"ONE OF THESE THINGS FIRST" NICK DRAKE (1971)

Exceptional soundtracks can make good movies great. They can also take on a life of their own, becoming a greater highlight than their respective films. In this series, I’m selecting some of my favorite soundtrack songs. While quite a few are well-known recordings, I’m also including a few that have flown under the radar over the years.

From top to bottom, the Garden State soundtrack is hands down one of the best of its era. It pretty much singlehandedly launched The Shins into orbit. It also gave us an early introduction to Iron & Wine and Thievery Corporation. And when I listen back to it, I believe it was also partly responsible for the ridiculously delayed resurgence and rediscovery of Nick Drake. Like most of his catalog, “One of These Things First” is a song that fits comfortably into our times even though it was recorded 50 years ago.

Nick might well be at his best when mired in misery, but the almost wistful demeanor of this song is what makes it pair so well with Garden State. It still has all the characteristics that make Nick Drake’s music so attractive today — from the immediately recognizable baritone voice to the intricate interplay of piano and guitar.

“I could have been a signpost, could have been a clock. As simple as a kettle, steady as a rock.”

"TEMPTATION" NEW ORDER (1982)

Exceptional soundtracks can make good movies great. They can also take on a life of their own, becoming a greater highlight than their respective films. In this series, I’m selecting some of my favorite soundtrack songs. While quite a few are well-known recordings, I’m also including a few that have flown under the radar over the years.

The Trainspotting soundtrack required vivid songs to match the movie’s vivid scenes. “Perfect Day” and “Lust for Life” captured the mood and energy of two very well-known scenes. But in an atypical move, the director chose to only have the character Diane sing “Temptation” instead of feature the full New Order version. But as an homage to the band, the ‘87 version of the song made its way onto this brilliant soundtrack.

“Temptation” was somewhat easy to miss the first time around. It was only released as a single at first — and only charted in the U.K. But the singles compilation Substance became a post-punk must-have in the late 80s, which gave me my first exposure to the song. Like the entire Substance double-disc, I loved “Temptation” from the get go. It was devoid of any remnants of Joy Division, but Sumner, Hooky, Morris and Gilbert reinvented a new sound together with swagger and tenacity.

“Tonight, I think I'll walk alone. I'll find my soul as I go home.”

"IN YOUR EYES" PETER GABRIEL (1986)

Exceptional soundtracks can make good movies great. They can also take on a life of their own, becoming a greater highlight than their respective films. In this series, I’m selecting some of my favorite soundtrack songs. While quite a few are well-known recordings, I’m also including a few that have flown under the radar over the years.

One of the most memorable movie scenes from the 80’s is when Lloyd Dobler lifts his boombox high above his head outside of Diane’s house with Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes” blaring from the speakers. At the time, most guys — myself included — knew immediately that Lloyd made us all look like second rate romantics in that single moment. Some of us were pathetic enough to copy the move with our own love interests because we were too unoriginal to think of our own thing. Whether you’re guilty as charged or not, the scene is engrained in the mind of every 80’s child — and the scene is nothing without the song.

I remember the first few times I heard “In Your Eyes” I didn’t and I couldn’t fully appreciate it for what it was. The more you listen to it, the more you realize it’s far more than just a great pop song. It’s sage, not sappy. It’s world music, not worldly. And it remains ambiguous as to whether “In Your Eyes” is about romantic love, or love of God, or both. I bet Lloyd had no idea.

“All my instincts, they return. The grand facade, so soon will burn. Without a noise, without my pride. I reach out from the inside.”

"LET'S STAY TOGETHER" AL GREEN (1972)

Exceptional soundtracks can make good movies great. They can also take on a life of their own, becoming a greater highlight than their respective films. In this series, I’m selecting some of my favorite soundtrack songs. While quite a few are well-known recordings, I’m also including a few that have flown under the radar over the years.

Pulp Fiction has the rare distinction of being one of the greatest films of all time as well as one of the greatest soundtracks of all time. You can’t pick just one song, but “Let’s Stay Together” is probably one of four marquee tracks on the album, along with “Jungle Boogie”, “Son of a Preacher Man” and “Bustin Surfboards”.

