E - Music Zone

Giorgio Moroder did a lot of soundtrack work during the early '80s, and one of his most well-known soundtracks is that of Scarface, the iconic Al Pacino film from 1983. Of all the films Moroder scored, from American Gigolo (1980) and Flashdance (1983) to Electric Dreams (1984) and The Never Ending Story (1984), Scarface is undoubtedly the one that withstood the test of time most impressively, growing in popularity as the years passed (culminating in a well-received DVD reissue in 2003 that probably did more business than the film itself did its first go round). The same cannot be said about the film's soundtrack, however. While each of Moroder's aforementioned soundtracks spun off huge hits -- "Call Me," "Flashdance," "Together in Electric Dreams," and "Never Ending Story" -- Scarface fell more in line with another not-exactly-successful Moroder soundtrack, Metropolis (1984), one that is better known for its dubious taste than its actual music. Regardless, the Scarface soundtrack is indeed well known, even if only because of the film's cult following. But yeah, the music is of dubious taste -- party hardy post-disco synth rock sung by everywoman divas like Deborah Harry (most notably), Amy Holland (remember her?), and Elizabeth Daily (Valley Girl, anyone?) -- which is precisely what makes Scarface so much sheer fun. Like the film itself, it's just so over the top, so overstylish, so unmistakably 1983 that you can't help but savor the outright absurdity of it all. What an age it was! And few songs embody it as perfectly as Harry's "Rush Rush," a bubbly post-disco ode to yayo (aka llello) that just screams out "early '80s" in fine polyester leisure-suit fashion. Elsewhere, the pair of Daily songs, "Shake It Up" and "I'm Hot Tonight," could be taken seriously, in a Pat Benatar or Patty Smyth kind of way, but they're definitely more enjoyably taken as camp. There's also Moroder's moody side-closing instrumentals, which are actually quite moving -- but still beautifully kitschy. The overall effect is awfully amusing, even if it's one of those novelty CDs you pull out now and then strictly to humor friends (and yourself, somewhat guiltily). Then again, Moroder's craft, as always, is notably distinct for its stylishness, if not for its tastefulness.