Music Review ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High’

Fast Times at Ridgemont High soundtrack

It may be Fast Times at Ridgemont High, but that movie’s soundtrack makes for pretty slow going as a two-record set. The album’s compilers do deserve credit for using previously unreleased material from a wide variety of mostly noteworthy artists, including the Go Gos, Stevie Nicks, and Poco; and there are amiable moments here, such as a sensitive ballad from former Eagle Don Henley and a nearly a cappella remake of the Tymes’ “So Much in Love” by Timothy B. Schmit, another ex-Eagle. On the other hand, “I Don’t Know” finds Jimmy Buffett forsaking all that makes him special in favor of a faceless, mainstream rock sound; Jackson Browne’s “Somebody’s Baby” ranks with his most prosaic and lightweight numbers to date; and acts like Billy Squier, Joe Walsh, and Quarterflash also disappoint.

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