught on. The other song that kicked my ass was Teenage Dirtbag by Wheatus. (I heard 1 direction does this song now and I hate them for that) The song is killer, It was the video for the song that made me want to see the movie.( and have a weird crush on Mena Suvari for most of my life)  I mean again, Wheatus never really amounted to much; but in England I guess they were pretty huge.  Brandon, their singer has an unmistakable voice and they are not a bad band. So yeah check them.  Most importantly check out the flick, It’s not as bad as you think.

1. Angus

Where do I begin, I love this movie and absolutely love it. Does it have to do with the fact that I hung out with Charlie Talbert, kind of, but more importantly, the music. Now first of all, I know you have probably not heard of this movie or seen it and that is totally fine with me well no, go find it any way you can. It was released on vhs in 1996 but after its fans (including yours truly) signed as many petitions as possible it finally came to DVD in 2009. Also, it introduced the world to James Van Der Beek.  Ok so with the music; it features Mazzy Star’s Fade into You. Also the movie features obscure bands like Love Spit Love, Goo Goo Dolls, and Dance Hall Crashers, plus hey; this little band known as weezer. Now I had already been in love with weezer, but at this point it was so cool to hear a great song by them. They wrote a different one for the movie, so if you have time, find the one the producers didn’t use. It’s called Wanda.  Also Green Day plays an important part in the movie, as there is a contest involving their songs. So there is some great Green Day action in there as well. Finally of course, this is the movie that introduced me to the smoking popes. A love story between great music and me that still goes on. Something about the Popes just kept on pursuing me after this.  So I mean this movie just totally has the 90’s alternative feeling to it, the sound that moved me and tons of other kids like me. It was a moment to really get into cool music. So seriously check it out, you really should. Please

So that is my list, the movies that really shaped my musical world; the way that I managed to get turned onto so many other artists and songs. I hope you enjoyed it, I hope that you enjoyed a bit of the controversy that some of my choices may have caused. I did my best to be subjective in my list but in the end as I always say- It’s mine!

The Greatest Musical Movies

Well, here is the list that I have been waiting to write ever since I started writing about movies. Ok maybe that is not true, I think tomorrows list wins that title. However today’s list was the easiest one for me to write. It is a top ten, and it is my top ten.  So say what you will about it, in the end it is mine. If you don’t like it, go make your own.  I will tell you that I had a little bit of criteria as for what I consider a musical.  The main thing is that the music had to just happen, people in real life don’t just start singing for no reason and the whole world accepts it. Also, there are no full cartoons on this list, for two reasons; one, I don’t watch too many cartoons, and two, the idea of the singing as accepted behavior blurs the line when a mermaid, crab and fish are all singing together. The other thing to note is that a majority of these were at one time or another stage productions, I am only talking about the movies, and yes in some of the movies they completely changed things.  So without any more explanation, here it is.

10. Hair

So, Hair is a good place to start as any.  So if you have never seen or heard of Hair, it’s about the late 60’s. It covers issues around hippie culture, drug use, promiscuous sexuality, draft dodging, the Vietnam wars, and protests around it. I won’t be the first to tell you this, but the movie is not as good as the stage show(nude scene aside) The movie tells a good story, and a story that people did not really want told at the time it was originally written. By people I mean the straight forward thinking media and politicians. The dancing in the movie is good, The singing is also pretty killer. Probably the biggest surprise is that Nell Carter is in the movie. Maybe that means nothing to you, but the first time I saw it and saw her I was excited.  I will tell you this as well, I have watched the movie stone sober and in an altered state of mind. Thinking that the movie would be “cooler” in the latter state. Well, actually it isn’t and at least for me, you sort of lose the political stance. So that being said, if you watch this movie, do it straight up, besides you will eat less popcorn too.

