DILUTINC THE MurirAL q/ " EmpHAm om reuL .»\n ironic decision considering Rob is sttch a purist/music snoh. A couple ol~ quick top lives show what‘s happened with the lilm‘s soundtrack.
'l‘op live songs (old):
1 'You‘re (ionna Miss Me’ — 'I‘he 'l‘hirteenth liloot‘ lilcv‘ztiot's
2 ‘C‘rimson And (‘lover' — Joan Jet And The Blackhearts (the 1969 original by Tommy James .-\nd 'l‘he Shondells is. of course. superior)
3 "l'onight I‘ll Be Staving Here With You~ -- Boh Dylan
4 'Rock Steady" ~~ Aretha liranklin
5 '.\1y Little Red Book' ~ l.ove
lop live songs (new):
1 ‘I Cant Stand The Rain‘ Ann l’eehles
2 ‘l.et’s (iet ln ()n~ -- Marvin (iaye
3 "l‘he Rivet" - Bruce Springsteen
4 ‘Seymour Stein‘ »~ Belle And Sehastian ('lt was really a perfect scene.’ says (‘usack. ‘Roh goes into the store and he‘s very depressed and Dick is playing this really soothing melancholy music. So when I heard the Belle .-\nd Sehastian song it made tnc laughfl
5 ‘l)ry The Rain' » 'l‘he Beta Band ('My partner l‘ound The Beta Band. I immediately wanted them to score the movie. I think they‘re incredihle. they're actually the hest new hand I‘ve heard in years. But we could only put one song in. hecause Roh. Dick and Barry like everything from The ('ramps to .\lo/art.‘)
"l'he lfK version ol Rob is a little hit more l'aithl‘ul to American soul.‘ says ('usack. ‘ln the States we‘re more partial to some ol’ the British stul'l‘ I‘linglish punk'. lntl‘l'cd lirearsl.
John Cusack plays Rob Fleming who trawls through his top five past girlfriends after being dumped by his latest flame
There is a lot of soul in the movie — we still
have Marvin and Aretha and ()tis — and a lot of
the music is taken right out of the hook. But it was hard to pick the tnusic. hecause everyhody working on the lilm was Roh. Dick and Barry. They all l'elt they were the great unappreciated musical scholars: they knew the exact right motnent for the exact right song. So it was kind of mayhem.’
Nevertheless. (‘usack‘s l'ilm gets right to the heart of llornhy-‘s hook. Casting. music. location: these are really just details. ‘clutter‘ as Roh would say. (And il‘ you’re wondering ahout liherty no. 5. the changed ending. that
merely concerns the addition of a couple of
minor characters. two skate kids whose record the American Roh produces.)
‘Most males. straight males anyway. see themselves in Roh.’ says (‘usack. ‘.\lost guys I know read this hook and wince: yep. heen there. 'l‘hat's what makes the hook so great. and that tnade it so universal for Americans" too. When writers get to some core truths ahout people. it seems that's what everyman characters are.‘
A parting shot: ('usack‘s all-time top live records to play on a publicity tour ol~ liurope'.’ ’l‘m not a list maker and I’m not a collector. l’unnily enough.‘ he says. ‘I could never choose a top live anything. hecattse I just like too much stul'l’.‘ Spoken like a true vinyl
junkie.
High Fidelity opens Fri 21 Jul.
JOHN GUSACK
’Most guys I know read this book and wince'
John Cusack