Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Great Soundtracks: The Boat That Rocked / Pirate Radio


Earlier this month, as news spread about the sudden passing of Philip Seymour Hoffman, many immediately began to mourn the actor by posting some of his most famous scenes and characters on social media. One of his lesser known but still fantastic roles came in the 2009 film, The Boat That Rocked or in America as it was known as, Pirate Radio, where he played an American pirate radio DJ on board with a ship full of Brits. The star studded film which featured Nick Frost, Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans, Chris O'Dowd, Emma Thompson, January Jones, and Kenneth Branagh. While the film was an enjoyable watch, what drove the film just as much as it's colorful characters and true story situations, was the soundtrack.

The film, which is a true story of when the British government banned rock and roll in the '60's, a group of music lovers boarded a ship and broadcasted off British waters and sent rock to the speakers and radios of the public. The double soundtrack featured the music of The Who, Jeff Beck, The Kinks, Duffy, Beach Boys, The Troggs, Dusty Springfield, The Turtles, Otis Reading, Cream, David Bowie, Cat Stevens, and many, many more. It captured the spirit and rebel notions that the film grabbed about these musical heroes on board a pirate ship.