9. Mary Poppins

Ok, first things first, and I promise that I will try to make this the last drug reference in this post, but since you just read about hair, and I gave an opinion on that, I will say this; this movie is incredible and completely hilarious for all the wrong reasons if you are high.  In fact, since we are on the subject of that, I will say that there is a whole culture of conspiracies around all Disney movies and Mary Poppins is one of the biggest ones. But enough of that, you can look that up on your own time.  So Mary Poppins, if you have never seen it, is a really good movie, a nanny comes from the skies and takes children on an adventure. In the end the children’s unapproving father learns a lesson or two and becomes a much better man. Of course everyone knows of supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. (Ok, side-note no squiggly red line so either somehow I know how to spell that, or my spellcheck broke, and either way that freaks me out.)  My favorite scene in the movie is the I Love to Laugh scene which stars Ed Wynn; a great old time character actor, who also did the voice of The Mad Hatter in the cartoon of Alice In Wonderland.  The whole movie is good; there are a few cartoon moments. I have memorized so much of the film,  and if you are interested I can give you a free showing later, for now enjoy my favorite scene.

8. The Muppets

Ok so this is the only film on this list produced after 1979, so that says a lot for it.  Some people say that we are entering an era to revive musicals, and I really wish that that were true. But today’s generation won’t want to sit longer than an hour and a half at a movie, so I don’t think that it is possible. I will admit, I am still trying to decide whether or not Muppets are real. Either way, the movie is really good and the actors and actresses in it all do their parts well. Jason Segal is great, plus not a bad singer. Also, Segal helped write the movie. The movie revives the whole Muppet franchise and adds a new Muppet to the mix. I wish Disney didn’t own the Muppets, but they own everything now. (Don’t even mention Star Wars, cause I will hit you dammit) So the plot makes sense and adds to the lore of the Muppets and it adds on to some of the original stories.  Also, the 4^th wall is broken often which adds depth as well, in my opinion. There are a lot of great cameos, including Mickey Rooney (It was reaaly crazy for me, because I could have sworn he was dead. And I don’t know why he isn’t) So, yes definitely watch this one, it is one of those movies that has value for the whole family and jokes that kids don’t get.

7. Paint Your Wagon

Ok, this is the one on the list that few people have probably heard of, but it is a great old musical. Set in the old west during the gold rush, and it stars Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood. Wait for it…..has it settled in yet?   Yep that’s right God Damn Lee Marvin who plays Liberty Valance, or better yet Major Reisman in The Dirty Dozen and that’s not all Clint Eastwood, Dirty Fucking Harry, or Gunny Highway.  This movie was made in 1969 when musicals were becoming a lost art and somehow Paramount Pictures got two of the meanest toughest sons of bitches to star. Better yet, neither of them are horrible singers, Marvin’s songs were huge in Great Britain and Australia.  The movie is really funny and although not really historically accurate does make a good period piece. Oh, also, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is in the movie.  It is a very long movie and has a few extra plot parts not needed. But if you want to see a treat by some great actors, go for it. Plus you will find yourself wondering as to whether or not there is anything that Clint Eastwood can’t do.

6. The Wizard of Oz

Ok, wait a minute before you say that this is a much better movie than to be rated number six. I agree that it is a great movie and if I had to make a list of the greatest movies of all time I would surely include it. But this is a list of my preferences; also, this movie was such an important part of my childhood.  I have probably seen this movie the most of any movie on this list, or really any movie period. So what sort of has happened is that I forget that it is a musical. Honestly, I think someone out there has to agree with me, I know all the songs and love it so much, and I have watched it in slow motion at the parts where you can see the goof ups and the hanging and all that stuff. I have even done the whole Dark Side of the Moon thing.  So I really do love the movie, and again honestly, I forget that it is a musical, and maybe that is a good thing and a testament to how great it is. The movie is such an important piece of history.  I am not really saying much about the plot or anything because I assume that everyone in the world knows about The Wizard of Oz, and if you don’t know about it, you should make it your top priority.

5. The Sound of Music

This is another classic movie and it is Julie Andrews second foray onto my list. The Story is of the Trapp Family Singers, and if you didn’t know this already, the story is true somewhat, of course the movie does make quite a few changes,  but the fact that it is mainly true is pretty cool as shit.  The movie depicts  the late 30’s in Europe, whereby a young woman training to be a nun is sent to care for a family of children and inevitably falls in love with them and their father. The father though has decided against joining the Nazi party and the family has to flee through the mountains. Ok literally that is all the major plot points so I hope I didn’t ruin it, obviously a lot of other things happen. The music in the movie is very memorable and has been parodied many times especially Do, Re, Mi. All in all it is a great movie that every family should at least watch once together. If you get nostalgic and want to be a part of the history, The family runs a lodge in Vermont that you can stay at, go skiing and all the such.

