Various artists
Music from the Motion Picture `Philadelphia’ (Epic) (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)
“Philadelphia” director Jonathan Demme may have the best ear for pop music in the movie business: his “Something Wild” is among the best soundtracks ever and “Stop Making Sense,” with Talking Heads, among the best concert films. “Philadelphia” isn’t quite at that level, but it does boast new songs from Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young and Peter Gabriel, among others, that complement the movie’s sobering view of AIDS and homophobia. Springsteen’s “Streets of Philadelphia” continues in the insular, homemade vein of his “Lucky Town” album. Sandwiched between a spare drum loop and a hovering synth, a wordless vocal hook tugs at the heart even more profoundly than the anguished lyric (“I saw my reflection in a window, I didn’t know my own face”). Young’s “Philadelphia” offers a shot of sweet, low-key redemption, while Gabriel’s “Lovetown” tinkers unremarkably with low-key funk. The biggest surprise is Sade’s bluesy take on the Moonglows’ 1957 hit “Please Send Me Someone to Love”-it’s better than anything on her tepid “Love Deluxe” (album.
Ratings: Excellent (STAR)(STAR)(STAR)(STAR) Good (STAR)(STAR)(STAR) Fair (STAR)(STAR) Poor (STAR)
