SOUNDS LIKE YOUTH.

a countdown

by Hunter Jon

Who knows why certain albums enter your youth when and in the way they do? It’s mostly a mystery. An even bigger one is why certain soundtracks do the same. I’m not talking about albums consisting of a movie’s original score or that copy of "Grease" that hasn't left the glove compartment since '82 - I’m talking good ol’ 'music from the motion picture' soundtracks. I can’t remember how any of these CDs came into my possession, as they all did before my days of purchasing albums (on any format) for myself. Actually, that’s not true - number six has a very specific story behind how it came to be mine that I remember like it was last week, but it’s too long and boring a tale to tell. Maybe some other day. Probably not. Anyway, all of these must have either been Christmas or Birthday or spur-of-the-moment gifts throughout my childhood. I mean, I must have shown some interest in them, because it’s not a coincidence that they all either belong to movies or feature music that I was very much into at a certain age. But I don’t think it was my long term goal to turn them into the go-to tunes of my youth. Either way, they became just that. The amount of times I (along with my mum and sister) have listened to each of these in their entirety has got to be in the hundreds. People who grew up in a time without mp3s and streaming apps know what I’m talking about. Soundtracks were after mixtapes and before playlists; an assortment of various artists and styles that all served one master - a larger story. Whether it be your workout, that relationship, a road trip, those sad barbecues, etc. In this case - a movie. But unlike a movie’s score, the tracks aren’t simply coming from one singular heart/mind/soul. So, although one could argue it’s less literal work to put together given that most already existed elsewhere, it’s all the more impressive when gotten right and all the songs flow and/or tell a cohesive story. It takes one hell of a skill, almost that of an excellent chef, to make otherwise unrelated songs sound seamlessly like one epic ride. Each of these albums not only accomplish this in my opinion, coming together to taste like a delicious meal full of different flavours, but introduced me to new genres and eras of music as well as specific artists and bands at a time when I desperately needed them. I’m forever indebted to and will always love them for that. So here they are - complete with photos of my personal well worn copies (minus those that I’ve sadly lost or misplaced) - the ten most dominate and beloved soundtracks of my childhood… meaning twelve years old or younger, naturally.

BATMAN FOREVER: MUSIC FROM THE MOTION PICTURE (1995)

1. Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me - U2

2. One Time Too Many - PJ Harvey

3. Where Are You Now? - Brandy

4. Kiss from a Rose - Seal

5. The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game - Massive Attack & Tracey Thorn

6. Nobody Lives Without Love - Eddi Reader

7. Tell Me Now - Mazzy Star

8. Smash It Up - The Offspring

9. There Is a Light - Nick Cave

10. The Riddler - Method Man

11. The Passenger - Michael Hutchence

12. Crossing the River - The Devlins

13. 8 - Sunny Day Real Estate

14. Bad Days - The Flaming Lips

favourite track then: #4
favourite track now: #4

ARMAGEDDON: THE ALBUM (1998)

1. I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing - Aerosmith

2. Remember Me - Journey

3. What Kind of Love Are You On -Aerosmith

4. La Grange - ZZ Top

5. Roll Me Away - Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band

6. When the Rainbow Comes - Shawn Colvin

7. Sweet Emotion (David Theoner Remix) - Aerosmith

8. Mister Big Time - Jon Bon Jovi

9. Come Together - Aerosmith

10. Wish I Were You - Patty Smyth

11. Starseed (Armageddon Remix) - Our Lady Peace

12. Leaving on a Jet Plane - Chantal Kreviazuk

13. Theme from Armageddon - Trevor Rabin

14. Animal Crackers - Steven Tyler

favourite track then: #4
favourite track now: #12

SPACE JAM: MUSIC FROM AND INSPIRED BY THE MOTION PICTURE (1996)

1. Fly Like an Eagle - Seal

2. The Winner - Coolio

3. Space Jam - Quad City DJ’s

4. I Believe I Can Fly - R. Kelly

5. Hit ‘Em High (The Monstars’ Anthem) - B-Real, Busta Rhymes, Coolio, LL Cool J & Method Man

6. I Found My Smile Again - D’Angelo

7. For You I Will - Monica

8. Upside Down (‘Round-N-‘Round) - Salt-N-Pepa

9. Givin’ U All That I’ve Got - Robin S.

10. Basketball Jones - Barry White & Chris Rock

11. I Turn to You - All-4-One

12. All of My Days (feat. Changing Faces & Jay-Z) - R. Kelly

13. That’s the Way (I Like It) [feat. Biz Markie] - Spin Doctors

14. Buggin’ - Bugs Bunny

favourite track then: #3
favourite track now: #3

THE WEDDING SINGER, VOL. 2: MORE MUSIC FROM THE MOTION PICTURE (1998)

