While I'm rating the soundtracks on their respective A List and B List songs I'm also weighing in their relistenablity (it's a word!) and structure. A couple of dud songs can bring down the rating however. This top 4 has a couple of surprises particularly #2 being as high as it is! Well let's jump in, the waters warm!
#4
Kill Bill vol. 2
I generally listen to the Kill Bill's (1 & 2) combined so was surprised that vol. 2 has 3 times as many A - List songs and 10 tracks altogether I rate so highly. A strong
Ennio Morricone influence lifts this compilation into the top 4. But there's more to it with great tracks including
Johnny Cash's "A Satified Mind", Shivaree's "Goodnight Moon and a fantastic interpretation by
Chingon of the common Mexican ballad
"Malaguena Salerosa". This is a perfect example of a complete soundtrack that does what it says on the box. All of the songs add their part to the puzzle making this a more than enjoyable listening experience.
A - List
A Satified Mind - Johnny Cash
Goodnight Moon - Shivaree
Malaguena Salerosa - Chingon
Il Tramonto - Ennio Morricone
LArena - Ennio Morricone
A Silhouette of Doom - Ennio Morricone
B - List
Urami Bushi - Meiko Kaji
Summertime Killer - Luis Bacalov
About Her - Malcolm McLaren
Can't Hardly Stand It - Charlie Feathers
#3
Pulp Fiction
I absolutely loved the movie when I saw it in 1994 and had the soundtrack in my sweaty little hands as soon as it was available. It suits
Pulp's non-linear structure and offers a few hidden gems such as
The Statler Brothers' "Flowers on the Wall", Rick Nelson's "Lonesome Town" and
"If Love is a Red Dress (Hang Me in Rags)" by
Maria McKee. It also has proven gold with
Al Green and
Dusty Springfield along with a fantastic rendition of
Neil Diamond by
Urge Overkill. Although this is an eclectic collection it would most aptly be described at Rock & Roll Surf music. Without putting too much thought into it I had
Pulp Fiction battling for the #1 an #2 position so this shows how close the top 3 are and how good the top 2 must be!
A - List
Let's Stay Together - Al Green
Flowers on the Wall - The Statler Brothers
Son of a Preacher Man - Dusty Springfield
Girl You'll Be a Woman Soon - Urge Overkill
B - List
Bustin' Surfboards - The Tornadoes
Lonesome Town - Rick Nelson
Jungle Boogie - Kool and the Gang
If Love is a Red Dress (Hang Me in Rags) - Maria McKee
#2
Death Proof
This is a case of the soundtrack being vastly superior to the movie. I like the movie, it is what it is and although
QT took the brief too seriously, unlike
Robert Rodriguez, he does manage to achieve what he set out to achieve. He made one of the greatest car chases in cinematic history. Well to go along with that feat he also has compiled a bloody good collection of quasi-obscure 70's rock and R&B. Most are not well known but they are great songs that also pull into a tight huddle giving us a fun and enjoyable listening experience. Not only are there 5 dead set A List songs but also 3-4 B's that could/should be brought into the premier league. Finding and compiling such great songs that also compliment each other is quite the achievement and making this a very worthy #2 even ahead of
Pulp Fiction!
Smith's rendition of
"Baby it's You" is as great the original which can be found on one of the all-time greatest soundtracks -
Wanderers!
A - List
Baby it's You - Smith
The Love You Save (May Be Your Own) - Joe Tex
Good Love, Bad Love - Eddie Floyd
Staggolee - Pacific Gas & Electric
Down in Mexico - The Coasters
B - List
Hold Tight - Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Titch
Jeepster - T Rex
Paranoia Prima - Ennio Morricone
#1
Reservoir Dogs
This is the1st of the great
QT soundtracks and the best. He set a precedent and although he hasn't matched it he is yet to have a dud also. My
brother and I listened to this over and over again and the reason is sits in
#1 is because
every single song earns it's spot on the roster. I'm not going to relate a song to it's corresponding scene as the song needs to stand on it's own two beat (get it?). This is a great little hark back to 60's music and tying it to K B I L L Y,
K Billy's home of rock is genius.
Stevie Wright is also dead pan prefect for the role. Ok down to the stats. I've listed 6 undisputed A - List songs with the other 2 unlucky to be relegated to B status. That's right, the worse (if you can call it that) song on the disc is a B+ at worst. I also admire the fact that QT has shot a 50's style heist movie but managed to marry it up with an equally impressive 70's compilation. These are all great sing along songs and I never feel the need to press 'skip' when any arrive on my iPod. My only criticism would be it runs at a very short 30 minutes but I'd rather that than to have an extra song that doesn't pick up the slack.
A - List
Harvest Moon - Bedlam
Little Green Bag - The George Baker Selection
I Gotcha - Joe Tex
Magic Carpet Ride - Bedlam
Fool For Love - Sandy Rogers
Hooked on a Feeling - Blue Suede
B - List
Coconut - Harry Nillson
Stuck in the Middle with You - Stealers Wheel
Next up for QT is Django Unchained, a Southern Western about the oppression of slavery starring Jamie Foxx as the eponymous protagonist. Can't wait to see what QT uses for his 'chain gang' soundtrack.
Until then hail to the Behemoth!