What makes the Al Green song so special? I think it’s this. There are few songs in the history of music that capture the essence of their era so well while also demonstrating a timeless staying power. “Let’s Stay Together” is one of them. It features one of music’s greatest vocal performances with Green’s natural vocal range and falsetto maneuvers so naturally entwined.

“Whatever you want to do is alright with me.”

"CANNED HEAT" JAMIROQUAI (1999)

Exceptional soundtracks can make good movies great. They can also take on a life of their own, becoming a greater highlight than their respective films. In this series, I’m selecting some of my favorite soundtrack songs. While quite a few are well-known recordings, I’m also including a few that have flown under the radar over the years.

Quirky movies need quirky soundtracks. And that’s what Jamiroquai did for Napoleon Dynamite. The soundtrack had a heavy 80’s flavor, accentuated by acts like Cyndi Lauper, When in Rome and Alphaville. Just when we thought the movie might’ve been set in that decade, “Canned Heat” came out of nowhere in the “Vote for Pedro” dance sequence. It was a 70’s-influenced funk fest a la Jamiroquai that came out in the late 90’s.

“Canned Heat” and Jamiroquai’s entire Synkronized album prove that there are still artists out there that just do whatever they want to do, without caring what the public thinks. At its worst, it’s recycled disco funk. At its best, it’s a case in point that the artist performing the song should have just as much fun as the fan who’s listening to it.

“Nothing left for me to do but dance off these bad times I'm going through.”

"THE MAN IN ME" BOB DYLAN (1970)

Exceptional soundtracks can make good movies great. They can also take on a life of their own, becoming a greater highlight than their respective films. In this series, I’m selecting some of my favorite soundtrack songs. While quite a few are well-known recordings, I’m also including a few that have flown under the radar over the years.

The song a director picks for an opening scene can sometimes make or break a film. It’s the mood setter. And there was no better song to kick off The Big Lebowski than Bob Dylan’s “The Man in Me”. Not your typical Dylan anthem, it felt like it was written and performed specifically for The Dude — a melodious homage to the main character.

One of my all-time favorite movies, The Big Lebowski features a strong, diverse set of songs on its soundtrack — from a Gypsy Kings cover to a CCR staple. But no other song on the soundtrack embodies the film and The Dude more than “The Man in Me”. Beyond the opening scene, it’s used again in the famed hallucination scene — and apparently Jeff Bridges has sung it and led audience participation at Lebowski Fest. It’s not just widely loved, it’s beloved.

“Storm clouds are raging all around my door. I think to myself I might not take it anymore. Take a woman like your kind to find the man in me.”

"BRING ON THE DANCING HORSES" ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN (1986)

Exceptional soundtracks can make good movies great. They can also take on a life of their own, becoming a greater highlight than their respective films. In this series, I’m selecting some of my favorite soundtrack songs. While quite a few are well-known recordings, I’m also including a few that have flown under the radar over the years.

Echo & the Bunnymen is a dear band from my youth. I’ve never seen them live, but my Songs to Learn & Sing cassette was a key part of my life’s soundtrack. The seminal post-punk, new wave band also played a vital role in at least a couple of different coming-of-age movies. For Pretty in Pink, “Bring on the Dancing Horses” rounded out one of the greatest soundtracks ever.

Pretty in Pink was full of brat pack anthems: “Pretty in Pink”, “If You Leave”, “Shellshock” and “Left of Center”. But “Dancing Horses” went beyond the melodramatic and was always my favorite song on the album. Echo & the Bunnymen were The Doors of their post-punk generation. No one else sang with the swagger and mystery of Ian McCullough. No one else manned both guitar and keys with the same melodic ingenuity of Will Sergeant. And on “Dancing Horses”, the band rode Les Pattinson’s catchy bass line live a wave of ecstasy.

“Hating all the faking. And shaking while I'm breaking your brittle heart.”

"WONDERFUL TONIGHT" ERIC CLAPTON (1977)

Inspired by Albumism, I’m doing my own version of Flying Solo with individual tracks. Band breakups and hiatuses are never fun, but these solo jams were defining moments in my life’s soundtrack.

