It should come as no surprise to anyone who has brushed up against my movie obsessions that a large number of these impact albums will be soundtracks.
In fact there are a couple which would probably make the list, such as Buckaroo Banzai and Young Einstein that are completely awesome collections of songs. However, in both of these cases, I have recently found out they are available so they haven't lived in my car for the insane lengths that the others have in order to determine if there are "non essential" tracks.
Since this goes back to the "Boom Box in the passenger seat days," if two related albums were on one tape, it counts as one.
,
One of three 100 minute tapes that have accompanied me on drives starting shortly after college is the music from the Blues Brothers films. The others will come up later, along with other multiple album cheats.
These albums make the list for more than the standard soundtrack reason of allowing me to relive the films. The music is simply outstanding. Paul Shaffer, while his schedule didn't allow him to be in the first movie, put together the amazing and multiple award winning members (including several folks in the Rock and Roll hall of fame more than once) of the original Saturday Night Live house band that also played with Jake and Elwood. The guest artists take this selection above and beyond.
The Blues Brothers, the first and still greatest film to come out of a SNL sketch, reintroduced Cab Calloway, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, John Lee Hooker and Ray Charles to a whole new generation, and in many cases reignited their careers.
These are films about awesome music, and insane fantasy driving. What better albums could there be to start this list for mobile accompaniment.
Blues Brothers 2000 gets a lot of grief. Yes, it's not as good as the original, but heck, what is? The problem is, people try to think of it the way one would think of a normal movie, and frankly that's not it's purpose.
It's purpose is to let us revisit the actors and musicians from the first film, other performers who were inspired by them, and multiple other legendary artists.
It's a feel good return to the people and places of the classic original, not an effort at normal cinematic story telling.
But most importantly, its about the magic of the music. This was personified (car-sonified) by the additional magic powers of the Blues Mobile had, and Cab's musical religious transformation that went far over and above Jakes "THE BAND!" in the first one.
To quote Elwood, which Buster throws back at him at an excellently done junction of the narrative:
“No
pharmaceutical product could ever equal the rush you get when the band hits
that groove; the people are dancin', and shoutin', and swayin'; and the house
is rockin'!
...
The
music, man. You know you miss the music."
To continue quoting Elwood, to yet again point out the reason for bringing these quality tunes into the public eye, and going back to see the folks who brought us them:
“Walk away now and you walk away from your crafts, your skills, your vocations; leaving the next generation with nothing but recycled, digitally-sampled techno-grooves, quasi-synth rhythms, pseudo-songs of violence-laden gangsta-rap, acid pop, and simpering, saccharine, soulless slush.
Turn your backs now and you snuff out the fragile candles of Blues, R&B and Soul, and when those flames flicker and expire, the light of the world is extinguished because the music which has moved mankind through seven decades leading to the millennium will whither and die on the vine of abandonment and neglect.”
It’s about the fun, the characters, the car chases, but really...
It's about the music, man.
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