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Moonlight Mile – Soundtrack
Label: Epic
Rating:
Review By: Keavin Wiggins

Tracks:
I Want To Take You Higher - Sly & The Family Stone
Moonlight Mile - The Rolling Stones
Love Will Come Through - Travis
Twentieth Century Boy - T. Rex
Sweet Head - David Bowie
Everybody Is A Star - Sly & The Family Stone
I Hear You Knocking - Dave Edmunds
Rock And Roll (Part 2) - Gary Glitter
Razor Face - Elton John
I'll Be Your Lover Too - Van Morrison
Comin' Back To Me - Jefferson Airplane
Buckets Of Rain - Bob Dylan
Song To The Siren - Robert Plant
The Telling - Mark Isham

The Moonlight Mile soundtrack is a classic rock audiophile’s wet dream. Instead of taking the easy road and filling the soundtrack with a dozen or so past hits that we’ve heard adnausium, this album takes some of the most popular artists in rock history and presents their lesser known songs. You know, those little treasures that you got to know and love if you bought the album or flipped the 45 over to the B-side. When FM radio came onto the rock scene it became a Mecca for hard-core fans, instead of the lame 3 minute singles being spun on the AM Top 40, rock fans turned to FM to hear the album tracks man! Songs that would have never been hits on Top40 that are now legendary.

But let’s be honest, if we want to hear classic rock hits all we have to do is turn on the TV to see which song we grew up loving has been whored out to the highest bidder to aid them in hocking SUV’s or tampons through TV commercials. Even then, we most likely already have a “safe” soundtrack or two in our collection with these artist's big hits or at the very least a compilation of some kind. So there really is no reason to buy a soundtrack that contains songs we most likely already own on another disc or have heard umpteen million times on the radio or selling a SUV during the latest mindless episode of “Friends”.

This album doesn’t deal with the hits; it gets to the core and presents the favorites among the fans who bought the original albums. The songs that never made the airwaves but nonetheless have reached legendary status within the close circle of people who used to play the records until they wore out. That is why this soundtrack is actually a compelling buy! If you’re a fan of the artists featured here then you will be happily amazed that these tracks are actually getting the spotlight. If you know the bands but only their hits, this is a great way to open your musical mind beyond what you’ve been exposed to from the mainstream. We’re not talking insignificant performers here, we’re got The Rolling Stones, Sly and the Family Stone, Elton John, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Van Morrison, Robert Plant, Jefferson Airplane and even a killer new track from Travis.

When I first listened to this CD, I’ll admit the Travis track through me for a loop. I was listening and trying to figure out who it was. The advance of the CD I received didn’t have a track listing and I was impressed with the song and just couldn’t figure out which classic rock band did it. Imagine my surprise when I discovered it was Travis! Travis pulled it off and fooled me because the song fits perfectly with this collection.

A few well known songs did sneak onto this disc, anybody that watches TV will recognize, “Rock And Roll (Part 2)” from Gary Glitter, a song that has been utterly destroyed in my mind; all I can think of when I hear it now is overpriced cars.

The others songs featured on this disc that don’t fall into the b-side or album cut category are the T Rex classic “Twentieth Century Boy“(yes a song that’s been whored out to TV commercials, but it’s nonetheless cool to have it on yet another collection) and “I Hear You Knocking” from Dave Edmunds, which was an FM radio favorite you can still hear occasionally on classic rock radio.

The best tracks here? It really depends on your favorite artists. Personally I would put my vote on “Moonlight Mile” by the Stones, “Sweet Head” by Bowie (sounds a little like something Meatloaf would have done back in the 70’s!), “Everybody is a Star” by Sly and the Family Stone, one of Robert Plant’s finest ballad’s “Song To The Siren“, Van Morrison’s “I'll Be Your Lover Too” and the amazing “Razor Face” from Elton John.

There you have it, not your typical movie soundtrack that rehashes past hits. This is a worthy collection of songs from more than notable artists. Looking for something different? Then don’t buy that rehashed compilation, check this one out and don’t be surprised with what you hear. Who knows? Maybe you’ll like some of the songs so much you’ll be compelled to get the original albums they came from. The bottom line, Epic has struck gold with this soundtrack!