Search - Ry Cooder :: Streets Of Fire: A Rock & Roll Fable (1984 Film)

The Kind of Soundtrack that Begged to Be a Double CD/LP

Armando M. Mesa | Chandler, AZ | 09/06/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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)!...



"

When the Music Makes the Movie

Jeremy | Canada | 02/18/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."

Steinman blesses us with his songs once again!

The Tailpipe | 06/29/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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!"