Satellite of Soundtrack Love: or How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love being as Lazy as Wolfgang.

(feel free to listen to the songs from this week’s column via the above music player)

After reeling from another kickass episode of “Lost” last week I let the TV lag and spill into “Life on Mars“. The show opened with a long montage set to Lou Reed’s “Satellite of Love“. That song and Michael Impeiroli’s badass stache were almost enough to keep my interest. I avoided temptation. I just can’t add another TV show to my dvr. Mind you I will make an exception for when The Duel 2 comes on MTV in April. Hearing the song reminded me of a conversation I had recently. Not counting Stillwater’s “Feverdog” or Steel Dragon’s “Stand Up (and shout)” I asked someone to come up with a list of songs that they discovered through the power of the movies. Personally for me Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day“, as heard in Trainspotting, is a perfect example of a song I was unaware of till it was featured in a film. I ran out and bought that album immediately after seeing the movie and was pretty floored by its quirky charms. I’d like to say the same thing occurred after I watched St Elmo’s Fire and heard “Man in Motion“…but, as you people know, that album is not as awe inspiring. Hell of a theme song though. With a click glance at my DVD collection I give you:

My top 5 song discoveries through film (eat it, Facebook!)

5. Almost Famous: Thunderclap Newman “Something in the Air“. The easy answer is “Tiny Dancer”, but I’ve always liked this song better. Pete Townshend played bass on this one hit wonder led by a Who roadie. Who knew!? (No pun intended. Seriously)

4. Boogie Nights: Night Ranger - “Sister Christian.” Boogie Nights was so chock full of music that it required two discs. This was a new song to me. Thank you, PT Anderson. He took the cue from Tarantino and tried to fill his soundtrack with as many lost gems as possible. On the flip side I noticed the soundtrack to The Girl Next Door might be the laziest soundtrack ever. Here are some highlights:

· “Under Pressure” by Queen and David Bowie

· “The Killing Moon” by Echo & the Bunnymen

· “Something in the Air” by Thunderclap Newman

· “Take a Picture” by Filter

 · “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd

· “What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye

· “Lapdance” by N.E.R.D.

· “Baba O’Riley” by The Who

All great songs. All have appeared in countless movies already. You are a lazy man Mr. Wolfgang Amadeus. Nope, I’m not making that name up. You made a mix tape of your favorite songs from movies. Shame on you, Wolfgang. Can I have your job please? What The Girl Next Door lacked in musical creativity it made up for with its underrated humor and a semi clad Kim Bauer.

3. Napoleon Dynamite: When in Rome - “The Promise”. If I happen across this movie and it’s close to the end I’ll leave it on and embrace this song and imagine playing tether ball and drawing leigers for my own Deb.

2. Trainspotting: Lou Reed – “Perfect Day.”

1. Donnie Darko: Echo and the Bunnymen – “The Killing Moon”. I was hip enough to see this film opening night, but not hip enough to have known this amazing song. It was instant love. Since then Richard Kelly released a director’s cut which removed “The Killing Moon” from the opening and replaced it with “Never Tear Us Apart” By INXS. If that wasn’t proof positive that Richard Kelly is a loose cannon who can’t be trusted, go rent Southland Tales. What a mess of a film. Justin Timberlake lip syncing The Killers on the Santa Monica Pier? Yeah, let’s green light that bad boy. Even after that bloodbath of a film turd I’m still looking forward to his next film, The Box, simply because The Arcade Fire will be providing the original score and bombastic and preachy is exactly how I take my scores. Thank you, Win Butler.

Mar 30, 2009 | Categories: Film, Gimme Gimme Schlock Treatment, Gimme Gimme Schlock Treatment Column, Music | Tags: Almost Famous, Baba O' Riley, Boogie Nights, David Bowie, Donnie Darko, DVD, Elton John, Feverdog, Filter, INXS, Jim Kelly, Justin Timberlake, Kim Bauer, Lapdance, Life on Mars, Los, Lou Reed, Lynrd Skynrd, Man in Motion, Marvin Gaye, Micharil Impeiroli, Movie Soundtracks, MTV, N.E.R.D, Napoleon Dynamite, Never Tear Us Apart, Night Ranger, Perfect Day, Pete Townshend, PT Anderson, Queen, Quentin Tarantino, Richard Kelly, Sister Christian, Something in the Air, Southland Tales, St. Elmo's Fire, Stand Up and Shout, Steel Dragon, Stillwater, Sweet Home Alabama, Take a Picture, Tarantino, The Arcade Fire, The Box, The Duel 2, The Girl Next Door, The Killers, The Killing Moon. Echo and the Bunnymen, The Promise, The Who, Thunderclap Newman, Tiny Dancer, Trainspotting, Under Pressure, What's Going On, When in Rome, Win Butler, Wolfgang Amadeus | Leave A Comment »