4. The Music Man

Again, this is my list so don’t argue with me. This is a great damn film.  It’s about a traveling sales man who really is a con man who stops in River City Iowa and gets caught up in love and eventually gets caught by the town as trying to swindle them, but it turns out he somehow was able to start a boys band without ever teaching the kids how to play their instruments. And that is the movie in a nut shell. However I am not sure how he actually makes money since he gets the kids instruments and uniforms. But I digress, the first thing you should know is that there is no River City, Iowa; which I sadly found out on a trip to Iowa. But the cast of the movie is so impressive, I mean come on, it has Buddy Hackett in it. Plus Marian is played by Shirley Jones, The mom from the Partridge family. Robert Preston is the main star, he was in a few other cool musicals and The Last Starfighter, where he kind of reprised his role.  Also, how could I forget young Ronnie Howard; Richie Freaking Cunningham from Happy Days, also currently the director of a lot of good movies, that he always puts his ugly brother in, he plays a liitle boy named Winthrop. Oh man also The Buffalo Bills, an incredible barbershop quartet make an incredible appearance and sing some great songs. The music is incredible and has been covered by long lists of people including The Beatles and most recently Seth McFarlane, so hey if you want to see some good stuff. Check it out!

3. Grease

Ok, so who doesn’t know Grease; an incredible movie that only misses a few parts of the original musical. A coming of age sort of film that was made in the seventies about the fifties, and how about that cast, John Travolta, Jeff Conway, Didi Conn, Olivia Newton- John, Stockard Channing, Sha Na Na, Frankie Avalon, I mean come on, the cast is incredible, then add the dancing and the songs, and you got the stuff my adolescent Saturday mornings were made of.  Everyone in America has to have heard at least one song from the movie. Every shitty wedding DJ plays the Grease megamix, or at least Greased Lightning.  By the way I really did mean that I think of the film as a coming of age story, and it is that way for a lot of the characters, Danny becomes a nice guy, Sandy finds her dark side. Kenickie and Rizzo lighten up a little, Frenchie goes through a million changes. Plus the big thing in the movie is sex, I mean really, everyone assumes musicals are safe for their children, and Grease seems so wholesome, but come on it is all sex. I don’t want to try to point it all out, but Olivia Newton-John starts it off quick with “got my suit damp”  and for some odd reason they wrap their Greased Lightning in plastic like a condom, plus all the innuendos in that song.  But hey I am not complaining, why do you think I liked it so much?

2. Jesus Christ Superstar

Anyone that knows me personally or knows about my feelings on religion would find it crazy that this movie is even on the list, but hell, it is a great movie. I mean, how could a movie about the most popular person in the history of the world not be good.  Mel Gibson liked the storyline of Jesus Christ Superstar so much that he copied it for a movie of his own, but he left out all the good musical numbers, totally ruining it. (before I get hate mail, it is totally a joke and I don’t mean to offend anyone’s belief, it’s just a stab at Mel Gibson, and if that offends you, then you are as crazy as he is these days.)So the movie is based on the original musical, so both of them are accused of blasphemy but they actually made some changes to the film to offend less people. The whole thing is derived from the Christian period of The Passion, which is basically the ending of Jesus’ life.  The movie really has no notable stars to talk about, but the music is incredible. The way the film is presented is pretty damn cool. Some kids go out in the desert and recreate the last days of Christ. So really it gets weird at some points, guns and all the other new things mixed in, but that is how it is supposed to be kind of.  Keep in Mind Andrew Lloyd Webber made it as an album and claims that the 2000 movie version best recreates the vision that he had. So this one made in 1973 was apparently a little off, but to me it’s the best version of it that I have seen so far. Supposedly there is a remake coming, who knows, but until then. This is it.

