I’ve long considered contributing cinematic wax to the weekly roundup that is #soundtracksunday, hosted by (who else?) @soundtracksunday.
Today’s the day I stop merely thinking ‘oh, I should really share [insert absurdly adored obscurity here]’ and instead start participating. Mind you, because it’s me, the obsessive lunatic who turns her simplest posts into novellas that become installments in lifelong series, there will be method to my madness: I’m going A-Z through my soundtracks shelf, with occasional allowances for new entries. Seeing as the current count is hovering around 300, this will take about six years to complete; we shall see who among us Insta freaks remains by 2030. Some parameters have been determined (first rule: one fat caption per pic, followed by a catalog listing) but I require input before determining others. To wit: Should TV count or should I stick strictly to theatrically released films? What about original cast recordings? Are singles as welcome as albums? How about compilations? Concert films? Does ‘La Bamba’ go under L or B? Any and all responses to these queries are much appreciated. As for the colorful collection displayed here, well, this original UK 2LP gatefold copy of ‘Absolute Beginners’ couldn’t be a better choice for multiple reasons: it’s metaphorically on-point for this project; it features Bowie (the Father of my Holy Trinity including Prince and Costello) performing not only the title classic and his showcase in the flick (‘That’s Motivation’) but also ‘Volare’ in Italian; it sports a wickedly seductive slice of noir-jazz from Sade (she’s in the upper-right corner) that can’t be heard elsewhere on vinyl, plus a very clever gem from Ray Davies, a Style Council rarity and a slinky shimmy from Liam Gallagher’s old flame, Patsy Kensit. Most of all, it’s my kinda underloved movie, oft-maligned for what doesn’t work when so much of it is cool fun teeming with technical expertise.
SoundtrackSunday 001:
‘Absolute Beginners’
Virgin, 1986
d: Julien Temple