Away from headliners Guns N’ Roses and Avril Lavigne (pronounced La-vig-knee as far as I’m concerned) the selection of ‘EA Trax’ that make up Burnout Paradise’s extensive playlist features a smattering of quality tunes that I’m happy to have as mainstays within my own music collection, and that I actually enjoy tearing up the streets of Paradise City to. Except when DJ Atomika feels the need to interject.
The now sadly defunct ‘alt. dance’ act LCD Soundsystem (headed by New York City’s James Murphy) provided Us V. Them from their highly acclaimed 2007 album, Sound of Silver.
Here’s an excellent quality recording from a 2007 live performance in Manchester:
One of my favourite groups from the late 80s/early 90s were (the since reunited, split and again reformed) LA rock band Jane’s Addiction. Charismatic, maverick front-man Perry Farrell along with obscenely talented guitarist Dave Navarro were at the peak of their heroin-fuelled powers on 1990 LP Ritual de lo Habitual, from which Stop! is the opening track:
English rockers Swervedriver emerged from the ‘shoegazing’ movement of the late 80s/early 90s before evolving into a harder, heavier rock outfit with a sound in some ways more evocative of America’s West Coast than founder members Adam Franklin and Jimmy Hartridge’s native Oxford. Their contribution to Burnout Paradise, Duel, had previously featured prominently in the 3DO version of Road Rash. Guess EA still had the rights:
San Francisco’s Faith No More had already been around in one form or another for over a decade when they achieved their greatest commercial success with the Angel Dust LP. Mike Patton had joined the group (you may also know him as the voice of various Valve enemies), adding his powerful, rangy vocals and an ear for a radio-friendly hook. The result was a string of chart-bothering anthems including Midlife Crisis, A Small Victory and this, the deliberately very silly but still kinda awesome metally/funky/rappy Epic:
As with any soundtrack, particularly one full of licensed records, everyone will have their own favourites, but outside of Burnout Paradise’s strong selection of popular classical pieces and bits of Stephen Root’s Burnout OST back catalogue, these are the ones that get my tail swinging.
This Music Monday ties in with issue 136 of the Cane and Rinse podcast.