1. The Rocky Horror Picture Show

You had to know it was coming. You just had to. So I refuse to give you any sort of synopsis, because you seriously have to just experience the film in its entire splendor. Instead just a bit of info about the movie. Ok, where do I begin, how about the fact that you can go see this movie in Theatres. Hell you can go see it in Milwaukee still. This is just an incredible film and story; I was introduced to it as a young pre-teen, when I slept over at my cousin’s house. Since then, I just continue to fall in love with it more and more. If you have seen it and didn’t get it, then that’s your deal. It makes perfect sense to me. It is camp, it is horror, it is comedy, it is gore, it is everything that it needs to be. It was written and put on in London first by Richard O’Brien, a man who was in Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar. O’Brien’s genius move was that he then wrote the screenplay and stars as Riff-Raff in the movie, so any liberty taken from the stage production was done by the man who wrote it himself. How much better than that can you get. .  I mean this was a relatively unknown cast, and a lot of them went on to bigger things.  Tim Curry as Frank is one of the greatest movie roles of all time.  I tell you what, if there is any production that I wish I could be in that would be the one. I have spent years perfecting my copy of Curry’s voice. So if anyone ever needs me I am available for the role.

Ok there it is My top ten musicals of all time. I wish I could show you the whole list of movies that were in contention but I have an idea for that. So I hope you enjoyed it, and I know you might disagree but just check it out tell me what you think let me know what I left off!

Fictional Bands of Film

So we have all seen movies with a band or two in them and wondered why that band didn’t exist. Or maybe you have seen people with a Wyld Stallyns t shirt and wished that you could go buy their album. Well that is fine and dandy but I thought I would put together a list of the best movies about fictional band’s or singers.  Now I had to have certain criteria, so you won’t see Bill and Ted on this list since the movie isn’t about the band, and you won’t see Marvin Berry and the Starlighters either. Just sit back and enjoy another top ten list and hell you get to watch movie clips, what more can you ask for.

10. O Brother, Where Art Thou?

This will probably be the most controversial movie on the list, there was some debate between the woman of the house and myself as to what this movie was really all about. A compromise was sort of met. This movie technically makes the list to keep the Josie and the Pussycats movie off the list, and to the liking of the woman of the house it also keeps Neil Diamond’s The Jazz Singer off of the list. So the reason why I include this movie is that the 3 main characters of the movie are in fact the band The Soggy Bottom Boys.  Plus the movie has no true true plot. It’s one of those road films. Plus the music in the movie is so incredible.  The soundtrack one a Grammy and even though George Clooney didn’t really sing his part; Tim Blake Nelson as Delmar did.  So if you have not seen this movie I highly recommend it.

9. School Of Rock

Again, this is another one that does not necessarily tell the story of a band, but you do get to see a band come together, and again the music in the movie is incredible.  So in the movie you get to watch Jack Black rock with a bunch of kids and teach them life lessons and such.  How can you not enjoy that. Plus the other band in the movie (No Vacancy) they are pretty killer and dress incredibly. If you have not seen School of Rock at least once, you are pretty crazy. The band even appeared on a few late night talk shows even Lawrence was there, and he is the bee’s knees.

8. A Mighty Wind

Ok, I will admit right of the bat, that this is probably one of my least watched movies on the list. I won’t be offended if you have not seen it, but you should. You really should. The movie is about folk singing and Eugene Levy is in it. It is really a movie with a tight knit cast of people who work together often and work well together. Of course the trio to really watch is The Folksmen, and if you don’t know who they really are, then I will not ruin the secret for you. The movie is good, the plot is good. It is a little bit of a jumpy movie, but it is about 3 different groups of people, so you will have that.  All in all if you can stand listening to folk music and you like comedies it is well worth your time.

7. Rock Star

Ok, I don’t usually like to give too much away, but Jennifer Anniston kisses another girl, in one of the craziest drug induced scenes ever. That being said, for not being a real band Steel Dragon rocks pretty hard. Now all the members of the band were real musicians, especially if you count Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch.  The plot, well, I won’t give it away but if you know anything about Judas Priest then you know the plot of the movie, of course the writers took a few liberties, ok a lot of liberties, which caused Judas Priest to basically not be interested in the film at all. But it is a great movie and a dream that I have had a million times, now I just need to start a weezer cover band.

