REVIEW: Soundtrack, G.I. Jane (Hollywood)
- Joann D. Ball
The late summer box office hit G.I. Jane is the fictional story of the first woman to train for the prestigious Navy SEALs. Starring Demi Moore as Navy Intelligence officer Lt. Jordan O'Neil, G.I. Jane is a classic drama of good overcoming evil through strength, courage and determination.
Rock and roll may not equal the Navy SEALs in terms of challenges and difficulty, but it certainly does require incredible stamina and perseverance. And as film director Ridley Scott has aptly noted, singer/songwriter and rhythm guitarist Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders personifies this and more. According to Scott, "Chrissie Hynde is the only vocalist who shared the lead character's rare combination of sensuality and determination, toughness and femininity." That Hynde and fellow Pretenders drummer Martin Chambers, guitarist Adam Seymour and bassist Andy Hobson are also experts at musically reproducing the highs and lows of emotions and feelings makes the band the ideal choice for providing the signature songs for the film.
The Pretenders contribute "Goodbye" and "The Homecoming," both produced by Trevor Horn. The film's theme and first single, "Goodbye" is actually a Steve Earle tune. It gets the classic Pretenders touch, though, as Chambers provides a gentle militaryesque beat while Hynde's voice soars over lush guitars, keyboards and strings. The movie's end-title theme, "The Homecoming," is a Pretenders original penned by Hynde. It hints at what can be expected on the band's eagerly anticipated follow-up to 1994's The Last of the Independents . A mid-tempo rocker, "The Homecoming" prominently features Seymour's brilliant fretwork which complements Hynde's unmistakable tough-love vocals.
The two Pretenders tracks fit well with Trevor Jones' original movie score, represented on the soundtrack by the orchestral pieces "Conspiracy," "Time to Reflect" and "Endurance" But between the Pretenders and the instrumentals are five songs by a diverse group of artists.
Three Dog Night's "Mama Told Me (Not to Come)" puts a humorous spin on the Navy SEALs training process, while the macho power chords and subject of Bad Company's "Feel Like Makin' Love" reflect the sexual preoccupation of male recruits when a woman enters their military environment. The new folk-and-western group Tarnation contributes "Two Wrongs Won't Make Things Right," a number which evokes the best of Patsy Cline and 1950s love songs. John Lee Hooker's blues rocker "Dimples" and "The Future is a War" by Auntie Christ round out the collection. Auntie Christ is the new collaboration between former X members of Exene Cervenkova and D.J. Bonebrake and ex-Rancid bassist Matt Freeman, and the trio delivers an aggressive declaration full of punk spirit.
The soundtrack to G.I. Jane works because it is a collection of carefully selected songs. The Pretenders tracks are the highlights here, and they operate as the bookend opposite of Trevor Jones' score selections. The sonic assault of Auntie Christ is an unexpected surprise, and the band's inclusion here will hopefully spark interest in their new full length release. The Three Dog Night, Bad Company and John Lee Hooker songs work amazingly well with the scenes they accompany in the film, but without the visual their presence is not quite as obvious. Consequently, it takes a little thought and a bit of humor to figure out the connection. Finally, Jones' instrumental pieces are big orchestral works which manage to recreate the gripping intensity of the film for the soundtrack listener.
