The Boat That Rocked

SAY what you will about the merits of Richard Curtis� latest movie, The Boat That Rocked (and a lot has been negative), but his soundtrack certainly hits the spot. Or rather, it rocks!

Released through Mercury Records, The Boat That Rocked Movie Soundtrack brings together some of the writer-director�s favourite songs, many of which have never been cleared for soundtrack usage before.

Compiled by Curtis himself, it�s a double CD that�s jam packed with some of the greatest songs from the 60�s and 70�s, as well as the odd gem from the 80�s (such as David Bowie�s Let�s Dance and a new version of Stay With Me Baby, performed by Duffy.

But while the inclusion of the Duffy cover will certainly add some contemporary heat, the quality of the remaining 35 tracks speak volumes for just why the �60s and �70s proved such a golden musical era. One can only imagine the fun that Curtis had in picking out the tracks from his record collection.

There are obvious inclusions from obvious bands, such as The Kinks (All Day And All Of The Night) and The Who (My Generation and Can See For Miles). But there are also some notable exclusions, such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.

And it�s a fun listen, as well as great dinner party accompaniment, no matter which way you look at it � or whether you intend to see the film or not (always the good sign of a really great soundtrack).

Hence, while listeners may enjoy reliving some obvious [and timeless] highlights from that era, it�s also worth picking out some other tracks that are worth keeping an ear out for.

Judy In Disguise, with its snappy trumpets and funky basslines, is a fantastic little workout from John Fred & His Playboy Band that�ll get you shimmying around the living room, while Smokey Robinson and The Miracles offer sexy soul satisfaction for late night lovers with Oooo Baby Baby.

There�s aching romanticism aplenty in Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass� This Guy�s In Love (a surefire Richard Curtis favourite if ever there was one, given his slushy tendencies), as well as hazy psychadelia on Tommy James & The Shondells� Crimson And Clover.

Check out, too, the snappy charms of The Troggs� seminal, �ba ba ba ba ba� laden With A Girl Like You, the feelgood charm of The Hollies� I�m Alive or the out and out funk of Chris Andrews� Yesterday Man.

On CD2, meanwhile, there�s the timeless classic that is Otis Redding�s These Arms of Mine to savour, Jimi Hendrix�s mellow (by his standards) The Wind Cries Mary and The Moody Blues epic Nights in White Satin to pick out� not to mention Lorraine Ellison�s original version of Stay With Me (Baby) to check out and compare (favourably or not) to the Duffy version that gets things rolling.

All in all, then, a rocking good time that must represent one of the soundtracks of the year� even if the film disappoints.