6. All You Need is Cash

Oh, you never heard of it? Ok, I don’t entirely blame you, but now you should try to find it. The Movie tells the story of The Rutles.  Ok, now I am confusing you. It’s all a mocking of The Beatles. It is genius and it has so many great comedians in it, plus it has a few great musicians in it, including George Harrison himself. The Beatles didn’t hate it either. Obviously George liked it, and apparently John thought it was hilarious. My understanding is that Paul wasn’t thrilled only because he is just so sensitive; I have no idea what Ringo thought about it. The brain trust behind the whole project was Eric Idle and Neil Innes, Eric Idle you should know from the Monty Python group, and Innes was in the Bonzo Dog Band, and of course worked with the Pythons and made their music for their movies. If you can find this anywhere, I recommend watching it. Especially if you are a Beatles fan.

5. Almost Famous

Of course everyone knows the scene of everybody singing Tiny Dancer. And I hope that you realize that the movie is the semi-autobiographical story of director Cameron Crowe’s life. But the band in the movie; Stillwater, they are a pretty rocking band. Plus the front man is Earl Hickey and you really really gotta love that, right Crabman?  I love this movie and I watch it whenever I see that it is on, but I don’t own it and that is why it did not make it any higher on the list. The movie does make me cry every time that I see it though. And it is always at different scenes. The movie has great characters and you hate them and love them at the same time. Plus Kate Hudson looks great in it. So watch it. Cause I said so, and I am a Golden God

4. Soul Men

Oh, where do I begin? Bernie Mac Samuel L Jackson together on film, together rocking some great music, plus John Legend and that guy from the movie Accepted. So it is a made up story about a band called The Real Deal. They used to back up Marcus Hooks.  But Hooks decided to go at it alone. Think Smokey Robinson or Diana Ross. So now it is like 40 years later and The Real Deal get back together. I really don’t want to ruin all of the fun so I won’t, but seriously it is an incredible movie. Hilarious and the music in it is great. Plus throughout the movie you feel like the two guys have known each other for years. Ok just watch it. Now.

3. That Thing You Do

The Oneders. If you said that “oh- need –ers” on purpose; then I love you, but if you said it that way because you thought that is what it said, then you would understand why they changed it to The Wonders. What can I say, Tom Hanks helped write the music and the movie.  It really is a great idea of what being in a band in the sixties was like. At least the way that I envision it. Plus Steve Zahn is in it. Do you need more?  Giovanni Ribisi is in it plus that guy from Breaking Bad.  Plus I mean the lines in the movie are classic, at least to me. Oh wait I almost forgot, Ron Howard’s brother is in the movie.  Ron Howard’s flipping ugly brother. 

 

2. This Is Spinal Tap

Well this is one of those incredible documentary movies that just take you to 11 right from the beginning. The movie is part of a trilogy actually.  There are parts of the movie that are dark but none more black than the perspective they get in Graceland. I mean this is a band that has been accused of being too sexy; but it’s not their fault that their meat is too big for your bread. But Spinal Tap is such a great movie, and the band, You can’t touch them, don’t even point. In fact I’ve told you enough.

1. The Blues Brothers

The fact that I could do the whole movie word for word right here right now has to mean something to you. John Belushi, Dan Akroyd. Fucking Pee Wee Herman is in this movie. About a million car crashes, Nazis, orange whips, Princess Leia and a band that put out some great albums and made some awesome concerts. What more do you want? So the second movie kind of sucked, but the original, I can’t think of too many musicians that I know that don’t know the movie or were not influenced by it in some way. I love it and have it in 3 formats and watch it whenever I am bored. I am not saying much I know but really if you haven’t seen it, then I don’t know about you.

Ok that’s it 10 great movies about bands that are not real. I hope you enjoy it and let me know if I left anything off, and for the record I have not seen The Commitments, even though woman of the house tells me to. 

Top Ten Music Biopics

For the next couple of days I am going to talk about movies. But don’t worry they are movies about music.  Each day I will have a different category and list of movies, and yes for the first time ever I will present top ten lists. So take a seat get some popcorn, and go pay off your family video late fees, because you can’t even find all of these movies on Netflix.

