Various Artists, A Mighty Wind: The Soundtrack (DMZ/Columbia/Sony, 2003)

I have been listening to folk music for my whole life. Before I could choose my own records, my mother was digging The Weavers, and Burl Ives. Then the Kingston Trio, the Womenfolk, Brothers Four. Mitch Miller and the Gang even did a schmaltzy middle of the road translation of folk music that made me cringe. Then we moved on to the Smothers Brothers, Peter, Paul & Mary and Bob Dylan...there was no looking back! The film A Mighty Wind is being reviewed elsewhere in GMR, but the day after I saw it...I ran to the record store and picked up a copy of the soundtrack, and I've been enjoying it ever since.

This parody of a tribute concert in remembrance of an Albert Grossman styled entrepreneur is as perfect in its way as Christopher Guest and company's other pseudo-documentaries...but the soundtrack displays a different ability. These skillful comedians are talented musicians. Okay, they're not brilliant guitarists or singers, but they can certainly carry a tune, and provide competent fretwork. Almost all the instruments save for drums and a few sweeteners are played by the actors! And the songs are all written by the cast and their friends.

The Folksmen, made up of Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer, are the Kingston Trio of the piece. Their songs are catchy, with witty yet very subtle lyrics. You can imagine people hearing these songs out of context, and thinking they might be from some lost folk group of the 60s! "Old Joe's Place" begins the album, and makes the best of the three distinct voices of the trio. Shearer's basso profundo, McKean's baritone, and Guest's tenor blend well, and each one provides his own humorous touch to the songs. On "Skeletons of Quinto" (the political ballad) David Nichtern joins them playing a beautiful nylon string guitar solo. "Never Did No Wanderin'" is presented as a traditional song that was The Folksmen's big hit. "Loco Man" shows a calypso influence. As I said...it's perfect. The writers and performers have captured the essence of the Folk Revival!

The second group, based perhaps on the New Christy Minstrels, is the New Main Street Singers. They "Never Did No Wanderin'" neither! Only, louder, faster and more commercial. The group singing is tight though, and the tenor guitar is a brilliant touch. "Just That Kinda Day" is one of those perky "up" tunes performed by the big groups of the day; and "The Good Book Song" is a potted Bible song, with details just close enough to make you think someone in the group actually went to Sunday School once.

I really enjoyed the playful "Potato's in the Paddy Wagon," just don't listen to it too closely! You'll laugh out loud!

The film deals in a large part with the reunion of Mitch & Mickey (played beautifully by Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara) and their offerings are bitter-sweet. Levy plays guitar, and O'Hara autoharp, their voices complement each other. They have captured the folk duet sound. Lovers, would-be lovers, ex-lovers...they've been there, done that, and you can hear the story of their relationship in "When You're Next To Me," "One More Time," "The Ballad of Bobby and June," and the show stopper "A Kiss At The End of The Rainbow." The enhanced CD includes a video of them doing "When You're Next To Me" which did not appear in the final print of the film. A nice bonus.

It's hard to criticize this album; the thing could be exactly what it purports to be...a compendium of music by three 60s folk groups back together again. It is that well done. The lyrics are at once funny, yet smart enough to not be simplistic parodies the like of Weird Al. There is one cover version. The Folksmen do an acoustic folk rendition of the Rolling Stones "Start Me Up." If hearing the three of them harmonize on the final, "You make a dead man cummmmm...by yahhhhh!" doesn't bring a smile to you...your smiler must be broken!

The film is one thing, but this soundtrack is a brilliant attempt to portray the sounds and excitement of folk music. The filmmakers obviously have great affection for this music. You will too.