Absolute Beginners of Underpants-Wearing

Overall Album Score: 8.7 out of 10

Just before you all say what you're probably thinking, this isn't really a David Bowie album ... I'm just putting it on his page because I don't know where else I could put it. Nevertheless, it does sport one of David Bowie's finest songs, which is the title track ... there is another Bowie song on here (which isn't wonderful) and he sings on another track (in a foreign language, if you please!) So, until I get my musical movie soundtrack page going, this is where Absolute Beginners will be and this is where it will stay!

The movie, "Absolute Beginners" is a medium-buget musical released in 1985. The film isn't widely known, but it's not obscure, either. (I rented it from the local video store, and it is also available on DVD.) The cast of the film ... it has some regular actors in it, but it also has a nice cast of rock stars in it! There's David Bowie, of course ... but then there's also Sade (an 80s urban-rock singer) and, surprisingly, Ray Davies (from the Kinks)!

Even though the film would have Bowie fans and Kinks fans rejoicing alike (and Sade fans, if they exist) that was not the most significant attraction of the movie. Fortunately, like any decent musical, the greatest aspect of it is the MUSIC! Most of the songs on here are wonderful ... and that doesn't just include the Bowie title track. They are not all only tuneful, they were extremely well produced and VERY entertaining. Also, this is a good album for the true electist. It has EVERYTHING from Swing-Jazz to 50's showtune-Jazz to 50's and 60s Beatnik Jazz to early rock to Glam and, finally, to 80s pop rock! (Well, I guess that it doesn't have EVERYTHING ... but it has a lot of stuff.) And, the only bits in here that aren't entertaining are some jazzy bits of mood music ... that's all. (And, you know, this is a movie soundtrack ... So there has got to be some movie mood music in it.) Everything else in it, fortunately, are top-notch excellent!

The reason this movie isn't famous or well-known today is invariably due to its plot ... it's a very confusing and somewhat convoluted! ... Nevertheless, it has DANG good music! And that's all that matters ... especially when we're just talking about the soundtrack.

Overall Album Score: 8.7 out of 10 (Yep ... I'd definitely say as far as soundtracks go, this is above average ... but it's no classic.)

Average Song Score: 8.7 (This is a danged fine set of tunes ... one even received my ever-so-coveted score of a 10plus! This is one memorable soundtrack! The only thing that's keeping it from scoring higher is some of that mood music.)

Album Tilt: 8.5 (This is something that is pretty good to sit through ... but I think it's a bit too long.)

Artist Rating: 9.0 (Yeah ... I do think kudos ought to go to all the people who put most of these songs together!)

Track Reviews

Absolute Beginners 10plus/10

Well! Here is, at least, the only reason why I bought this soundtrack. It's David Bowie's utterly wonderful disjointed love anthem that so has me entranced every time I listen to it .... ughghgh! It's not that I'm trying to be a bad sport or anything, but most of the other songs on here is jazz ... and this is dang 80s rock! Well! Bowie is cool, and I like it! This might actually be one of my favorite songs ever ... the chorus is one of those choruses that soaaaaars! And the rest of the song is pretty darn cool, too! I great one. It's certainly one of Bowie's own best (and underrated). Now that the only reason I bought this album is over, there are, fortunately, many other songs on here that make what I bought an even greater value. (We don't actually see David singing this in the movie ... it occurs during the opening credits.) Bowie fans might like to know that there is an additional 2-or-so minutes tacked onto this that the single does not have.

Killer Blow 9/10

Hello, Sade! You sexy chicky! ... Er ... nevermind. This is probably going to sound insane, but why does Sade sound better here than she normally does on her regular albums? This is a pretty nice little jazz number that was done in sort of the same style as [Aretha Franklin]. I really don't know anything about Jazz, but this was very boldly done, and it is quite entertaining. The sort of unusual intermission makes this track even more delightful! I like unusual stuff!

Have You Ever Had it Blue 10/10

The sort of conflicting horns amidst the more calm, tropicana-esque beat sounds REALLY nice here. Whoever's responsible for that should take a bow! Very cool! After the horns are over, the calm tropicana-esque beat remains and we get this VERY nice, tuneful song. I like it! It was VERY VERY well produced.

Quiet Life 9.5/10

'Ello, Ray! How's life treatin' ya? By the sound of this song, it looks like you don't care much about what goes on around you ... in other words, you're like an average American! (Ha!) Well, Ray (who is the lead-singer and the principle-songwriter of the Kinks) again proves that he is one of the music industry's leading songwriters ... he is suuuuper! This song is nice, lighthearted, and DANG entertaining. (It's also ROCK!)

