THERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW: "Night Moves" is edited, and "Fly Like An Eagle" does not contain the keyboard intro/outro sound effects. Ironically, it DOES contain the full 8:00+ version of Joe Walsh's "Life's Been Good". The two Linda Ronstadt songs are live (but still good), and I'd assume probably unavailable except on this album. I'm also not sure if you can buy Steely Dan's "FM (Reprise)" elsewhere.

I am sure the poster that came with the album is probably too much to ask for in a CD however. :)

TRACK LISTING:

01. Fm - Steely Dan Becker/Fagen 4:52 Real Audio....


Great music, but sonically disappointing   August 26, 2003
13 out of 13 found this review helpful

This is a collection of great songs from one of my favorite music eras--the late '70s. But I was disappointed by the mastering. The Linda Ronstadt concert stuff sounds great, and Jimmy Buffett isn't too bad. The rest of the songs sound thin and brittle. The second disk starts off nice and loud with Linda, but the other tracks are much quieter, and their fidelity is poor.

If I had to guess, I'd say it sounds like the original album was made by making analog copies of existing safety copies, and then editing them together before sending to the mastering house. Then, 22 years later, they pulled these 3rd-generation analog tapes out of storage, dusted them off, and digitized them for CD. I own a lot of music from that era, so I know what it's supposed to sound like.

If you like the artists on this album, you would do better to collect their original works. It's really too bad they didn't go back to the original masters for all of the songs and then do a good job of digitally remastering them for CD.


Classic rock's response to SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER   August 2, 2001
Erik North (San Gabriel, CA USA)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful

Even though the film wasn't really noticeable for too much else beyond being the supposed inspiration for the TV series "WKRP In Cincinnati", the soundtrack to F.M. remains one of the high points of 70s music. In essence, this can be seen as classic rock's response to SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER; and while the F.M. soundtrack didn't even come close in terms of sales to FEVER, it still sold a truckload, and with good reason.

We get a lot of great stuff here from such acts as Boston ("More Than A Feeling"), Foreigner ("Cold As Ice"), the Eagles ("Life In The Fast Lane"), Steely Dan ("F.M.", "Do It Again"), Jimmy Buffett ("Livingston Saturday Night") any many others. My personal two favorite cuts on the soundtrack, because I happen to be a big fan of hers, are the live versions of "Tumbling Dice" and "Poor, Poor, Pitiful Me" by Linda Ronstadt. She doesn't show any traces of her stage fright in the concert footage in the movie; and her searing rendition of "Poor, Poor, Pitiful Me" will make everyone wonder why in the world Terri Clark ever bothered to remake this song in 1996.

Any self-respecting classic rock fan should have the F.M. soundtrack in their collection. It's a winner!


Underrated Movie, Outstanding Soundtrack   February 18, 2005
Doctorvetsill (Boston)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

This is the ultimate 70's soundtrack! A bit disappointing that "Night Moves" and "Fly Like An Eagle" are the single versions and that "We Are The Champions" was not included (even though it doesn't appear in the film it's still a necessary companion to "We Will Rock You."

Linda Ronstadt's career of covers is represented by 2 sizzling tracks, though I have to wonder why her version of "Love Me Tender" was left off.

Why, oh why did they put the studio version of "Livingston Saturday Night" instead of the live version from the film?

Then again, I knew all of this because I owned the vinyl long before the CD came out.

I saw the movie late one night on Encore in the early 90's, when I was in college radio, and loved the whole atmosphere of the film. I can understand why anyone who hasn't been in radio would be bored by it though.

Anyway, these discs are a great history lesson not to mention the outstanding contributions by Walt & Don, a.k.a. Steely Dan.

Rock on.


A really fun collection of classic songs   September 23, 2000
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

Yeah, I know the term "classic" is overused when it comes to rock music; however, the songs here are still truly beloved, even 20 years after their release. A true "classic rock" radio station would definitely have this album in its library.

Check out the jazz-flavored "FM" from Steely Dan . . . a departure from the guitar-driven rock they were typically producing in the late 70s. This cut is a precursor of Fagen's stunning "Nightfly" which would follow a few years after this release.

SD goes back, Jack, and does it again; and, they also serve up a really cool reprise of "FM" to close out this great collection of tunes.

Long before you get to the reprise, though, you are treated to a Who's Who of top-shelf rock artists of the 70s--Steve Miller, Foreigner, Petty, Eagles (including solo Walsh), Doobies, JT, Boston, and the incomparable Boz Scaggs.

A tremendous soundtrack, which delivers a time capsule of great 70s memories.