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Pineapple Express’s soundtrack brings the nostalgia and the munchies straight to the listener.

The new comedy from the Superbad team of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, Pineapple Express, is a callback to the stoner/buddy/low-brow comedies of the late 70’s and early 80’s.  The music chosen for the soundtrack reflects this personality, mixing new elements and recalled songs/artists into a CD that has honestly been playing on a non-stop loop on my computer since I put it in.

First up is the title track “Pineapple Express”, a new song by Huey Lewis & The News.  That’s right, kids.  You read it right.  New song from Huey Lewis & The News.  And it is great!  Whether you own a HL&TN album, have heard their singles on the radio, or are only familiar with their previous soundtrack work (Back to the Future), you will easily recognize their sound.  What got me giggling though was Huey mentioning “chronic” and hacking like he’s trying to hold in a huge hit of pot smoke.  I guess not to surprising coming from the guy who sang “I Want a New Drug” back in 1984.

Other 80’s songs that make an appearance on the CD are “Electric Avenue” by Eddy Grant (1982) and “Wanted Dead or Alive” by Peter Tosh (1981), followed by Robert Palmer’s “Woke Up Laughing” (1980).  While “Avenue” and “Wanted” are straight up reggae songs, though they may not straight up mention ganja in the lyrics, they still evoke the word into one’s mind by their very musical flavor.  “Woke Up” is much happier and more upbeat than later Palmer songs like “Addicted to Love” or “Simply Irresistible”.  And while not strictly reggae itself, it still pleases the ears with an island flair.  Beyond the 80’s, this island feel is also heard on Arthur Lyman’s “Hillawe”, a short but sweet Hawaiian melody as well as Jawaiian innovator Brother Noland’s “Coconut Girl”.  All these songs bring to mind lazy days spent on the beach relaxing.  If even a cold-loving polar bear like me can appreciate that, then something is being done right.

More notable out-of-time appearances include Bel Biv Devoe’s “Poison” (a classic kitsch tune), the wall of sound/southern rock that is Mountain’s “Don’t Look Around”, and the jazzy and laid back melody “Bird’s Lament” by Moondog & The London Symphonic.  Also, cannabis-enthusiasts Cypress Hill’s “Dr. Greenthumb” (never been disappointed with these guys) and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s “Tha Crossroads” (nothing but disappointed with them) show up.  The overly dramatic “I Didn’t Mean to Hurt You” by Spiritualized is less than spectacular, but every so often I’m in the mood to hear it.

Now onto the new stuff!  The only non-scorey new track is Public Enemy’s “Lost at Birth”.  (Special Note for The Young’uns: Public Enemy is one of the best things to happen to hip-hop and features Chuck-D and Flava Flav.  Were you wondering how that freak on Flava of Love got a show?  Check out the man’s music.  Upon his death, his neck-clock should be donated to the Smithsonian, so great is the man.  Flava Flav!!)  Yet again, Chuck and Flav deliver a great scratch-filled mix of incredible lyrics and amazing beats, proving again that Public Enemy is No.1!

Rounding out this grass-tastic album is score music by Graeme Revell (best known for such hits as The Crow, the pothead-friendly Idle Hands, and more recently Planet Terror).  Both songs come with dual titles that are so far apart from each other in levels of seriousness that I smiled when I first read them: “Pineapple Chase (a.k.a. The Reprise of the Phoenix)” and “Pineapple Fight (a.k.a. The Nemesis Proclaimed)”.  They really capture the urgency needed in a comedy-actioner like Pineapple Express.  Overly dramatic symphony music with guitar and synth sounds.  Excellent.

The soundtrack as a whole is a solid piece.  I’m sure that once they’ve seen it a few times and can remember the music well enough, toked-up space cadets will be looking for this one at…what’s that store…that sells the CDs…?  I’m hungry and my mouth feels dry.  What was I typing about?

PS – ATTENTION READERS: This review was written completely sober and the author would like to apologize for any coherency and sense made.

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