A soundtrack, a cinematic board game, and a guide to big- and small-screen landmarks
Singles soundtrack, 25th-anniversary deluxe edition
A candidate for a future installment of Soundtracks Of Our Lives, the album spawned from the so-so Cameron Crowe film Singles is one of those records whose impact was so much more significant than its source material that it became more a commentary on the state of American music culture at the time of its release than any cinematic meaning it possessed. Among the many compilations that a generation of kids embraced during the wave of transition into grunge, punk, and the era of “alternative nation,” the Singles soundtrack was arguably the biggest progenitor, turning innumerable impressionable young music dorks like myself onto bands like Screaming Trees, Alice In Chains, and Soundgarden. Like many, I picked it up thanks to the presence of Pearl Jam, and ended up listening to songs I would never in a million years have listened to by choice, like Paul Westerberg’s awful post-Replacements, pre-solo career offerings “Waiting For Somebody” and “Dyslexic Heart.”
The newly remastered and expanded edition not only gives fresh new life to the songs from the original release, but for completists, the bonus material boasts a wealth of riches. Primary among these is the inclusion of the Poncier EP, a collection of acoustic tracks from Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell meant to function as demos from Matt Dillon’s lunkhead frontman for the movie’s fictional grunge act, Citizen Dick. (Speaking of which, that band’s “single,” a loving spoof of Mudhoney’s “Touch Me I’m Sick,” is on here as well.) There’s also acoustic, live, and demo versions of songs from the soundtrack, new material from Mike McCready, Westerberg, and additional music from the film itself that had gone previously unreleased. Accompanying liner notes from Crowe are essentially paeans to the greatness of every artist that contributed, but include some fun nuggets of info, like how Cornell secretly crafted the songs for Dillon’s character. Is it a bit much? Of course—but as someone from the movie might argue, that’s the point of being passionate about a particular time, place, and sound, right?