Society always celebrates the records that top the Billboard 200 album chart. Back of The Billboards is a Music Times weekly segment that looks at the opposite end: the new record that finished closest to the back of the Billboard 200 for the previous week. We hope to give a fighting chance to the bands you haven't heard of.
Week of 01/03/2014
WHO: Columbia Pictures...we guess
WHAT: American Hustle Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
SPOT: 188
It's the last Billboard 200 chart of 2013, so once again there were few new releases. This week's entry is the original motion picture soundtrack for American Hustle, but hopefully there will be a slew of brand new, non-soundtrack options coming out in the first few weeks of the year.
A few week's we looked at the soundtrack for Black Nativity, which was full of original Gospel/R&B recordings. American Hustle doesn't offer too much on the original front. The film takes place in the late '70s, and if you couldn't tell from the trailers, the styles and lifestyles of that era are heavily in play. Thus, the soundtrack is chock full of music representing the decade, including: Donna Summer, Wings, America, and The Bee Gees. Although there's nothing wrong with rehearing classics such as "Live and Let Die" and "A Horse With No Name," this compilation also forces you to hear TWO tracks from our least favorite band from that span, Electric Light Orchestra (albeit one is "Long Black Road").
The latter 20 percent of the album is dedicated to the new, a few tracks that tastefully revisit the era. Jeff Lynne, who led the aforementioned least-favorite band, adds new instrumental composition "Stream of Stars," an easygoing '70s tribute highlighted by the Hammond organ. Chris Stills (son of Steven) contributes "Live to Live," and Danny Elfman adds a short instrumental composition.
The collection as a whole isn't bad, but the limited amount of anything new doesn't make this an album worth jumping for.
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