Forrest Gump

by

Various Artists

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The soundtrack to the movie Forrest Gump gives us an excellent assortment of American hits that cannot be ignored; they're all THAT good. The quality of the sound is excellent; and the artwork is very tastefully done.

The track set starts off with none other than Elvis Presley singing and belting out his famous number, "Hound Dog." The guitar work and drums work well; but Elvis' voice carries this number and the backup vocalists are great! "(I Don't Know Why) But I Do" by Clarence 'Frogman' Henry registers huge on this scale; this gets the royal treatment and it fits perfectly with so much of the other music on this album. Similarly "Walk Right In" by The Rooftop Singers has an infectiously happy melody to it; and this is an excellent example of 1960s folk music. Moreover, "Blowin' In The Wind" by Joan Baez sparkles as if it were still fresh and new today--it's that much of a classic. Excellent!

"I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" features The Four Tops singing their hearts out; and it all works very well. "Respect by Aretha Franklin is easily one of my favorites on this two CD set; it's awesome and it's easily a major highlight of this two CD set.

"California Dreamin'," of course, features The Mamas and The Papas; this song inspired so many young people in the 1960s to journey to California in search of inner peace and a better quality of life. "Mrs. Robinson" is equally bright when Simon & Garfunkel sing it; they harmonize perfectly and their guitar work is mighty fine!

"San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Some Flowers In Your Hair)" by Scott Mackenzie really sounds great as it ever did; Scott's melody is really very pretty and I enjoy this number very much. "Aquarius" and "Let The Sun Shine In" by The Fifth Dimension are hauntingly beautiful and instantly memorable, too.

"Joy To The World" is a number by Three Dog Night that really strikes me as very passionate; and listen for "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head." B. J. Thomas sings this passionately with great sensitivity; and it's one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard! What a great soundtrack this is! "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd really rocks well with a fine country twist; Lynyrd Skynyrd could really rock out a tune!

"I've Got To Use My Imagination" is a fiery ballad by Gladys Knight & the Pips that really tugs at my heartstrings whenever I hear it; and there's also "On The Road Again" by Willie Nelson.

Overall, the soundtrack to Forrest Gump gives us so much Americana music it's hard to ignore this two CD set. I recommend this CD set for fans of the movie Forrest Gump and people who enjoy some oldies mixed in with classic pop vocals.

I admit that some of these tunes (such as Dylan's "Rainy Day Women" and the Doors "Break On Through") are classics, why did the makers of this movie make a soundtrack that can best be described as "boomer lite"? Especially bad is the omission of two awesome Jimi Hendrix songs THAT APPEAR IN THE MOVIE!!! During the scene with the Black Panthers, Hendrix's "Hey Joe" plays. Also, when the helicoptors land in Vietnam, "All Along the Watchtower" can be heard. Were the people who put this collection so afraid to include anything remotely related to the true militancy of the sixties? Speaking of exclusions, what about Cream's "Sunshine of Your Love", Janis Joplin's "Piece of My Heart", "Time", by the Chambers Brothers, "Strawberry Fields Forever" (or anything, for that matter) by the Beatles, "Uncle John's Band" by the Grateful Dead, "Gimmie Shelter" by the Stones, or "Waiting For The Man" by the Velvet Underground. These recordings capture the true reality of the sixties that we don't hear on this soundtrack. Instead, for your hard-earned money, you get...Scott McKenzie. Hey, even if you think I'm being kind of tough, you have to admit leaving Jimi Hendrix out of a soundtrack that supposedly represents the sixties really sucks. For a real, live sixties soundtrack, buy Isle of Wight or Monterey Pop...don't be fooled by this cheese...