Customer Reviews

Singles

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In the course of the two decades I have listened to music, my favorite decade for music was the early '90s when alternative (I hate using this world immensely) music was big thanks to the explosion of Nirvana and grunge (another term I hate using) music. One of the most defining moments in alternative music that particular decade was the Seattle-based film "Singles" (one of the few films I can stomach from Cameron Crowe). Not only did I love the film but the soundtrack was equally good. It had some of the hottest modern rock bands of the decade on one cd. Not only was it the soundtrack to an excellent film but also the soundtrack to generation x (ugh! another term I loathe). One of my personal favorite songs on the cd is by Minneapolis hero Paul Westerberg "Dyslexic Heart", an incredibly infectious song that I could not get out of my head when I first heard the song. The cd kicks off with one of the most premier grunge bands from the '90s, "Would" by Alice in Chains. It is one of my favorite songs by Alice in Chains with its trademark sludge guitars provided by Jerry Cantrell and nihilistic lyrics by Layne Stayley (R.I.P). Ironically enough, Cameron's wife Nancy Wilson (Heart/The Lovemongers) appears on the cd with her side project The Lovemongers. They do a fairly interesting cover of Led Zeppelin's "Battle of Evermore". All the songs are great. I love the Screaming Trees' "Nearly Lost You" and "Seasons" by Chris Cornell. "Singles" is evidence to what great music that came out of the '90s. Too bad the new millenium has proven jacksquat.

The Grundge era of the early 90s was a wonderful time for me, growing up as a teen. The music, album and movie were great. I still love the grunge music from that time period. It's better than what happened musically the rest of the decade and into the new millenium.

This was one of the first albums (I got it on cassette) which I ever bought, back when I was about 15 or so in 1992. I had been listening to the radio for a year or so, hearing all those "grunge" sounds coming out of Seattle at the time. This became my favorite for 1992, and whenever I hear any of these songs these days it instantly takes me back to my teenage years, as awkward as they may have been, just because of the newness of the whole thing. So far as I can tell this was the last big "scene" in rock, to break at a national level. At the time, everyone was wearing flannels and faded jeans (I was no exception). Not all of the music has held up (I'd cite Alice in Chains as sounding more dated than the rest but maybe I just personally don't like the sound), but much of it sounds even better to me now than it did back then. The Chris Cornell solo track is very passionate and soulful (why didn't he just go solo back then??) and the Pearl Jam songs are better than anything I have heard on their albums. Basically, this is the only early-90s rock compilation you'll ever need, it has everything and as some reviewers pointed out, no filler. Even a throw-back to the best stuff from the 80s, with Paul Westerberg of the Replacements contributing a few great tracks. By the way, as this soundtrack gets so much press on its own, see the movie too! It's great, and now that I'm a few years short of 30 I appreciate it more.

When this cd was released, it was more than a great soundtrack to a cool movie, it also served as an instant "Best Of Grunge" collection. It's true there's no "Nirvana", but when you listen to what IS here, I'm sure you'll find yourself in a state of bliss. Included are songs from "Alice In Chains", "Soundgarden", "Mudhoney", "Screaming Trees", and two from "Pearl Jam". Plus epics from "Mother Love Bone", and "Smashing Pumpkins". Also there's excellent non-grunge from "Paul Westerberg", "Jimi Hendrix", and "Lovemongers", (Heart). It's really just a great collection of killer music. The only way it could have been any better, is if it was packaged in flannel.

Eleven years later, and this is an unequalled achievement: Even post-Tarantino soundtracks and countless other greats, "Singles" stands up as the best soundtrack of all time.

Effortlessly blending all of the all-stars of the early 1990s Seattle scene except Nirvana, recorded JUST before they broke into the international music consciousness, "Singles" is both an amazing snapshot of a point in time and a great companion piece for fans of that music.

Songs unavailable elsewhere from Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Chris Cornell, Smashing Pumpkins and Mother Love Bone is something of a dream come true for many music fans, and what's especially nice is that there's no filler anywhere on this album. Even lesser lights like The Lovemongers turn in great tunes, such as the band's rocking cover of Led Zeppelin's "Battle of Evermore."

