The original motion picture soundtrack to The Big Chill (1984) has been rightfully lauded as reintroducing the baby boomer generation -- as well as the rest of the world -- to their music. The film deals with a bittersweet reunion of former college pals at the funeral of a mutual friend. The candor and humor that director Lawrence Kasdan used in dealing with the subject matter, as well as the iconoclastic top-shelf ensemble cast, immediately struck a chord. The characters and situations presented obvious and resounding touchstones in the concurrent lives of those who survived coming of age during the 1960s. At the very core of each cinematic scene, tying all of the emotional loose ends together, is the seemingly haphazard soundtrack. Indeed, outside of the context of the movie, putting tracks as stylistically disparate as
the Steve Miller Band's psychedelic ballad "Quicksilver Girl" alongside the bright R&B of
the Exciters' "Tell Him'" might seem, at the very least, odd. However, the action on the screen becomes so indelibly linked to the incidental tunes that the music practically becomes a phantom cast member. The tracks were chosen by Kasdan's wife, Meg, and as the bulk of them hailed from the Motown catalog, the R&B label released an original soundtrack long-player containing ten of the tunes prominently featured in the flick. The Top 20 success of that platter spawned this follow-up.
The Big Chill: More Songs from the Original Soundtrack (1984) was issued seven months after its predecessor. With only seven of the 11 cuts actually used in The Big Chill, this title made a comparatively modest showing in the Top 100. Perhaps more insidious is the cultural revolution that resulted in the ensuing nostalgia for all things 1960s -- such as the advent of "Oldies" radio stations and the lucrative CD reissue market. Potential consumers should note that the two-CD Big Chill deluxe edition from 2004 includes a majority of the material from both LPs as well as a good sampling of hits from the Big Chill era. ~ Lindsay Planer