Diner: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Masterfully written and directed by Barry Levinson, Diner is a smirking, coming-of-age film fondly remembered for its deliciously wry dialogue, excellent young cast, and a starry soundtrack from rock & roll's infancy. Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Jimmy Reed, Fats Domino, Eddie Cochran, Carl Perkins, Bobby Darin, and Dion & the Belmonts are among many pioneering performers who flawlessly accentuate the film set in 1959 Baltimore. Besides easily recognizable artists and chart-toppers, the album nicely delivers slow-dance charmers "Come Go With Me" (the Del-Vikings), "Reconsider Baby" (Lowell Fulson), "It's All in the Game" (Tommy Edwards), "Goodbye Baby" (Jack Scott), and the original "Theme from a Summer Place." Not surprisingly, the 20 songs appearing on Diner rival virtually any late-'50s single-album rock & roll compilation, and impressively, nearly half of these performers have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. More than just a nostalgic stroll down memory lane, these songs endow a wonderfully endearing film, and perhaps more importantly, signify an end to a perceived golden age of innocence for a generation of Americans. ~ Craig Curtice