Sticking out as not being part of the Seattle scene is post-Replacements Paul Westerberg, but his two songs -- the only performer on the album to do two, although Chris Cornell performs both with and without Soundgarden -- are probably the best tunes in the collection.

While this makes a great companion piece to the movie, which features music quite strongly -- one scene even features a character stopping the action so his girlfriend (and the audience) can listen to a good section of Jimi Hendrix's "May This Be Love" (included on the soundtrack) -- it stands alone as simply a great album as well.

My strongest possible recommendation for fans of early 1990s rock music.

What got me into this Singles soundtrack was that i had heard that there was some unreleased Pearl Jam tracks. I went to my local A&B sound and checked it out. I saw a track by Alice in Chains (but i already had Dirt), a Chris Cornell track, a smashing pumpkins, and a soundgarden one. Seeing these bands i liked i decieded i might as well give it a try. This cd opened my eyes to other bands like the screaming trees, mother love bone, and mudhoney. All of the tracks by the bands i stated above were great songs, along with the song by jimi hendrix, and the love mongers do a fantastic cover of a fantastic zeppelin song.

The biggest downside to this CD is the 2 songs by Paul Westerberg. I heard them and almost thought that they were a joke. Both of those songs are extremly poppy, with the chorus of Dylexic Heart being "na, na na na, na, na na na na na".

With that said having 11 out of the 13 songs is still good and all of the other songs make up for it. I would suggest this CD to any fan of the "grunge" area, any rock music from the early 90's, or being a fan of any of the bands stated above (besides paul westerberg. This is the only soundtrack i have ever thought of buying and i never regretted it. (The minus one star is for the 2 paul westerberg songs)

i bought this album to remind me of my pearl jam days and grunge days... i do love most of the tracks on this album... especially pearl jam... but only 4 stars because i am not a big fan of soundgarden... and chris cornell's wailing gets to me... other than that... love the album....

The Singles soundtrack is the companion to Cameron Crowe's 1992 film and demonstrates that movie soundtracks could be marketed as excellent compilations.

The whole alternative/grunge scene really exploded in 1991, and for awhile Seattle was the hip, cutting edge place to be. By 1992, there was already some backlash, and Pearl Jam, Alice and Chains, Soundgarden and Mudhoney were not really fledgling bands, most of their members having paid their dues in smoky local clubs in the late 1980s. This disk is a great snapshot of Seattle in the early 1990s, with many of the songs written especially for this soundtrack. I think it's a great time capsule that holds up well even ten years later.

Alice and Chains starts us off with "Would," a slow burn with rumbling bass, muddy guitars and haunting harmonies by Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell. Great lead-off punch.

"Breathe" by Pearl Jam follows, perhaps a cut that didn't make their debut "Ten" but a fine song with cool sliding basslines, dual guitar interplay and nice drum track. Eddie Vedder displays his powerful baritone and backs himself up nicely.

"Seasons" is a solo piece by Soundgarden frontman, Chris Cornell, singing with only guitar accompaniment with introspective lyrics that remind one of sitting on the wall at Kerry Park on Highland Drive and overlooking Seattle.

"Dyslexic Heart" come from non-Seattleite Paul Westerberg, who had success with the Replacements. This song is fun grunge pop, with clever lyrics, and was the theme for the character relationships in the movie. Very popular with the girls, too.

Cameron Crowe linked his relationship with Nancy Wilson and her Seattle roots for The Lovemongers cover of Led Zeppelin's "Battle of Evermore." The guitars and mandolins have a very live feel, and Ann and Nancy's harmonies blend well.

"Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns" comes from Mother Love Bone, whose singer, Andrew Wood, was an early casualty from overdose before his band had a big breakthrough. Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam were also in this band.

"Birth Ritual" is some true metal crunch from Soundgarden, all feedback, distortion and Cornell's pipes at full throttle.

"State of Love and Trust" by Pearl Jam is a more urgent performance than "Breathe" and rocks harder.

