This week marks the 26th anniversary of the release of Boogie Nights.
And this will be my tricky attempt to sugarcoat a very, um, provocative movie.
So here's a very brief, sanitized description:
Mark Wahlberg becomes part of the world of adult cinema in the late 70s, where the trope of sex, drugs, and rock and roll are amplified tenfold. Disco, drugs and disaster ensue.
Oh yeah, it's dark, but the cast is topnotch: Julianne Moore, John C. Reilly, William H. Macy, Don Cheadle, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and much to everyone's surprise, Burt Reynolds, who got the best reviews of his career playing an adult film director.
The film is obviously not for everyone but I defy you to not love the soundtrack, or specifically, soundtracks.
There was so much music in the film two volumes were released, primarily from the 70s but occasionally dipping into the 60s or 80s. There's much to enjoy on both compilations.
Putting the "boogie" in Boogie Nights are classics from The Emotions, Marvin Gaye, The Commodores, ELO, Three Dog Night, KC and the Sunshine Band, Hot Chocolate, and the Ohio Players.
There are also some fun choices of tunes that would fall under the "one hit wonder" category to most, from Walter Egan's Magnet and Steel" and Elvin Bishop's "Fooled Around and Fell in Love."
It was extra difficult to pick a song from these two compilations for today's SoundTRAX selection, but I'm going with one of my favorite one-hit wonders.
For the 26th anniversary of Boogie Nights, it's British band Sniff 'n' the Tears with "Driver's Seat."