Today I want to discuss movies about real musicians, or bands. So sadly you will not see any clips from This is Spinal Tap today, but I promise you will before the week is done. Today I want to focus on the real things. These are the movies that let us into the worlds or behind the scenes moments of our favorite musicians, or maybe they introduced us to them. So, hey why explain it any longer let’s get right into the thick of things.

10.  The Doors

So, this film makes the list only because it is about Jim Morrison. I mean let’s be honest, it is called The Doors, but doesn’t even get the history of the band correctly and it mainly focuses on Morrison.  Another reason why I don’t like this movie is Val Kilmer; only because he is the shittiest Batman of all time, and I love Batman.  What I like about the film is; like I said it is a movie about the Doors, and that is a story that needed to be told.  As a child any movie that had crazy sex scenes in it was a good movie to me, so I may have clung to it for those reasons as well. Also, I love that the songs were performed and recorded live, with Kilmer singing, and I will give him this, he does it very well and convincingly. So the movie is on the list, it is worth watching, but don’t buy it.

9. What’s Love Got To Do With It?

Again, this is another story that needed to be told. I think, what really happens is the audience is given more reasons to love Tina Turner. Although Ike says that almost the whole thing is fabricated, it is based on her biography. I mean, yes it is loosely based on it, but Ike is just an asshole, I don’t care how much I love Proud Mary.  The casting in this movie is actually done really well, in fact, I think Larry Fishbourne does a great portrayal of Ike and steals some of the show. I have to admit that I haven’t seen this movie as many times as the others on the list, and truthfully I should watch it more, but it is a good movie worth checking out.

8. The Soloist

You know why this movie made the list? Because, it is a true story, and I didn’t know it was a true story until after I watched it, and I was hooked.  The movie is based on the book of the same name, and is about a real man named Nathaniel Ayers. I don’t want to give too much away because I think you should see this movie, but bring a box of tissues because this story will play with your emotions.  You see Ayers is a beautiful cellist (according to the movie) but he is homeless and schizophrenic. If that doesn’t have you interested, does it help to know that the movie stars Robert Downey Junior and Jamie Foxx?  Just watch it, seriously, watch it.

7. Ray

Another movie starring Jamie Foxx, Ray tells the story of Ray Charles. In case you have been in a coma for the last 65 years, Ray Charles is a musical genius who has written and recorded so many great songs. He was one of the original artists inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (Two years before the Beatles even got in!) This movie is a great great biopic and closely tells the story of Charles’ rise to fame. Never mind the fact that Foxx won an Oscar for his role. The movie is a little on the long side, but I don’t know what you would cut. And if all of this isn’t enough to encourage you to go watch it, how about the fact that Booger from Revenge of the Nerds is in it?

6. A Hard Day’s Night

Ok, so two questions may arise; first, maybe you are wondering how this movie is on the list when it isn’t really a biopic or biography. And secondly, how is a Beatles movie not in the top three if not number one?  Well, the first question answers the second.  A Hard Day’s Night is a hilarious imagining of a day in the life of The Beatles, but it is in no way a biography.  The movie is what made me want to be a rock star; I just thought these four guys were having so much fun; playing cards in the cargo room of a train, running amuck in a farmer’s field. Plus Paul got to bring his grandfather with him. (Not that one, the other one) I could probably type out the whole script right now, instead, just call me up, I will loan you my copy.

5. The Buddy Holly Story

Let me clarify something really quickly, in case anyone is wondering, I thought Buddy Holly was cool as hell long before Rivers Cuomo name-dropped him in 1994.  So the movie, ok, It stars Gary Busey before he became a crazy nut, Busey was nominated for an Oscar.  Busey did all his own singing in the movie. And the music and movie are both really great. However it isn’t even close to being historically accurate. In fact, years later another movie called “The Real Buddy Holly Story” was released. Again, parts of it add up, and it has a nice plot, so that is why I like it.

