(...Story Continued from Previous Page) The bickering survivors reunite for a dramatic
1998 comeback tour, begging the question: Have the Fruits gone soft or, worse,
already spoiled?
Behind the music: Imagine a British version of Stillwater
with an Ozzy Osbourne wannabe (played to perfection by Bill Nighy) as
front man, popping herbal supplements between songs and popping into AA meetings
between gigs. Note the impeccable rock movie credential behind the camera:
Screenwriters Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais previously adapted "The
Commitments," and Brian Gibson directed "Breaking Glass" and "What's Love Got to
Do With It."
5. The Venus in Furs
Big-screen
appearance: "Velvet Goldmine"
Musical definition: Glam
rock redux
Signature song: "The Whole
Shebang"
Liner notes: Jack Slade became the poster boy for
androgyny rock and "the first true dandy of rock" in his taboo-busting phase as
the flamboyantly bisexual singer/songwriter fronting the Venus in Furs. His
career never recovered from the staged assassination at a concert and he
disappeared, possibly into a new persona.
Behind the music:
Todd Haynes recreates the pop-culture earthquake of glam rock with a
fictionalized take on David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust phase (incarnated by Jonathan Rhys Meyers with a pouty, androgynous pose
and a fabulous wardrobe), directed as a cheeky tribute to "Citizen Kane." The period-perfect music was created by members
of Radiohead, Mudhoney, Sonic Youth and Ron Asheton of the original Stooges.
4. The Wonders (formerly the Oneders)
Big-screen
appearance: "That Thing You Do!"
Musical definition:
Early '60s garage rockers gone big
Signature song: "That
Thing You Do"
Liner notes: Hailing from Erie, Pa., the
one-hit Wonders launched their danceable hit song in a talent contest, recorded
it in a church and broke up right about the time it hit the Top 10. But "That
Thing You Do" is a perfect pop hit, utterly infectious and completely
irresistible, and that one song cinches their spot in the Imaginary Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame.
Behind the music: The defining tune was
penned by Adam Schlesinger (of real-life power-pop champs Fountains of Wayne and neo-pop trio Ivy, plus key tracks ghosted for the fictional Pop in "Music
and Lyrics") in a perfect recreation of the post-British invasion sound.
3. Max Frost & the Troopers
Big-screen appearance:
"Wild in the Streets"
Musical definition:
Groovy '60s protest rock
Signature song: "Shape of Things to
Come"
Liner notes: Whereas many pop-culture superstars used their fame for
political causes, rock music giant Max Frost used his sway to give the vote to
14-year-olds, and then rode his rock anthems into the Oval Office -- at which
point he tossed everyone older than 35 into concentration camps and fed them a
diet of LSD.
Behind the music: The film is a sour satire of
youth culture gone fascist, more in line with adult fears than teenage
fantasies. But the chart hit "Shape of Things to Come," penned by Cynthia Weil
and Barry Mann and performed by an anonymous lineup of Mike Curb studio
musicians, remains one of the great anthems of the '60s. The film also marks Richard Pryor's screen debut (as the band's activist
drummer, Stanley X).
2. Eddie and the Cruisers
Big-screen appearance: "Eddie and the Cruisers"
Musical definition:
Jersey bar band with street poet lyrics
Signature song: "On
the Dark Side"
Liner notes: The legendary '60s rock band
Eddie and the Cruisers folded after their charismatic lead singer died in a
mysterious car wreck (his body was never found), leaving behind a single album
and a legendary, unreleased follow-up, purportedly titled "Season in Hell." But
the hard-rocking guitar sound, R&B saxophone and increasingly sophisticated
lyrics surely influenced the work of '70s legend Bruce Springsteen.
Behind the music: The
music (by John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band) was a shameless
knockoff of the Springsteen sound and far more '70s than '60s, yet so effective
that it earned a Top 10 hit and a best-selling soundtrack album. To the best of
my knowledge, the Boss didn't even sue. Cafferty, meanwhile, never had half as
much success releasing albums under his own name.
1. The Commitments
Big-screen
appearance: "The Commitments"
Musical definition:
American R&B with Irish attitude
Signature song: No
hits, sadly, but they deliver a killer version of "Take Me to the
River."
Liner notes: Though they disbanded before achieving
any real commercial success, "The World's Hardest Working Band" (so dubbed by
their manager, Jimmy Rabbitte) brought musical chops and hearty gusto to their
covers of great '60s soul classics including "Treat Her Right" and "Try a Little
Tenderness."
Behind the music: Alan Parker's film of Roddy Doyle's novel was a minor
hit but the soundtrack, performed by the cast members themselves, was a major
success and spawned a follow-up album and a subsequent concert tour. Lead singer
Andrew Strong, a mere 16 when belted out those vocals, went
on to a successful solo career, and guitarist Glen Hansard returned to the big screen as the star of the
2007 musical "Once."
Honorable Mentions
Otis Day and the Knights from "Animal House" (featuring Robert Cray on guitar)
Hard Core
Logo from "Hard Core Logo"
Ming Tea from "Austin Powers"
The Juicy Fruits from "Phantom of the Paradise"
Fire Inc. from "Streets of Fire"
The Five Heartbeats from "The Five Heartbeats"
Sean Axmaker is a film critic for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, a DVD
columnist for MSN Entertainment and a contributing writer for GreenCine.com,
Turner Classic Movies Online and Asian Cult Cinema, among other
publications.
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