Life Moves Pretty Fast: The John Hughes Mixtapes

Without their soundtracks, John Hughes classic 1980s movies would be very, very different films. In a way that set the tone for an entire generation of youth culture, the song selections for his movies reflected the emotional travails of his characters while they added depth and detail to every triumph and struggle. Life Moves Pretty Fast aims to capture the very specific mood delivered by Hughes soundtracks by collecting songs used in his iconic 80s run in one place. Across four discs and 74 tracks, Life Moves Pretty Fast includes music from more than ten films Hughes either wrote or directed. Though this includes selections from movies like Uncle Buck and The Great Outdoors, the most recognizable entries come from Hughes coming-of-age and teen comedy-drama masterpieces like Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Ferris Buellers Day Off, and others. Songs like Simple Minds "Dont You (Forget About Me)," Yellos "Oh Yeah," the Psychedelic Furs "Pretty in Pink," and Oingo Boingos "Weird Science" are all but inextricable from their respective films (with the latter two even sharing titles with the movies they were theme songs for), but digging a little deeper into the compilation reveals some hidden gems. Kristy MacColls cover of the Smiths brutally pessimistic "You Just Havent Earned It Yet, Baby" (featured in Hughes 1988 film Shes Having a Baby) sounds almost cheery compared to the original, and the goofy synth pop of Silicon Teens "Red River Rock" is a perfect counterpart to the slapstick misadventures portrayed in Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Listening straight through will expose overlooked moments and remind one of such all-but-forgotten tunes as General Publics lilting "Tenderness" and Flesh for Lulus "I Go Crazy." Experienced one song at a time, Life Moves Pretty Fast is sweet and nostalgic. Listeners who immerse themselves in the box set will get happily lost in the promise, possibility, and youthful excitement of the music, and realize just how essential the soundtracks were to establishing those feelings in Hughes films. ~ Fred Thomas