GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2014)

It’s an awesome mix alright. The song list on Disc One of this Deluxe Edition of the Marvel summer blockbuster is enough reason for you to run out there and get a copy for keeps now.

Awesome Mix Vol. 1 features the songs and artistes seen on Peter Quill’s (aka Star Lord) mix tape in the movie, and while we don’t have the technology to own a cassette of 70s’ rock, pop and soul classics (we miss those days, don’t you?), we’d have to make to with this CD (we’re speaking as if having digitally recorded music on one disc is a bad thing!).

Kicking off the 45 minute CD is Swedish rock band Blue Swede’s cover of “Hooked on a Feeling”, the song which was featured in the movie’s first trailer. We guarantee you’d be hooked on the tribal chants “hugu chaka”, and put this on repeat mode. One gem that sets the movie’s space setting is David Bowie’s “Moonage Daydream”, a glam rock track which will please fans of the English singer songwriter.

Another standout track is American all female rock band The Runaway’s “Cherry Bomb”, a punk influenced hard rock tune which will make you sway your head in glee. Familiar songs for the younger generation include Rupert Holmes’ Escape (The Pina Colada Song) which has been covered countless times and Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s karaoke hit “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”. A special shout out to fans of dancing Groot (we’re assuming most of our readers have watched the movie) – skip to Track 7 and boogie to Jackson5’s “I Want You Back”.

With such an awesome first disc, Taylor Bates’ score on Disc Two is a very pleasant bonus for soundtrack collectors. The 65 minute CD contains 29 tracks which captures the swashbuckling moments of the movie, and manages to entertain listeners with its action cues. Some notable cues include “The Final Battle Begins”, “What a Bunch of A Holes” and “The Ballad of the Nova Corps”.

While it is not particularly memorable or impressive, Bates (who is known for his work on other action movies like 300, Sucker Punch and Watchmen), Disc Two serves its purpose for functional listening and re-living certain moments from the film.

Whether you belong to the older crow who will love this collection to reminisce the good ol’ days of the 70s, or use the music to put yourself in your parents’ shoes to know what music was to a teenager back then, we highly recommend this soundtrack album. If anything, the album art rocks big time too.  

ALBUM RATING:

Recommended Track: (1) Hooked on a Feeling – Blue Swede (Disc One)

Review by John Li