The Blues Brothers is a very funny and yet at times very strange film. It is billed as a musical comedy, yet much of the humour is completely over the top and in some cases surreal comedy. Whilst the witty dialogue is great the film then alienates you with a twistedly surreal visual joke. This makes the film not as good as it should have been but it does serve to make the songs more memorable as you remember them as the best part.
The songs are classic blues. The film rounded all the best contemporary Jazz and blues artists at the time and gave each of them a song in the film. The line up of blues stars is unbelievable great, and the director went also to the trouble of getting all the best instrumentalists for the music in the film.
All this is plainly evident on the CD. When the band gets an opportunity they hit their solos with style and pace. "Sweet Home Chicago" is almost one long set of solos with every member of the Blues Brothers band getting at least a minute to themselves. The solos are jazzy and creative and in some cases (The trombone solo in particular) very hard to perform. The skill involved is obvious and the playing in every solo is perfect.
The latter song and; "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love", "Rawhide" and "Jailhouse Rock" are all sung by Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi and all are immensly enjoyable (Fantastic if you are a jazz or blues fan).
The "Peter Gunn Theme" is the main title of the film and encapsulates the gangster like image of the two brothers perfectly as they strut around in their black suites, glasses and hats (which they almost never take off). The underlying beat of this track can become annoying after 3 or so minutes but otherwise this is a great instrumental track. The track follows a Henry Mancini style similar to the Pink Panther films with jazzy, rasping saxophones and the same light fingered motif styles that mirror the greatness of the Mancini classic.
The Aretha Franklin song "Think" is superb. The pace is breathless and yet she sings it at pace and clearly. There is some superb saxophone soloing again in this track, although brief it carries the comic moments of the song as the brothers randomly stand up in the shop and start to dance.
The Ray Charles song "Shake a Tailfeather" is another great track. It starts with some great piano soloing by the man himself and then singing along with more great saxophone playing. This song is perhaps the most fun on the album. It is a pure dancing track and has plenty of speed and snappy instrumental backing as well as fun lyrics. The song is a song for the sake of having a song, it actually serves no point to the story in the film and this is probably why it is such a joking song.
The other songs aren't as good as those i have already mentioned, or raved about. They aren't as fun or jazzy and so just aren't as memorable.
Overall this CD is a sure classic in jazz soundtracks even if not in soundtracks as a whole. There is no denying the fun and life it exudes. This CD is just impossible not to enjoy even if its just listening to the jokes by the actors is a few of the songs.
It is rare that an soundtrack can be enjoyed this much, but this recording has so much life and vibrant music it takes no effort to enjoy and there is simply nothing i can find to dislike about it unless you detest and i mean you really have to detest blues and jazz to not like this. Song soundtracks don't get much better than this.
*****
2. Peter Gunn Theme
3. Gimme Some Lovin'
4. Shake a Tail Feather
5. Everybody Needs Somebody to Love
6. The Old Landmark
7. Think
8. Theme from Rawhide
9. Minnie the Moocher
10. Sweet home Chicago
11. Jailhouse Rock