A soundtrack full of memories

Well-thought-out is an adjective I like to use when writing about compilation soundtracks, but only when the album is indeed well-thought-out. That means that a lot of effort went into selecting the best songs and these are relevant to the mood of the motion picture and the story it tells.

There are plenty of times when a soundtrack sounds like somebody listed down some hit songs, lumped them together in one album then played them as background music in the movie. There are even cases when there are not enough songs in the picture to fill an album or when the final cut fails to use some of the songs in the album. That is when the title becomes "Music from and Inspired by…."

The soundtrack of 13 Going on 30 is not one of these. This one is well-thought-out in every sense of the word with music that evokes memories of the heroine’s growing up years in the ‘80s and her present as a 30-year-old woman. And those of you who still believe they made better music in the ‘60s and ‘70s should have another thing coming with this collection. The ‘80s had great fun tunes and here are some of the most memorable. You may not like some of them. I can’t stand Jessie’s Girl but it was a big hit 20 years ago. Burning Down the House by Talking Heads is really cool. Crazy for You is Madonna’s sweetest love song and I am glad kids who will buy this CD will now get to listen to Pat Benatar’s Love is a Battlefield.

As for the movie, I do think it was presumptuous of the producers to think they can do another "be careful what you wish for" comedy after the likes of Big and Freaky Friday. Aside from being funny, these were sweet and poignant and elicited serious thinking. 13 Going on 30 does not do that. In fact, the premise of being suddenly grown-up has been thrown to the winds in favor of the going-ons in the life of a driven magazine editor. This does not work at all except for the sight of the lovely Jennifer Garner in a trendy girly wardrobe. So if you are the kind who is not interested in what dress or shoes she is wearing, it would be best to console yourself with reruns of Alias on cable.

One thing more about 13 Going on 30. I am sure there are many of you out there who have seen the movie and bought the album are wondering why Michael Jackson’s Thriller failed to make it to the collection. I also find that very strange because if I remember right, Thriller was released by the CBS label which was formerly Columbia and which is now Sony, under which the 13 Going on 30 soundtrack was released. Well, here are some possible reasons:

First: Because Jackson’s contract does not allow the inclusion of any of his songs in compilation albums and this soundtrack is a compilation of assorted tunes by various artists. Second: Because of the child molestation charges confronting Jackson today, the producers did not believe including Thriller will help sales. Third: The relationship between Jackson and Sony remains strained. Thriller could have been included had the Sony people asked for permission, but they chose not to or vice-versa. They asked but Jackson said no.

But no matter. The 13 Going On 30 soundtrack is an enjoyable collection, Thriller or no Thriller.

Current Sellers In The US

Meanwhile, here are the current sellers in the US, according to Billboard Magazine. First, the singles: Goodies by Ciara featuring Petey Pablo; Lean Back by Terror Squad; Sunshine by Lil’ Flip featuring Lea; My Place by Nelly featuring Jaheim; Pieces of Me by Ashley Simpson; Turn Me On by Kevin Lyttle featuring Spragga Benz; Slow Motion by Juvenile featuring Soulja Slim; She Will Be Loved by Maroon 5; Dip It Low by Christina Milian and Locked Up by Akon featuring Styles P.

Now, the top 10 albums: Live Like You Were Dying by Tim McGraw; Genius Loves Company duets by the late Ray Charles and an all-star line-up; Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2 by Jill Scott; The DEFinition by LL Cool J; Now 16 by Various Artists; Happy People/U Saved Me by R. Kelly; Straight Outta Ca$hville by Young Buck; Autobiography by Ashlee Simpson; Musicology by Prince and Welcome Back by Mase.