This month, the Mental Jukebox revisits the movie soundtracks of the nineties. The music I’m highlighting are some of my personal favorites. In many cases, the movies themselves were huge for me as well. But the focus will still be on the music – as always. Let’s bring on the throwback classics, the grunge, the gangsta rap, and the indie gems. #31DaysOf90sMovieSongs
Movie: Singles
Grunge was one of the few genres that seemed to come out of nowhere to take over the world. It was a strain of alternative rock that was practically unavoidable by the masses. Just how influential was the period? Well, as anyone who owned a flannel shirt in the early 90s can tell you, it impacted pretty much everything. Even non-grunge acts became more grunge-like during that era. Depeche Mode, Suzanne Vega and other artists all released albums that borrowed elements of the grunge sound into their recordings during the period. But the real stuff was where it was at. And right up there near the top was Screaming Trees’ “Nearly Lost You”.
Singles was one of those rare creative expressions that managed to define a new generation while also encapsulating an important musical era. It didn’t just use actors to achieve those ends. The film took place in Seattle – and actual members of Soundgarden, Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains appear in it. When “Nearly Lost You” came out, it could be heard constantly in my dorm hall. It got into your head, and then just stayed there. Mark Lanegan’s vocals were nearly Tom Waits-like, and the guitar riff swirled around like a siren. “Nearly Lost You” was just as important as any track off Nevermind, Dirt, BadMotorFinger and Ten – and it should come as no surprise that it became one of the most memorable songs from the Singles soundtrack.
“Did you hear the distant lie calling me back to my sin.”