"Overblown" by Mudhoney is another great rocker with brain-bashing drums, from a band that never received the national attention of many other Seattle bands, but stayed true to its course and rattled the walls of many a club.

"Waiting for Somebody" is another Paul Westerberg tune that's musically similar to "Dyslexic Heart" but not quite as catchy.

"May This be Love" is a somewhat obscure Jimi Hendrix tune, another homage to a Seattle hero, with some trippy guitars, vocals and lyrics.

"Nearly Lost You" is one of the sleepers here, and one of my favorites. Fantastic guitar/drum interplay and outstanding throaty vocals by Mark Lanegan. Screaming Trees were true flannel-wearing guys from the eastern Washington cow town of Ellensburg and used to play at barn parties for local school kids.

The disk closes with "Drown" by the Smashing Pumpkins, another non-Seattle band, but one that was part of the initial grunge movement, with layers of distorted guitars and Billy Corgan's trademark vocal style.

It's interesting to see where these groups and individual members are at now, and how the music all goes in cycles.

Has it really been TEN years?! I've always wondered how many people actually *watched* this film and how many others -like myself- just bought the album because we liked the bands?...
SINGLES came out at just the right time and rode the wave of "Everything-Seattle-rules" -based energy that swept early 90's America. As I said, I never saw the film but I've enjoyed the album many times. A few of the tunes are not my thing and that's why this doesn't get five stars. But the rest, from the beauty of Chris Cornell's "Seasons", rage of Soundgarden's "Birth Ritual" and Alice In Chains "Would?", the brooding melancholy of "Chloe Dancer..." (worth the price of the disc alone) -all of these are stunning songs with depth and passion. Mudhoney, Jimi, Pearl Jam, and Screaming Trees also turn in great performances here. The whole album really captures the energy and attitude of the period.

Recommended.

I was only 6 or 7 during the whole grunge era, and now I'm 17 and in the Britney Spears generation, so I've always felt kind of cheated. This soundtrack only adds to my jealousy of those who were teens in 1992. It's an excellent retrospective of alternative music, mostly artists from Seattle. It starts off with "Would?" one of the greates songs known to man, by the brilliant Alice In Chains. Layne's vocals are passionate and haunting... RIP.

Pearl Jam has two amazing songs to offer on this soundtrack as well, the rocking "Breath," and the manic "State of Love and Trust." This album also contains a relic of the Seattle scene. Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard's previous band Mother Love Bone has a song on here "Chloe Dance/Crown of Thorns" an 8 minute highly emotional song, kind of like Queen meets REM meets Soundgarden. MLB broke up in 1990 when vocalist Andy Wood overdosed, probably grunge's first casaulty, making the song about 100 times more emotional.

Soundgarden makes a few appearances here, one as a group (in the adrenaline-pumping "Birth Ritual"), a very eerie Chris Cornell solo song "Seasons" and a collaboration with Ann and Nancy from Heart (known as the Lovemongers) on a cover of Zeppelin's classic ode to JRR Tolkien, "The Battle of Evermore," which is very decent, with Nancy Wilson's backing vocals totally blowing out Sandy Denny's (a member of some late 60s-70s folk group) in the Zeppelin version.

Despite the fact that there is no Nirvana, it is still excellent. Mudhoney and Screaming Trees, two lesser known Seattle bands, offer some amazing songs here as well. Jimi Hendrix's "May This Be Love" gives a glimpse into Seattle's past legacy in music (Hendrix himself was born and raised in Seattle).

Paul Westerberg, formerly of the seminal Minneapolis alternative band the Replacements, has two songs here. "Dyslexic Heart" is the most catchiest song I have ever heard in my life.

The closing to this soundtrack is from Chicago's the Smashing Pumpkins, heavily affiliated with a few Seattle bands. They close the album off with "Drown," an 8 minute song that ranks as one of their best songs. The song itself is about 4 minutes, then the ending consists of feedback and crazy guitar sound effects.

If you want a great soundtrack, and more proof that the early 90s had a lot to offer musically, pick this baby up, and crank it. The music is bound to affect you.