4. Walk The Line

Now this is a movie that I love, in fact, I just double checked my notes to make sure it really was number 4, but I have my reasons. The main reason it is not number 1 is mere personal attachment to the other 3 movies. I think Johnny Cash is great.  I think that this movie really does him justice.  Reese Witherspoon won an Oscar for her portrayal of June Carter. And Joaquin Phoenix was nominated for one.  My favorite portrayal in the movie is Shooter Jennings, who plays his own father Waylon Jennings.  Phoenix and Witherspoon play and sing their own parts, and they make the story fucking burst off the screen.  The story is told so beautiful and of course there are a few changes for dramatics, but the movie is based off the Autobiography that Cash himself wrote. What more could you ask for?

3. The Temptations

Ok, First things first, this was actually a miniseries, but it is available on DVD now, so I feel like that gives me enough room to call it a movie for the sake of this list.  Also this is one of 3 movies on this list that I have watched with my dad (who is a huge fan of The Temptations) which is why it ranks higher. Let me first explain that this movie is based off of Otis Williams’ book about  his group The Temptations.  The families of the other members of the group did file a lawsuit against the producers of the movie for defamation and inaccurate portrayals.  I can honestly tell you that I do not know what is real and what is false, because, I have read Williams book, and I have read Ain’t Too proud to Beg, a book about the Temptations  and they are kind of close, and you have to understand that Williams had his own perspective on everything. So do I think it was dramatized? For Sure. But I also think that Williams wrote his story the way that he saw it, and I tell you what, the movie gave me a real fondness for David Ruffin and his soulful raspy voice, and when he snatches that microphone.  Ooh Damn!

2. La Bamba

It is number 2 because of a few reasons.  It is one of the first movies that I can remember watching. Seriously, I was 5 when it came out, and my dad never censored what we watched. I remember we rented it on pay per view so we could tape it, but my uncle borrowed it and accidentally taped over it. I was devastated. Imagine 5 or 6 year old me being sad and crying because I couldn’t watch La Bamba, that is so awesome.  The movie is actually pretty historically accurate, I once saw Lou Diamond Phillips, who plays Ritchie Valens in the movie that Ritchie’s real sister was on the set the day they filmed the ill fated 3 getting onto the airplane, and Valens sister grabbed his hand and begged him not to get on the plane. (for the record my eyes are tearing up as I type this) The movie is so emotional, and you feel so horrible for everyone in it. I mean it tells the story of Ritchie Valens, a 17 year old boy who had 3 songs go to the hot 100, (Donna ranked the highest at #2) Ritchie was on his way to becoming a big star when he died in a plane crash with Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper. His whole story is shown and portrayed beautifully, Valens songs are re worked by Los Lobos who do excellent work with it. The movie is just incredible. Seriously go watch it. Now!

1.  Beyond The Sea

Kevin Spacey co-wrote, co-produced, directed, and starred in this movie about the life of Bobby Darin. The idea for a movie about Bobby Darin’s life began in 1987 and the film was not released until 2004. Spacey was not paid for any of his roles in the movie. He just really wanted to have this movie made. I personally think that that is really cool as hell. Spacey sings in the movie and he does a damn good job. The movie has a fantasy element to it and blurs the line of reality and fiction. The movie breaks the Fourth wall in the sense that it shows production of the movie(kind of). Even the fact that Kevin Spacey is like 45 playing a 19 year old guy is addressed(again kind of) The movie takes a few liberties with the life of Bobby Darin and got the blessing of most of the people in Darin’s life. And Kevin Spacey even looks like Bobby Darin. The love story that is told in the movie is so magical and manages to make you smile in light of some of the sadder moments. It is number one on my list because I think that it deserves more credit, Bobby Darin was a risk taker that made lots of great music and I would love to think of what he would have done had he lived longer than 37 years. I think Spacey deserves more praise and accolades for what he did with this film. And seriously guys, chicks dig this film, so go rent it, watch it with a lady after a nice meal.  It’s seriously a good way to spend an evening 

So there it is, my top ten list of Biographical movies about musicians, I hope you enjoy them all as much as I did, Did I leave something off? Do you disagree with my order? Let me know what you think, where would you rank them? Stay tuned tomorrow for another list of movies.