Va Va Voom 9/10

This is one of the album's most entertaining instrumental tracks ... it's pretty well-polished and very well performed jazz (with a full jazz band, of course) with tons of oddities thrown in there .... the instrumentation was great. Nice! That's Motivation 7.5/10

Well, just because David has the greatest song on this album doesn't automatically mean that he deserves to have the second best song of the album. This sort of a strange rock song that seems to want to be jazz ... I don't really know what's wrong with it! (And I don't know why the director of the film wanted David to have an American accent ... he can do an American accent about as well as I can type utilizing Japanese characters on this keyboard of mine ... oh well. This song is still pretty good. (And we do see David performing this one on a giant typewriter!)

Having it All 8.5/10

This light Jazzy number (sort of reminiscent of late-50s, early-60s Beatnik coffee bars) fully equipped with snapping and bongo drums. The melody is THERE, but I can't help thinking that it is just a little bit trite. Eh ... don't take it too close to heart. (If Patsy Kensit REALLY sings this, then ... dangit! ... She's HOT!)

Rodrigo Bay 9.5/10

Salsa, baybe! I like salsa! Especially if it is of the SEXY variety ... and this one is not only SEXY, but it has a wonderful little melody and absolutely wonderful arrangements and performaces! I like it!

Selling Out 9.5/10

Most of the Jazz songs presented in this album thus far are more from the 50s and 60s era This one definitely sounds like it was from the Golden Age of Jazz ... Swing, specifically. More specifically, this is a very entertaining, theatrical version of Swing! (There are also moments in here when they use a very 80s rock sounding synthesizer ... and it sounds perfect ... very cool!) Entertaining! (I wonder if they were singing this to David Bowie ... the sell out and his phony American accent.)

Riot City 7/10

Okay ... unfortunately, we're getting more into the mood music from the movie ... It's okay ... but it does sound a little bit boring when it is taken out of the context of the movie. (That said, it does have a few unusual pieces in it ... my favorite bit is a drunk sounding dance passage!)

Boogie Stop Shuffle 6/10

I usually don't complain about songs sounding too show-tuney (especially considering that I'm reviewing the soundtrack of a freaking musical)! Just the same, this instrumental sounds too dang show tuney! (I guess if I'm complaining about that, then there must be something wrong with it!) This instrumental is obviously just more mood music ... it's exciting mood music, but it's not really that enjoyable. So ...

Ted Ain't Dead 9/10

GLAM! Why on earth would they put a Gary Glitter-esque Glam song in here? I don't know! But it's hella good! The singer (who ever this is) is really impressive with his rapidy-vibrating gerbil vocals! It's very sleazy and very fun! (It even has a really dumb chorus ... now THAT'S classic Glitter for ya.)

Volare 9.5/10

It's David again! He didn't write this song, of course, but that's his voice! ... and he's singing in a different languae. I have no idea what language ... I can only guess that it's Italion. It's a very nice, light Jazz number that your grandma would probably enjoy (and you, too)!

Napoli 9.5/10

Now, fortunately, this is an entertaing part-instrumetal song ... crap! It's just wonderful! It's a very very very very very very well-produced tropical sounding song .... and when that singer comes in lightly singing "Napoli Napoli" I swear I'm in music heaven! ... That said, I must dock it a half-point because some of the other bits actually sound too well-produced. But this is excellent.

Little Cat 9/10

For some reason, second to watching David Bowie dance on a giant typewriter, this is the second song I remember the most from that film. (Oh man! That was a funny scene!) It has something to do with a kid gimmick who is making it big in the music industry ... AKA Aaron Carter?) This is a very catchy early-60s AM pop song! (The production, however, sounds 80s ... what a crazy world!)

Better Git It In Your Soul 7/10

Eh... this is just a miscellaneous jazzy instrumental from the movie. It's too usual, actually. But I guess it was well performed or whatever.

So What? 7/10

Phew! (This is a long soundtrack!) This is another strange 80s rock and 50s Jazz combination ...it was well performed, but this time I think that the arranging was a little bit sloppy, and I don't mean that's sloppy in a good way like it was on some of these other songs. Eh .... So what?

Absolute Beginners (refrain) 7.5/10

It doesn't seem like this track has anything to do with David Bowie's song which opened the album ... this is a kind of slow and nothing instrumental. It's not horrible, though.

Is this review about how you would put it? Or, am I an absolute beginner? Leave your comments here!