I’m more of a fan of Clapton’s work with Cream and Derek & The Dominos. But that doesn’t take anything away from “Wonderful Tonight”. It belongs in the upper echelon of rock classics. It’s revered. It’s adored. It’s so well-known that maybe we take for granted what makes it so great in the first place. Maybe we’ve forgotten.

At a high school talent show my senior year, I was getting ready to perform a rendition of Depeche Mode’s “Somebody”. My friend provided a female take on lead vocals, and I was on piano. Before we went on, I normally would’ve been absolutely nervous and sweating bullets. But a trio before us was performing “Wonderful Tonight” and I was immediately sucked into the performance and my mind was put at ease. It seems so simple, but this is the wonderful power of “Wonderful Tonight”. How many songs do you know can do that? Clapton wrote an exceptionally simple song that draws you in and creates a moment in time for you, every single time you listen to it.

“And then I tell her, as I turn out the light, I say, ‘My darling, you are wonderful tonight’.”

"THE SOUL SEARCHERS" PAUL WELLER (2018)

Inspired by Albumism, I’m doing my own version of Flying Solo with individual tracks. Band breakups and hiatuses are never fun, but these solo jams were defining moments in my life’s soundtrack.

I’ve been a fan of The Jam and the mod revival scene since high school. But, I’m a newbie and a late bloomer when it comes to Paul Weller’s solo work, only now starting to dive into his vast catalog. I’m impressed at how versatile and experimental he’s been over the years. Weller is a true musical chameleon and explorer, almost Bowie-esque. And “The Soul Searchers” is one of my new favorites.

I love the accessible, yet unique melody and Weller’s wry guitar riffs — both on acoustic and electric. But the one thing that “The Soul Searchers” does as well as any other song is weave its string arrangements so seamlessly in with the rest of the instrumentation. There are probably somewhere between 15 to 20 different instruments on the recording - and not a single part overpowers or gets lost.

“Sleep tight, let tomorrow bring you a new day.”

"BIG LOG" ROBERT PLANT (1983)

Inspired by Albumism, I’m doing my own version of Flying Solo with individual tracks. Band breakups and hiatuses are never fun, but these solo jams were defining moments in my life’s soundtrack.

“Big log” was a shock to the system. An entirely different side to Robert Plant’s continued musical odyssey. It brought out a fascinating side to the former Zeppelin frontman that simply wasn’t possible when Jimmy Page, Bonzo and Jonesy were in the same room as him.

Listening back to it, the thing that stands out most to me about the song are the bluesy, soulful vocals that aren’t reliant on crooning and belting to find their way and identity. “Big Log” came out about ten years after Houses of the Holy, showing that Plant can sound sacred whether he goes soft or sonic. And co-writer Robbie Blunt’s delicate guitar playing impressed without trying to emulate Jimmy Page.

“Red eyed and fevered with the hum of the miles. Distance and longing, my thoughts do collide.”

"SHAPE OF MY HEART" STING (1993)

Inspired by Albumism, I’m doing my own version of Flying Solo with individual tracks. Band breakups and hiatuses are never fun, but these solo jams were defining moments in my life’s soundtrack.

By the release of Ten Summoner’s Tales, Sting had veered from his rock roots with The Police and toward a softer, quieter musical expression. But if songs like “Shape of My Heart” prove anything, it’s that, no matter how slow or quiet the music gets, Sting keeps exploring other genres to inform his own approach.

While The Police found inspiration from reggae and punk, “Shape of My Heart” dabbled in flamenco. It’s a beautiful, classical guitar-driven track with some of the artist’s finest lyrics ever written. Sting used the metaphor of a card player to describe life and love, which gave Leon: The Professional more gravitas as the song unraveled over the end credits.

“I know that the spades are the swords of a soldier. I know that the clubs are weapons of war. I know that diamonds mean money for this art. But that's not the shape of my heart.”

"THE MESSENGER" JOHNNY MARR (2013)

Inspired by Albumism, I’m doing my own version of Flying Solo with individual tracks. Band breakups and hiatuses are never fun, but these solo jams were defining moments in my life’s soundtrack.

