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15.08.09 # Soundtrack # 10 Comments
The Bandslam soundtrack. What every youngster needs: a film about rock music starring Vanessa Hudgens. Of course it’s not really about rock music, it’s High School Musical with guitars replacing choreographed dance sequences, but it always gets my hackles up to see kids learning about guitar music from an album released on a label called Hollywood Records when they could be watching the documentary on Joy Division or Fugazi’s Instrument. Or maybe getting to know the Ramones with End Of The Century. But I’m a hardliner. I think Almost Famous is the cinematic equivalent of McFly.
It has its heart in the right place though, in that it attempts to make mainstream musical entertainment palettable for young teenagers, and the fact that the Bandslam soundtrack album kicks off with Rebel Rebel by David Bowie is certainly a reason to be cheerful, if you’re twelve.
Wilco, Nico, and Nick Drake as well mean as watered down tween-friendly exercises in friendly semi-rock niceness go, this is one. And I suppose there’s a twisted glee in the knowledge that twinkle-eyed youngsters will be bopping around town with wheels on their shoes and too much gel in their hair listening to Nick Drake on their iPods.
Thing is, you have to try and detach your adult brain with these things, and I think, looking at the publicity shots and the pretty kids in trendy clothes grinning on the album cover: even when I was twelve I would have known this was awful.
Like Bill Hicks said: I want my kids listening to someone who ******* rocked!
You can buy it on cd here
Or as mp3s here
The Bandslam Soundtrack ( Songs ) – Track Listing
1. Rebel Rebel – David Bowie
2. Amphetamine – I Can’t Go On, I’ll Go On
3. 24 Hours - Shack
4. Where Are You Now – Honor Society
5. Lunar One – Seventeen Evergreen
6. Femme Fatale – Nico
7. Twice Is Too Much – Exist
8. Road – Nick Drake
9. Someone To Fall Back On – Aly Michalka
10. I Want You To Want Me – Aly Michalka
11. Pretend – Scott Porter and Glory Dogs
12. Stuck In The Middle – The Burning Hotels
13. Blizzard Woman Blues – The Daze
14. Everything I Own – Vanessa Hudgens
15. What Light – Wilco
Leave your thoughts on the Bandslam soundtrack in the comments.
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The movie has got surprisingly good reviews – 80% final score on Rotten Tomatoes. Apparently it channels something of the late John Hughes.
“I think Almost Famous is the cinematic equivalent of McFly”
goodness me…
The movie was pretty good – considering it caters to the “tweenies”. The music i thought was excellent. The inclusion of real bands from the past forty years combined with the movie music made it really, easy. The only dissapointment was the lack of Kurt Cobain being mentioned – he certainly ranks among the Ramones and David Bowie.
I loved this movie and I loved the music even more. I am more of a pop person and now that i’ev heard this music I have changed my mind completly!
i actually liked it. i HATED high school musical with a burning passion only matched to my hatred for barbie. i went with my sister and i loved the music so much, my toe could not stop tapping… i’m 19 so i missed being there for the actual greatness of the originals so now i have to get it second hand. i think that any movie that can distract younger kids from whatever pop sensation is the current flavor of the… well day, not week anymore, is just awesome. so many references to awesomness! the kinks for heaven’s sake! THE KINKS!!!! the kids should know! Lol.
hi! to all.. i just want to share that i REALLY love this band slam thing… at first i thought it was boring but i was wrong! it is so BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!!
love it!
i really like this movie .. especially the last part .. it brings back memories to me during my high school days ..
i love this movie. i love vanessa hudgens. of course, we have the same nationality. She is a half-Filipino. I love the story. The scene, its so fascinating.
i luv the movie… specially the romance it helps me with my real lyfe issues…my fav song is pretend… it was a real awesome movie..
GO BANDSLAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Owesome….