Blues Brothers - Music From The Film (Original Soundtrack) - Various Artists

...of you have seen the Blues Brothers film, and I expect all of you have at least heard of the Blues Brothers. I was first introduced to them after seeing the stage musical production (which blew me away, it was phenomenal) and afterwards, I listened to this album which has always been in our household, but I had always ignored it. I only recently saw the film when it was broadcast on TV so it’s fair to say I was travelling backwards as far as the ...
...is the harmonica. Jake Blues (John Belushi) sings the, typically blues, lyrics well. – 8/10

2 – Peter Gunn Theme – This instrumental follows a same beat as the previous track, as well as style. A continuous guitar/bass rhythm and drum beat plays host to some wind instrument solos. These instruments feature saxophones and trumpets (both muted and normal). Not as enjoyable as a few other tracks, but still worth a listen – 6/10
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No doubt, many of you have seen the Blues Brothers film, and I expect all of you have at least heard of the Blues Brothers. I was first introduced to them after seeing the stage musical production (which blew me away, it was phenomenal) and afterwards, I listened to this album which has always been in our household, but I had always ignored it. I only recently saw the film when it was broadcast on TV so it’s fair to say I was travelling backwards as far as the Blues Brothers is concerned!

This soundtrack album includes almost all of the songs that are featured in the film, missing out only one or two. Unfortunately, the priceless performance of Wanda Jackson’s “Stand By Your Man” isn’t present, but that’s probably a good thing really!

I’ll skip on the storyline of the film as it’s the music that matters here. If you’re wondering about the storyline or the film itself, go to:
http://dvd.ciao.co.uk/The_Blues_Brothers_Wide_Screen___35057

THE SONGS

11 tracks are included on this album; all are from the original movie, although some are slightly edited so that they are suitable for a soundtrack album. This editing is barely noticeable though.

1 – She Caught The Katy – As always, this is a great intro to the album. It’s the first song you’ll hear on the film and is very much in the style of blues. A continuous guitar rhythm is followed by an equally continuous drum beat. Brass instruments, such as trumpets are occasionally heard but the real joy is the harmonica. Jake Blues (John Belushi) sings the, typically blues, lyrics well. – 8/10

2 – Peter Gunn Theme – This instrumental follows a same beat as the previous track, as well as style. A continuous guitar/bass rhythm and drum beat plays host to some wind instrument solos. These instruments feature saxophones and trumpets (both muted and normal). Not as enjoyable as a few other tracks, but still worth a listen – 6/10

3 – Gimme Some Lovin’ – A combination of blues and rock, this song is one of the faster songs of this album. The guitar is the focal point of this track, while the wind instruments provide support. Jake sings again, with a supporting vocalist in Elwood Blues (Dan Aykroyd). A good, upbeat song. – 9/10

4 – Shake A Tail Feather – Jazz, blues and soul meet for this great, upbeat song. The main instrument is an electric piano played by the irreplaceable legend that is Ray Charles. Charles is also the main vocalist of this track and has the Blues Brothers as supporting vocalists. Again, the wind instruments provide support, and the guitars help with the rhythm. A great song. – 9/10

5 – Everybody Needs Somebody To Love – What is considered to be the theme of the Blues Brothers, this familiar sounding song is a cracker. Sung mainly by Jake, with Elwood providing the interludes, this fast-paced song is almost certain to get you up and dancing around. Pianos, drums and guitars keep the rhythm going, while the harmonica, trumpets and saxophones provide the main melodies. – 10/10

6 – Old Landmark – This song is sung entirely by James Brown. A gospel song, it features pianos and organs. This is a fast paced song and James Brown sounds as good as ever. However, given its gospel style, it may not be to everybody’s taste. – 7/10

7 – Think – Another song that doesn’t feature the Blues Brothers singing. However, it has the distinctive and brilliant voice of Aretha Franklin. This song sounds familiar due to the fact that it has been featured on a recent TV advert. A soul song, this certainly isn’t a weak link and is one of the best songs on the album. – 9/10

8 – Rawhide (Theme) – Elwood takes the bigger singing role in this track, with Jake supporting. However, the main focus of this song would be the music. During non-singing parts of the song, guitar solos occur. During most of the song, guitars keep the rhythm. Not a great song, but not bad either. – 6/10

9 – Minnie The Moocher – Trumpets introduce us to this song, sung by Cab Calloway. This is one of my favourite songs on the album, mainly due to the piano playing. A guitar keeps the rhythm going, with an increase and then decrease in tempo halfway through the song. A great song. – 9/10

10 – Sweet Home Chicago – A pure blues song, this track begins with a guitar solo. Jake takes the reigns with the singing, while supported by Elwood in suitable areas. Trumpets, saxophones and pianos keep the music flowing, and towards the end, these three instruments each have a turn in being the focal point of the song during the three or four minute long instrumental section. This is my favourite track of the album, partially due to its long length and partially due to the instruments. – 10/10

11 – Jailhouse Rock – Sung by Jake, this song features all of the instruments heard in the last song and is the song that finishes the film as well as this album. A great guitar solo occurs about halfway through the song. This is a great song. – 9/10

OVERALL

This album is a great album if you like blues and soul music, like me. It’s a great album if you liked the Blues Brothers film too. For the price of £7.99, this is a worthwhile buy for blues fans. 

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