Heavy Metal, the soundtrack

[TheFamilyMan]

I've always been a fan of Heavy Metal magazine and it heavily influenced a lot of my drawing and painting growing up. Yeah, it was a bit edgy and the stories were a bit "out there" for a young tween/teen. I was still a bit young when the move came out in '81 so I never really got a chance to see it until the late 80's. Lots of things bad (bad in bad ways and bad in campy ways) about the movie but I've always regarded the soundtrack as spot on. I think that was the first cassette tape I actually wore out and had to replace.

Great music that ranges from Sammy Hagar before he couldn't drive 55, a psychedelic "out there" tune from Blue Oyster Cult, borderline goofy (yet totally listenable) Devo, soft-rock inspired Riggs "Heartbeat" and Don Felder "Heavy Metal (Takin' a Ride)", and even a bit of Steely Dan-lite in there with a solo song from Donald Fagen. Contrast these with some heavier (well, for the early 80's it was 'heavier') stuff in from Black Sabbath, Trust, and Cheap Trick. Yes, the Cheap Trick on this soundtrack is nothing like the watered-down radio tripe from them. The soundtrack closes with a bit of sexy (well, for the early 80's she was sexy) Stevie Nicks. Before you know it, you've got 60+ minutes of damn good music that you've sat through.

What say thee, ATOT...my mind clouded with rose-colored images of my growing up making the music way better than it really is or is the soundtrack just that damn good??

 

[xochi]

It is Damn Good!

It even has Journey - Open Arms

 

[SMOGZINN]

One of only about 3 OSTs I listen to. The other main one is the OST to The Raven.

 

[Drako]

Reach out and take it!

Reach out and, ta-ta-ta-take it!

 

[69Mach1]

This is one of my favorites, but I've gone through about 6-7 cassettes and CDs. I wore out the first tape I had, then people kept stealing it every time we had a party and played it. Finally got to where I just wouldn't get it out if anyone else was around but my closest friends. For a long time it was really hard to find new ones, but seems easy to find now.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Great soundtrack, no doubt about it. But Devo -Through being cool goofy? That tune is genius. e.g.

"Put the tape on erase
Rearrange your face
We always liked Picasso anyway." Genius I say!

One of only about 3 OSTs I listen to. The other main one is the OST to The Raven.

Dost thou mean The Crow? Because I have that one too. And Grosse Pointe Blank is another in my collection.

 

[Wingznut]

I've always been a fan of Heavy Metal magazine and it heavily influenced a lot of my drawing and painting growing up. Yeah, it was a bit edgy and the stories were a bit "out there" for a young tween/teen. I was still a bit young when the move came out in '81 so I never really got a chance to see it until the late 80's. Lots of things bad (bad in bad ways and bad in campy ways) about the movie but I've always regarded the soundtrack as spot on. I think that was the first cassette tape I actually wore out and had to replace.

Great music that ranges from Sammy Hagar before he couldn't drive 55, a psychedelic "out there" tune from Blue Oyster Cult, borderline goofy (yet totally listenable) Devo, soft-rock inspired Riggs "Heartbeat" and Don Felder "Heavy Metal (Takin' a Ride)", and even a bit of Steely Dan-lite in there with a solo song from Donald Fagen. Contrast these with some heavier (well, for the early 80's it was 'heavier') stuff in from Black Sabbath, Trust, and Cheap Trick. Yes, the Cheap Trick on this soundtrack is nothing like the watered-down radio tripe from them. The soundtrack closes with a bit of sexy (well, for the early 80's she was sexy) Stevie Nicks. Before you know it, you've got 60+ minutes of damn good music that you've sat through.

What say thee, ATOT...my mind clouded with rose-colored images of my growing up making the music way better than it really is or is the soundtrack just that damn good?

Thanks for a trip back to my teens.

 

[SMOGZINN]

Great soundtrack, no doubt about it. But Devo -Through being cool goofy? That tune is genius. e.g.

"Put the tape on erase
Rearrange your face
We always liked Picasso anyway." Genius I say!

Dost thou mean The Crow? Because I have that one too. And Grosse Pointe Blank is another in my collection.

Oops, yes I meant the Crow. I just watched the Raven recently, so I guess it was on my mind.
I don't have the Grosse Point Blank one, but I might give it a listen. I love the movie.
The other one I listen to on occasion is Hardware. The movie itself is mostly notable (IMHO) because of the use of the soundtrack to set the mood.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Oops, yes I meant the Crow. I just watched the Raven recently, so I guess it was on my mind.
I don't have the Grosse Point Blank one, but I might give it a listen. I love the movie.
The other one I listen to on occasion is Hardware. The movie itself is mostly notable (IMHO) because of the use of the soundtrack to set the mood.

I don't know how I have never seen that. I will have to check that movie out, thanks.