While Morrissey has carved out a prolific solo career and catalog, Marr initially went the route of guitarist for hire following The Smiths’ demise, augmenting bands like The The, Modest Mouse and The Pretenders. But in 2013, everything changed. And it started with his first solo venture, “The Messenger”. I wanted more of The Smiths, but I ended up hearing something far closer to Interpol.

Marr’s jangle pop obsession hits a more rhythmic stride on “The Messenger” and other songs on the album. There’s an interesting evolution of guitar styling here, with a sound that feels like a rebirth of early Interpol and Daniel Kessler’s grating, hypnotic guitar playing. While the lyrics are far from Morrissey-level, the unexpectedness of Marr’s guitar sound is what made this track more delightful.

“My time's for taking if you want.”

"HARVEST MOON" NEIL YOUNG (1992)

Inspired by Albumism, I’m doing my own version of Flying Solo with individual tracks. Band breakups and hiatuses are never fun, but these solo jams were defining moments in my life’s soundtrack.

Twenty years after he released Harvest, Neil Young was back at it again with a similar motif. “Harvest Moon” is my favorite Neil Young track of all time. It’s that rare musical gem that does what it says and says what it does.

Every element of the song captures the ethereal mood so well—from Linda Ronstadt’s beautiful background vocals to the quiet steel guitar to the soft brush strokes on drums. Every element pulls you in and puts into that idyllic moonlit moment on that unspoiled night.

“We could dream this night away.”

"IT'S OH SO QUIET" BJORK (1995)

Inspired by Albumism, I’m doing my own version of Flying Solo with individual tracks. Band breakups and hiatuses are never fun, but these solo jams were defining moments in my life’s soundtrack.

By the time, “It’s Oh So Quiet” was released, Bjork had been blasting through the music world with her playful brand of electro-pop for quite some time. We got a taste of it on Debut, and it continued on with Post. But on “It’s Oh So Quiet”, Bjork abandons this musical direction and jumps into the world of big band era brass.

While it may not be my favorite track from the artist, I picked “It’s Oh So Quiet” today because it’s the epitome of Bjork from a vocal standpoint. Every sung syllable carries an emotion—from whimsy to delight to ecstasy. The range of emotions jump up and down without warning, making for an unpredictable ride and an unexpected cover of the 50’s classic.

“You fall in love. Zing boom. The sky up above. Zing boom is caving in.”

"DIRTY BLVD" LOU REED (1989)

Inspired by Albumism, I’m doing my own version of Flying Solo with individual tracks. Band breakups and hiatuses are never fun, but these solo jams were defining moments in my life’s soundtrack.

An interesting historical factoid: When “Dirty Blvd” was released as a single, Billboard started its Modern Rock chart and the song soared to #1. The song’s popularity on this particular chart is very telling of Lou Reed’s influence on the music world. Here we had a classic rocker, who not only was invited to the modern rock revolution, he helped lead it.

“Dirty Blvd” is alternative to the core. Like many songs from the Lou Reed and Velvet Underground canons, it’s a three-chord rock song. But the structural simplicity is countered by those unexpected Lou Reed moments, like the chorus outbursts and tempo pauses going into the verses.

“And back at the Wilshire, Pedro sits there dreaming. He's found a book on magic in a garbage can. He looks at the pictures and stares at the cracked ceiling. "At the count of 3" he says, ‘I hope I can disappear’.”

"TRAIN IN VAIN" ANNIE LENNOX (1995)

Inspired by Albumism, I’m doing my own version of Flying Solo with individual tracks. Band breakups and hiatuses are never fun, but these solo jams were defining moments in my life’s soundtrack.

Medusa was quite a departure for Annie Lennox on two levels. First, it was her first full length recording dedicated only to cover songs. Second, her sound had significantly shifted at this point to a softer side devoid of any Eurythmics-era strands. The highlight for me was her cover of The Clash’s “Train in Vain”.

What makes this cover especially unique is that it’s a completely different interpretation of The Clash London Calling classic. Had she done it with the Eurythmics, I think the results would’ve been far less impressive. We would’ve had a remake that might not be too far off from the original. But by the time Medusa reared its head on the music world, Lennox had expanded her genre explorations, turning in a soulful, gospel-fueled “Train in Vain”.

