“Sparks” by The Who from “Almost Famous”
William finds a copy of The Who’s Tommy, with a message from Anita inside: “Listen to Tommy with a candle burning and you will see your entire future.” The young boy follows his sister’s instructions, with instrumental track “Sparks” kicking in, and Crowe brilliantly fades from the spinning vinyl to the older William (Patrick Fugit), now a teenaged, Creem Magazine-reading, rock and roll obsessive. It’s a brilliant evocation of both The Song That Changed Your Life, and the effect that an older sibling’s music collection can have, with the track playing nicely for several minutes onwards, over the introduction of Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s Lester Bangs.
“Tiny Dancer” by Elton John from “Almost Famous”
Perhaps even more than Lloyd Dobler and his boombox, this Elton John cut is probably Crowe’s most celebrated and enduring meld of music and film to date, one that redefined the song itself and marks one of the great cinematic singalongs. With the band fractured, and guitar player Russell (Billy Crudup) recovering from his “golden god” LSD trip, a bus ride heads off in stony silence, until John’s song comes on the radio, and bassist Larry (Mark Kozelek) starts singing along. One by one, the various Stillwater members, groupies, and crew join in, rifts and tiffs forgotten in the happiness of sharing great music.
“The Wind” by Cat Stevens from “Almost Famous”
Crowe is somewhat underrated as a visual director. We remember the human moments and the dialogue, but there are elements of real lyricism in his films too. One of our faves is a gorgeous shot (“Almost Famous” was lensed by “The Thin Red Line” DP John Toll, and boy it shows) of Penny Lane (Kate Hudson) dancing in an empty venue, floor strewn with confetti, to the sound of Cat Stevens’ ballad “The Wind.” It’s a lovely moment in and of itself, but also serves as a sort of elegy to rock and roll, coming just after a slick new record company manager (an unrecognizable Jimmy Fallon, in his best acting performance) comes on to the band, convincing them to abandon their bus (it’s “the soul of the band,” objects Jason Lee’s Jeff) and travel by plane.
“My Cherie Amour” by Stevie Wonder from “Almost Famous”
Crowe’s biggest influence is undoubtedly sweet-and-sour specialist Billy Wilder — he literally wrote the book on the great “Some Like It Hot” helmer, the terrific “Conversations With Wilder,” which is a must-read — and that’s perhaps most felt in a late scene in “Almost Famous,” as William finds his beloved Penny overdosed on Quaaludes after being rejected by Russell. The adoring way he looks at her as he tries to keep her conscious, as she has her stomach pumped, is a direct nod to a similar moment in “The Apartment,” but Crowe has a secret weapon: Stevie Wonder’s “My Cherie Amour,” now a borderline-cheesy standard, but given a new power by being juxtaposed against some heavy-duty vomiting.
“Tangerine” by Led Zeppelin from “Almost Famous”
Before “Almost Famous,” Led Zeppelin, maybe the biggest and most seminal rock band of the 1970s, had never licensed their music for a soundtrack, but if they were ever going to break the habit, “Almost Famous” seemed like the perfect film to do it with (given that it’s partly based on Crowe’s time on the road with the group). After seeing an early cut of the film, the band ultimately gave the director four songs, by far the most effective of which is “Tangerine,” from Led Zeppelin III. One of their folkier numbers, it scores the ending of the film, as William finally gets his interview with Russell, asking him “What do you love about music?” to which the answer comes, “To begin with: everything.” Crowe then cuts to a montage of the band, of William with his reunited family, and of Penny Lane heading to Morocco, sending you out on the perfect high. It’s just a shame that Zeppelin drew the line at giving Crowe “Stairway To Heaven,” though from the eight-minute scene on the “Untitled” DVD, in which William plays his mother the track in its entirety, it might have stopped the film dead in its tracks.