 

[Iron Woode]

I have the Collectors Edition DVD of the movie. The Bluray is out and I might just grab it.

2 songs did not make it to the soundtrack: Through Being Cool by Devo and E5150 by Black Sabbath.

The song The Mob Rules is an alternate version of what is on the Black Sabbath album.

 

[SMOGZINN]

I have the Collectors Edition DVD of the movie. The Bluray is out and I might just grab it.

2 songs did not make it to the soundtrack: Through Being Cool by Devo and E5150 by Black Sabbath.

The song The Mob Rules is an alternate version of what is on the Black Sabbath album.

Yea, I have Heavy Metal on VHS, DVD, and in the special Heavy Metal 2000 Double Feature DVD set (comes with both Heavy Metal and Heavy Metal 2000.) I might buy it on Blu-ray from my local half-priced books if I ever see it there just to get the highest quality rip to my HTPC.

EDIT: BTW - if you ever get the chance to see it in theaters, do so. It is amazing on the big screen.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Loved that movie when I was a teen. Great soundtrack too.

:thumbsup:

 

[KeithTalent]

Loved that movie when I was a teen. Great soundtrack too.

:thumbsup:

This.

KT

 

[MetalMat]

Radar Rider!

 

[Iron Woode]

Yea, I have Heavy Metal on VHS, DVD, and in the special Heavy Metal 2000 Double Feature DVD set (comes with both Heavy Metal and Heavy Metal 2000.) I might buy it on Blu-ray from my local half-priced books if I ever see it there just to get the highest quality rip to my HTPC.

EDIT: BTW - if you ever get the chance to see it in theaters, do so. It is amazing on the big screen.

I originally watched it on Pay-TV back in 1983-4 here. Never heard of it before then.

It was played occasionally in a theater here prior to 1990. I never went because I was too busy playing with the womenz.

 

[Kadarin]

I haven't seen this movie in a long time, I'll have to check it out again.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

I have the Collectors Edition DVD of the movie. The Bluray is out and I might just grab it.

2 songs did not make it to the soundtrack: Through Being Cool by Devo and E5150 by Black Sabbath.

The song The Mob Rules is an alternate version of what is on the Black Sabbath album.

Man it had been a long time. I see it is the cover of working in a coal mine that made the soundtrack. Even less "goofy' than the other tune; a real classic.

 

[TheFamilyMan]

Prevoius poster mentions the soundtrack to The Crow. That's another soundtrack that was just put together extremely well. The music is diverse enough between tracks that you never get that "same old same old" feeling.

Also, on both soundtracks, the music just has this vibe to it that it could stand on it's own and is instantly recognizable. The Donald Fagen song on Heavy Metal and the Nine Inch Nails song on The Crow are great examples. You could have never heard the songs before, but once they start up, you instantly know who's behind it. I think The Crow stuck with me as well because of the fact that almost all of the songs on it by the various groups are what I consider to be some of their better works. I used to scratch my head and say to myself, "Why couldn't *insert artist/group name here* last album have been as good as this?" Heavy Metal is the same way.

I need to give Heavy Metal 2000 soundtrack a good listen to again but I remember that it never really stuck with me like Heavy Metal or The Crow did. It almost seems to me like whoever put together the artist list for the first Heavy Metal soundtrack spent time insuring that each and every track flowed from one sound to another and the person responsible for the second Heavy Metal soundtrack just went to a listing somewhere and picked out a bunch of alternative/fringe artists they thought would be cool to have on a soundtrack for an edgy cartoon that had tits in it. Don't get me wrong...there are good artists and songs on Heavy Metal 2000 soundtrack... but I never got the feeling it had the vibe of the first one.

 

[Drako]

Reminded me of this Onion article:

http://www.theonion.com/articles/donald-fagen-defends-steely-dan-to-friends,2601/

"Though Fagen remained effusive about Steely Dan throughout the debate, he did eventually concede that the song "True Companion" from the Heavy Metal soundtrack was "really gay." He was quick to point out, however, that the track was not technically a Steely Dan composition, but rather a Donald Fagen solo project."

 

[SMOGZINN]

I need to give Heavy Metal 2000 soundtrack a good listen to again but I remember that it never really stuck with me like Heavy Metal or The Crow did.

No, the Heavy Metal 2000 soundtrack is not anywhere near as good, just like the movie itself. I think in the original Heavy Metal they picked music that had the feel that the animation had. It was diverse and it was edgy. In HM2k they wanted to tell one story, and so ended up with music that kept a thematic consistency, and ended up being dull (just like the show).
But really I need to listen to it again myself to be sure. I doubt I have heard it in 10 years.

While searching for info on the track list of HM2K I found out that there is a Heavy Metal 3 in the works, and they are going back to the several short stories format.

 

[Meghan54]

Damned good movie. I remember spending a week one night watching it when it was released.

 

[Pr0d1gy]