“I see all my dreams come tumbling down.”

"LUST FOR LIFE" IGGY POP (1977)

Inspired by Albumism, I’m doing my own version of Flying Solo with individual tracks. Band breakups and hiatuses are never fun, but these solo jams were defining moments in my life’s soundtrack.

Listening to “Lust for Life” several decades after it was initially released is quite a trip. It’s like getting sucked into a five minute microcosm of music where production and performance are vying for the spotlight. More noteworthy, the song seems like the single torch bearer of musical influence for The Strokes.

What made “Lust for Life” so exceptional was that it leaned just as hard into its unique garage sound distortions as it did into its composition and performance. “Lust for Life” simply sounded like no other song out there. But there’s no mistaking that The Strokes borrowed several cues from it to create their own brand of post-punk that later became part of the rich soundscape of the early 2000’s.

“Climb up the H of the Hollywood sign, yeah. In these stolen moments the world is mine.”

"NOVEMBER SPAWNED A MONSTER" MORRISSEY (1990)

Inspired by Albumism, I’m doing my own version of Flying Solo with individual tracks. Band breakups and hiatuses are never fun, but these solo jams were defining moments in my life’s soundtrack.

“November Spawned a Monster” will never be viewed as the quintessential Morrissey track, but it’s one of the artist’s personal favorites and it’s definitely one of mine. When I first heard it air on WDRE, it struck me as potentially the closest thing we’ll hear to The Smiths ever again.

In an uncharacteristic move, Morrissey invited former bandmate Andy Rourke to play bass on “November”. But the most striking resemblance to The Smiths sound wasn’t the rhythm, but the heavy use of not one, not two, but multiple power guitar riffs. And while the style wasn’t emblematic of Johnny Marr’s guitar playing, it wasn’t totally unlike it either. “November” gave us a glimpse of what could’ve been if only one of rock’s most influential acts had stayed together.

“But Jesus made me, so Jesus save me from pity, sympathy and people discussing me.”

"MERCY STREET" PETER GABRIEL (1986)

Inspired by Albumism, I’m doing my own version of Flying Solo with individual tracks. Band breakups and hiatuses are never fun, but these solo jams were defining moments in my life’s soundtrack.

So was a true landmark album in many ways. While commercially successful, Peter Gabriel didn’t give in to the pop sounds surrounding him. Instead, he rose above them, elevating pop with songs like “In Your Eyes”, “Sledgehammer”, “Big Time”, “Red Rain” and “Don’t Give Up”, one of a few collaborations he’s had with Kate Bush. But to this day, my favorite track on the album is still the understated and underrated “Mercy Street”.

Surrounded by mega hits “In Your Eyes” and “Big Time” on Side B, “Mercy Street” was complicated. It was haunting, yet inviting. It wasn’t merely sung. It painted a picture like all the best songs do. When you turn it on, you can see the empty streets and the fog-covered sea. This artistic depth proved Peter Gabriel never lost the progressive itch that made him so unique.

“Looking down on empty streets, all she can see are the dreams all made solid, are the dreams made real.”

"LOST ONES" LAURYN HILL (1998)

Inspired by Albumism, I’m doing my own version of Flying Solo with individual tracks. Band breakups and hiatuses are never fun, but these solo jams were defining moments in my life’s soundtrack.

The Fugees were two studio albums and done. And to this day, Lauryn Hill as a solo artist only has one. But it was an absolute legendary one. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill was so exceptional it may have been impossible to follow up with another effort. Instead, Hill has recorded the occasional single and has toured sporadically.

Without that prolific catalog that other artists have in their name, a bigger exclamation point is put on songs like “Lost Ones”. It’s a hip-hop song loaded with attitude, rhythm and hooks. And then comes the kicker: the realization that “Lost Ones” seems to nod to the demise of the Fugees and call out her former bandmate Wyclef Jean. Which makes the song an even more powerful statement than what it exudes on the surface.

“It's funny how money change a situation. Miscommunication leads to complication. My emancipation don't fit your equation.”