It has been 25 years today since Pulp Fiction was released across the pond, so we thought, why not do what any magazine does? A List! I mean, yes it’s generic, but the man is responsible for several pop-culture icons and some of the baddest soundtracks around. Don’t expect anything edgy, new, insightful, this article is the biggest cliche you’ll probably ever read. But, here it is anyway. The Rodeo weighing in on the top 5 tracks from Tarantino flicks.
5. Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon – Urge Overkill
We’ve all done it. You’d be lying if you said you haven’t. And if your excuse is that you haven’t seen Pulp Fiction, well, sort yourself out. Mia Wallace is iconic. Her and Travolta have just won a dancing contest and he’s dropping her home, still trying to avoid completely fucking up so her gangster husband doesn’t end his life. She struts in and pops this banger on the record player.
Now, here’s the thing we’ve all done. She starts to dance. Not just standard, movie, cliche dancing, however. Jeez, it’s cool. She shimmies, she shuffles, her arms are, well I don’t actually know what they’re doing but you know. It’s cool, very cool. She’s dancing for herself. Vince is talking to himself. Wallace loses it at one point – she’s like most Fiat 500 girls after getting back from a night out who just can’t go to bed yet. But, they just keep on dancing, the show must go on.
4. Unchained (Payback/The Untouchable) – James Brown & 2Pac
I mean just look at him, look at Django, he looks cool as fuck. Like a pimp dressed as a cowboy but you know, without all the negative, horrible, manipulative, violent, illegal side of being a pimp, but a pimp nonetheless. One that’s been transported into modern times, who owns the biggest disco club around, who swans through every night greeting everyone with either a tip of the hat or a 360 spin and a smooth finger-point. He da man.
And this tune is as badass as him. Brass sounds boom around signalling the arrival of a bad motherfucker, the type who’s just blown up a house after saving his enslaved wife. It even deploys a sample of Django’s iconic line, “I like the way you die,” as if the song was made for the film itself? Sheer bloody genius. It’s brash and bold, it encapsulates the whole film in three minutes.
3. Misirilou – Dick Dale & His Del-Tones
Honey Bunny and Pumpkin are having a cute meal at a cliche diner. Honey Bunny and Pumpkin get a refill of coffee. Honey Bunny and Pumpkin finish their French Toast. Honey Bunny and Pumpkin lose their fucking minds, whip out a gun, and begin a robbery. Bang. The riff comes in. You’re on your way.
Pulp Fiction’s begun. You can officially start your life as a standard bloke with little knowledge of ‘real’ film and claim ‘Pulp Fiction’ is the best thing ever. Here’s the catch. You don’t even need to watch the rest of it. Once you’ve seen the diner scene and heard this song, you’ve seen the best bit. Lies? Ok, probably.
2. Bang Bang – Nancy Sinatra
I mean, it kind of ruins the subplot of the whole film right? The underlying theme, the motive for vengeance, B******* K****’s ‘baby’ literally shot her down, the cause of this manhunt she embarks on. But, I guess, when you’re watching it for the first time, you’re not going to make that link are you. It’d be a hell of a prediction that though.
Anyway, Sinatra’s vintage croon, the Western twang, it’s mysterious, unnerving, enthralling, just like the following 4 and a bit hours. Kill Bill is an absolute epic, a homage to Japanese film, to Karate culture, yet the soundtrack is a global masterpiece, pulling sounds from the east, the wild west, from hip hop, glam rock and vintage pop. This is merely the best of the bunch.
1. Stuck In The Middle – Stealers Wheel
There’s a party somewhere, it’s busy, the techno-heads are wanting the DJ to get back on, he’s having a break, I take control of the AUX, whack this on and the whole room starts stutter-stepping, doing their best impression of Michael Masden. This banger plays out and we’re all there, taking one step forward, arms straightened out at 45 degrees, fingers pointed, walking one step forward, one step back, one person even goes to the length of pulling their penknife out. The lad next to him shits himself.
In the film, the dude chops a cop’s ear off whilst dancing to a track that ultimately, is made for dancing, so he’s forgiven right? The soft acoustic intro, the bass line feels its way in and Michael Madsen starts moving and grooving, stuttering along as he whips out the knife, gives it a quick clean, before savaging off the youngsters hearing organs. Beautiful, poetic, a sheer delight to watch. Wait, what am I saying? It’s disgusting, but I guess that’s the brilliance of the music right?
You can find some of Quentin Tarantino’s soundtracks on Spotify and Apple Music. For something less generic try our latest print volume HERE.
