Love modern music? Can't stand that "old sappy crap" on the radio? Don't understand how people can get nostalgic for old-time pop music? Broaden your horizons with an album that is guaranteed to be nostalgic for both you and your parents. The soundtrack to Stand By Me should remind the older set of the rock stars that existed before the Beatles, while younger listeners can remember a movie they grew up with.
By themselves, the songs and musicians on Stand By Me are incredible; the album presents quick highlights of the careers of many great artists that younger people today might have missed out on. The beauty of the soundtrack is that nearly everyone recognizes the songs, but almost no one under 50 could tell you the titles or the bands. Almost anyone could (hopefully) identify Jerry Lee Lewis singing "Great Balls of Fire," but onetime favorites like the Del Vikings or the Chordettes are easy stumpers.
There's variety in the sounds on the album as well. From the strong horns and bass of "Yakety Yak" to the overly familiar piano of "Great Balls of Fire" (thanks, Top Gun) to the punchy and lesser-known "Mr. Lee," this soundtrack covers a lot of peppy and upbeat '50s pop.
There are also beautiful and reflective tracks, however, which maintain an upbeat voice but with a quieter tone - most notably Buddy Holly's "Everyday" and Ben E. King's "Stand By Me," two tracks easily worth paying for. Holly's work is often ignored by modern music fans, in favor of slightly more recent headliners like the Beatles. "Everyday" is a beautiful example of his work, featuring Holly's clear voice and a simple accompaniment of four bass notes, chimes, and thin percussion. As for "Stand By Me" - it's still instantly recognizable, it's still a tearjerker, and you can admit it. It's a great late-and-lonely-Saturday-night kind of song for all you yearning broken hearts out there. A bit of advice: try to fall asleep before the end or you'll just end up depressed.
It's amazing how this kind of music has fallen out of production in the past 50 years. Listening to Stand By Me, one has to wonder why no one is still writing songs like these. With thick, simple bass lines and vocals that are easy to sing along to, it's a versatile genre to work in and one that's cheerful to listen to. Oldies radio stations aren't popular by accident - this is a lost kind of music that no one is making anymore, except for the occasional college barbershop group.
For children of the '80s and '90s, though, one of the stealthier features of the album is how it instantly brings scenes from the movie back to mind. And since this is a movie most college students haven't watched in a while, the memories are deep and surprising. Hear the opening claps of "Lollipop" and you can't help but picture the four young adventurers walking down a woodsy dirt path in 1959. Remember Wil Wheaton as Gordie, before he grew up and joined Star Trek: The Next Generation? Remember when Jerry O'Connell as Vern, the little fat kid? Remember when River Phoenix was... well, alive? Do you remember Corey Feldman at all? It's enough to make you want to buy a Stand By Me video and poster and anything else you can find. Each song evokes a different moment from the film: hear the Del Vikings' "Whispering Bells" for just a moment and you're out with Wheaton on the dusty town streets, just like when you were younger.
The only disappointing and aggravating part of the album: it clocks in at under 24 minutes despite its ten distinct tracks. Old radio singles were frequently short, and, with an average length of less than two and a half minutes, the songs on Stand By Me are no exception. Just as you're starting to realize how good some of this music is... the album's over.
There are great movies, and there are great movie soundtracks - Stand By Me is a lock either way. Whether you like '50s music or you love the 1986 Rob Reiner film, the soundtrack to Stand By Me is sure to revive some great memories... and if 24 minutes isn't enough (and it shouldn't be), go buy some Buddy Holly CDs or turn on the oldies station. Most satisfying of all are the odd looks you'll get blasting '50s pop around anyone... under the age of 50 or not.
Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, Stand By Me, 1986.
