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: The Hurricane
Dylan’s songwriting prowess has always been his strongest suit. Say what you will about his voice. But it’s hard to argue that there’s a lyricist as profound, prolific and poetic as Dylan. On the instrumental side, most of his music is characterized by his acoustic guitar playing – and quite a few songs are graced with his harmonica. That’s why a song like “Hurricane”, as core to Dylan’s catalog as it is, is a bit of an anomaly.
This brilliantly composed protest song isn’t just about a boxer, it’s about racism and injustice. “Hurricane” is my favorite Dylan song for two reasons. Vocally, it’s one of his more palatable recordings. The forward thrust of his vocals from the verses to the chorus keep Dylan’s natural nasal intonations to a minimum. And then there’s the violin. Played by Scarlet Rivera, it’s hardly a secondary instrument. On “Hurricane”, Rivera’s violin is pushed to the spotlight, behaving like a guitar — an electric one at that.
“Here's the story of the Hurricane. The man the authorities came to blame for something that he never done. Put in a prison cell but one time he could-a been the champion of the world.”