If I were going to pick out my favourite soundtrack album of the 80`s, it would probably have to be the one for the movie `COCKTAIL`, from 1988.
Cocktail is an OK movie, but the best cocktail of all is the songs which propped it up. One of the more inspiring 80`s movie collections by a long way.
Ironically, it also starred Tom Cruise from Top Gun, Australian actor Brian Brown was the supporting actor in the movie. I wont try and be a movie critic tonight, so if you want to find out what the movie itself is like, then best you go and hire it out from the video shop.
There is a great selection of melodic rockers, beefed-up old covers and a couple of quirky surprises on the Cocktail soundtrack, Starship never sounded more determined or essential as they did on the opening track `Wild Again`.
Obscure blues rockers The Fabulous Thunderbirds sound fabulous and rock heavy on `Powerful Stuff`. Robbie Neville, who would go on to have a couple of worldwide minor hits in 1991, contributed what you could probably say is the most insipid and mediocre song to the soundtrack with `Since When`.
The toe twiddling cool vocal jazz of `Dont Worry Be Happy` was to be Bobby McFerrin`s only five minutes of mainstream fame before sinking back into obscurity.
The grossly underrated Georgia Satellites, one of the most grainy rock bands to never make it big in the US where they hail from, done a few cartwheels with their dynamo performance of `Hippy Hippy Shake`.
The Beach Boys made a triumphant return to recording with a laid back and a slightly reggaed Caribbean tune called `Kokomo`.
It certainly is easier on the ears than the irritating `Barbara Ann` from the 60`s, I just hate that song from the Beach Boys with a vengeance.
John Cougar Mellencamp, who is no longer a Cougar in 2010 and is just a Mellencamp, done a really good job by recording a cover of Buddy Holly`s rollicking masterpiece `Rave On`, except Mellencamp had the sense to make the song his own and not attempt to replicate the way Holly done it, he has made it more laid back, by chucking in some accordion and some customary pots and pans percussion in the style of Mellancamp.
Ry Cooder puts on a bottleneck pyrotechnic guitar showstomping performance with his version of Presley`s timeless rocker `All Shook Up`.
Preston Smith adds a bit of southern soul-rock to the mix with `Oh, I Love You So`, and old time wild boy turned preacher Little Richard finishes off the album with his old 50`s R&B barrelhouse piano classic`Tutti Frutti`.
Cocktail is an OK movie, but the best cocktail of all is the songs which propped it up. One of the more inspiring 80`s movie collections by a long way.
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