This month, the Mental Jukebox revisits the movie soundtracks of the nineties. The music I’m highlighting are some of my personal favorites. In many cases, the movies themselves were huge for me as well. But the focus will still be on the music – as always. Let’s bring on the throwback classics, the grunge, the gangsta rap, and the indie gems. #31DaysOf90sMovieSongs
Movie: Reality Bites
When you think of the Reality Bites soundtrack, the first song that probably comes to mind is “Stay (I Missed You”, the song that launched Lisa Loeb’s career. Ethan Hawke first heard Loeb playing her guitar in his apartment building – and evidently thought she was talented enough for more people to hear her music beyond their building. He played her music for director Ben Stiller – and the rest is history. The soundtrack is also supported by classics from The Knack, Squeeze and New Order, and lesser known treasures from Dinosaur Jr. and Arrested Development. And right smack in the middle of the track list is U2’s “All I Want Is You”, which is my favorite song from the soundtrack.
One of the gems from Rattle and Hum, I was always drawn to this track since the moment I heard it. I didn’t have to warm up to it. And, more notably, I never got sick of it. The song had never lost its edge for me (no pun intended). “All I Want You” isn’t one of the band’s greatest instrumental efforts by any means, but there’s room for an Edge guitar solo in there and an unexpected string arrangement. The best thing about the song is that it takes you somewhere and then brings you back home. It starts off quiet, builds up to a crescendo, and then dies down to a near whisper.
“But all the promises we make from the cradle to the grave, when all I want is you.”