Search - Various Artists - Soundtracks :: 41 Original Hits From The Soundtrack Of American Graffiti

Classic rock of '50s, early '60s shine in this album!

Alex Diaz-Granados | Miami, FL United States | 11/20/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Of all the categories of music available on compact discs (or cassettes), one of my favorites has always been the movie soundtrack. Not only does a good soundtrack album helps listeners remember favorite scenes from the movies, but it also may inspire them to explore musical styles they would have otherwise never listened to. Just as John Williams Romantic-era stylings of his Star Wars scores opened my ears and mind to classical music at the age of 14, the songs of various artists featured in the soundtrack for 1973's George Lucas nostalgia-laced American Graffiti opened my heart and soul to the early rock 'n' roll and doo-wop of the late 1950s and early '60s. Having been born in 1963 into a household where only my older sister listened to such artists as The Beatles, Tom Jones and Englebert Humperdinck, it was only in the days of "Happy Days" (a TV sitcom that was inspired by the success of Lucas' first real successful movie) that I got a taste of early rock 'n' roll songs in the vein of "(We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock," the song that kicks off this 2-CD, 41-song album.The songs presented here were not only chosen by director George Lucas because they fit the time period (no song here was released after 1962), but also because the songs themselves were like a Greek chorus commenting on the on-screen doings of Steve, Laurie, Curt, John, Carol, Debbie and Toad. If the mood is upbeat, then songs like "Rock Around The Clock" are featured. For more emotionally charged sequences (Steve and Laurie's heart-rending argument at the school dance, for instance), The Platters' famous cover of Kerns' "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" and "Only You" are perfect accompaniment.From that first track by Bill Haley and the Comets (such a whimsical and punny band name) to the surfin' crowd-pleasing Beach Boys' "All Summer Long," the original soundtrack album of American Graffiti will not only have listeners who saw the movie remembering the film's various characters and situations, it will also evoke the seemingly more innocent era of that pre-Cuban Missile Crisis summer of '62, with its cruising teenagers, drive-in diners with roller skating waitresses and the optimism of the Kennedy years. This is a fun soundtrack album to listen to. If you're old enough to remember the era, it will be a personal musical portal to the past. If you're like me, born after 1962 and more familiar with Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Usher, and Britney Spears, give it a listen. It may open your heart and soul to older, yet still wonderful styles of early rock 'n' roll."

Magnificent

Candace Scott | Lake Arrowhead, CA, USA | 09/20/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What more can you say? This is quite possibly the best collection (and most eclectic sampling) of 50's and 60's music available. I was a kid when American Graffiti came out in 1973 and went week after week to the theatre to see it. It's held up beautifully all these years later. I owned the vinyl version of this double album, also the casette and even the eight track. The quality of the CD is leagues ahead of the original vinyl album, all the scratches and bumps have been removed and it results in a joyous listening experience. Each and every one of these songs is riveting, fun to listen to and just plain great!If you're too young to remember these years, this album will give you a taste of what it must have been like to have grown up in the 50's and early 60's. An additional note: if you're never seen the movie, rent it or buy it immediately. It's a deserved classic!"

Gets the Party Going !

' Groovin' guy | 04/23/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Great fun in this collection of great Classic songs.



Getting right to the point, this CD is an essential addition to any music lover's collection.



Buy it and get the party mood going!"