The Commitments - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1991)

I've never seen the 1991 Irish film, The Commitments, but curiosity got the best of me when I discovered the soundtrack on CD for $2 at a local church fair.

After only one listen it became clear that I've missed out on some great music that stands on its own even without seeing the movie. There is nothing remotely Celtic about the enthusiastically performed fourteen songs on this disc that make a strong case that this small, music loving, island nation has a powerful affection for American R&B. The movie is about that love affair and how a bunch of young, working class Dubliners try to hit the big time simply by playing the music they love best.

The group's most talented lead singer is clearly Andrew Strong whose career took off after the flick became a hit. He has toured with Elton John, The Rolling Stones, Prince, and Lenny Kravitz and released several best-selling albums. Strong possesses a powerful voice, and here he turns in two Wilson Pickett worthy performances with his covers of "In The Midnight Hour" and "Mustang Sally." He also shines on the Al Green penned hit famously covered by The Talking Heads, "Take Me To The River," and Otis Redding's "Try a Little Tenderness."

The band's three female vocalists take turns singing lead on Aretha Franklin's "Chain Of Fools," and "I Never Loved A Man," as well as "Bye Bye Baby" taken from the Mary Wells songbook.

Robert Arkins is out front on a blowup-your-speakers version of Roy Head's "Treat Her Nice" and on Clarence Carter's smooth "Slip Away."

Most of The Commitments' versions of these tunes are worthy of being hits. Only you can decide if these arrangements stand tall against the originals, but if you don't believe they do perhaps the reason is the over-familiarity many have with the American classics.

The film became widely influential by helping discover Glen Hansard, leader of the Irish rock band The Frames. Hansard became famous for his Academy Award winning song "Falling Slowly" from the movie Once. It was also the first big break for The Corrs, each of whom won a small role in the movie.

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