The Blues Brothers [Original Soundtrack] (CD - 1980)

The Blues Brothers: John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd (vocals); Matt Murphy, Steve Cropper (guitar); Alan Rubin (trumpet); Tom Malone, Lou Marini (saxophone); Murphy Dunne (keyboards); Duck Dunn (bass); Willie Hall (drums).

Additional personnel: Elliot Randall, Keiv Ginsberg (guitar); Lewis Del Gatto (horns); Larry Willis, Terry Fryer, Bill Payne, John Springer, Richard T. Bear, John Hason (keyboards); David Weston (bass); Steve Jordan, Arthur Dickson (drums); Vivian Cherry, Ullanda McCullough, Brenda Corbett, Margaret Branch, Caroline Franklin (background vocals); Ray Charles, James Brown, Patti Austin, Hiram Bullock, Aretha Franklin, Cab Calloway, Rev. James Cleveland Choir.

Recorded at Universal Recording, Chicago, Illinois; The Record Plant, Los Angeles, California; Record Plant and Soundmixers, New York, New York.

All tracks have been digitally remastered.

Comic actors John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd received a lot of flak for their Blues Brothers shtick -- mostly for the albums, not 1980's beloved classic film. But they should be given credit for exposing many people -- including this reviewer -- to the music of blues and R&B veterans. The Blues Brothers soundtrack was released on Atlantic Records. On the surface this doesn't seem unusual, since the Blues Brothers' Atlantic debut, Briefcase Full of Blues, was a number one album; but the movie was released by Universal, and its parent company, MCA, passed on the soundtrack. The rollicking remake of the Spencer Davis Group's "Gimme Some Lovin'" was a hit, featuring an arrangement notable for the horn section that replaces Steve Winwood's rumbling organ work. Ray Charles has a good time with "Shake a Tail Feather," and he's helped out by Jake and Elwood Blues (Belushi and Aykroyd, respectively). The cover of Solomon Burke's "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love" is a lot of fun, thanks to the great overall rhythm and Elwood's lightning-fast stage rap, while James Brown and the Reverend James Cleveland Choir provide a blast of gospel music on "Old Landmark." Aretha Franklin's "Think" is explosive, and Cab Calloway's "Minnie the Moocher" is slyly irresistible. Charles, Brown, Franklin, and Calloway all have small roles in the film, yet so does John Lee Hooker, but he's not represented here. ~ Bret Adams

A film that stands up to repeated viewing is complemented by an album that has the same effect. The musical stars make cameos to perform one track each, Aretha as the waitress in a diner tears into 'Think' while Cab Calloway dons his best white suit for a spectacular 'Minnie The Moocher'. The 'brothers' are supported by most of Booker T. And The MGs and they deliver some rousing numbers including a bottle-throwing 'Rawhide' and a loose 'Gimme Some Lovin''. Aykroyd and Belushi could have become the Sam And Dave of the 80s. Aykroyd tried it again in 1998 with reasonable success. minimize