1. Too Shy - Kajagoogoo

2. It’s All I Can Do - The Cars

3. True - Spandau Ballet

4. Space Age Love Song - A Flock of Seagulls

5. Private Idaho (Party Mix) - The B-52’s

6. Money (Edit) - The Flying Lizards

7. You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) - Dead or Alive

8. Just Can’t Get Enough - Depeche Mode

9. Love Stinks - The J. Geils Band

10. You Make My Dreams - Daryl Hall & John Oates

11. Holiday - Madonna

12. Grow Old With You - Adam Sandler

favourite track then: #7
favourite track now: *TIE* #6 & #12

THE ROCKY STORY (1990)

1. Eye of the Tiger - Survivor

2. Burning Heart - Survivor

3. Living in America - James Brown

4. No Easy Way Out - Robert Tepper

5. Hearts On Fire - John Cafferty

6. Gonna Fly Now - Rocky Orchestra

7. War - Vince DiCola

8. Training Montage - Vince DiCola

9. Gonna Fly Now (Instrumental) - Rocky Orchestra

favourite track then: #6
favourite track now: the entire album

MY BEST FRIEND’S WEDDING: MUSIC FROM THE MOTION PICTURE (1997)

1. I Say a Little Prayer (Reggae Mix) - Diana King

2. Wishin’ and Hopin’ - Ani DiFranco

3. You Don’t Know Me - Jann Arden

4. Tell Him - The Exciters

5. I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself - Nicky Holland

6. I’ll Be Okay - Amanda Marshall

7. The Way You Look Tonight - Tony Bennett

8. What the World Needs Now I Love - Jackie DeShannon

9. I’ll Never Fall in Love Again - Mary Chapin Carpenter

10. Always You - Sophie Zelmani

11. If You Wanna Be Happy - JIMMY SOUL

12. I Say a Little Prayer - The Cast of My Best Friend’s Wedding

13. Suite from “My Best Friend’s Wedding” - James Newton Howard

favourite track then: #2
favourite track now: #3

THE PARENT TRAP: ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK (1998)

1. L-O-V-E - Nat King Cole

2. Do You Believe in Magic - The Lovin’ Spoonful

3. There She Goes - The La’s

4. Top of the World - Shonen Knife

5. Here Comes the Sun - Bob Khaleel

6. I Love You (For Sentimental Reasons) - Linda Ronstadt

7. Soulful Strut - Young-Holt Unlimited

8. Never Let You Go - Jakaranda

9. Bad to the Bone - George Thorogood & The Destroyers

10. The Happy Club - Bob Geldof

11. Suite from “The Parent Trap” - Alan Silvestri

12. This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) - Natalie Cole

13. Dream Come True - Ta-Gana

14. Groovin - Pato Banton & The Reggae Revolution

15. Let’s Get Together - Nobody’s Angel

favourite track then: #5
favourite track now: #5

NOW AND THEN (1995)

1. Sugar, Sugar - The Archies

2. Knock Three Times - Tony Orlando and Dawn

3. I Want You Back - The Jackson 5

4. Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours) - Stevie Wonder

5. Band of Gold - Freda Payne

6. Daydream Believer - The Monkees

7. No Matter What - Badfinger

8. Hitchin’ a Ride - Vanity Fare

9. All Right Now - Free

10. I’m Gonna Make You Love Me - Supremes/Temptations

11. I’ll Be There - The Jackson 5

12. Now and Then - Susanna Hoffs

favourite track then: #2
favourite track now: #5

REMEMBER THE TITANS: AN ORIGINAL WALT DISNEY RECORDS SOUNDTRACK (2000)

1. Ain’t No Mountain High Enough - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell

2. Spirit in the Sky - Norman Greenbaum

3. Peace Train - Cat Stevens

4. Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Them Goodbye - Steam

5. Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress) - The Hollies

6. I Want to Take You Higher - Ike and Tina Turner

7. Up Around the Bend - Creedence Clearwater Revival

8. Spill the Wine - Eric Burdon & WAR

9. A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall - Leon Russell

10. Act Naturally - Buck Owens

11. Express Yourself - Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band

12. Titans Spirit - Trevor Rabin

favourite track then: #1
favourite track now: #5

ALMOST FAMOUS (2000)

1. America - Simon & Garfunkel

2. Sparks (Remixed) - The Who

3. It Wouldn’t Have Made Any Difference - Todd Rundgren

4. I’ve Seen All Good People: Your Move (Single Version) - Yes

5. Feel Flows - The Beach Boys

6. Fever Dog - Stillwater

7. Every Picture Tells a Story - Rod Stewart

8. Mr. Farmer - The Seeds

9. One Way Out (Live at the Fillmore East, 1971) - The Allman Brother Band

10. Simple Man - Lynyrd Skynyrd

11. That’s the Way - Led Zeppelin

12. Tiny Dancer - Elton John

13. Lucky Trumble - Nancy Wilson

14. Waiting for the Man (Live from the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, U.S.A., 1972) - David Bowie

15. The Wind - Cat Stevens

16. Slip Away - Clarence Carter

17. Something in the Air - Thunderclap Newman

favourite track then: *TIE* #10 & #12
favourite track now: *TIE* #2 & #12