Jackie Brown - A Quentin Tarantino Film

Quentin Tarantino established himself as one of the few filmmakers to effectively use pop music with his first film Reservoir Dogs, a movie where the music was integral to the success of the film yet also worked well as a collection of songs. Jackie Brown, Tarantino's long-awaited third feature, finds him exploring new territory, creating an homage to blaxploitation flicks as well as a surprisingly subtle character study and love story, and its soundtrack appropriately finds him in new territory as well. The soundtrack still features snippets of dialogue, which simply aren't as effective separated from the film as those from Pulp Fiction, but the unified collection of '70s soul and funk is refreshing. He has wisely selected a batch of songs that haven't been worn out by oldies radio, building the bulk of the album with cult favorites like Bobby Womack's "Across 110th Street," Bill Withers' "Who Is He (And What Is He to You?)," Randy Crawford's "Street Life," Minnie Riperton's "Inside My Love," the Vampire Sound Inc.'s "The Lions and the Cucumber" and Pam Grier's "Long Time Woman." Only "Didn't I Blow Your Mind This Time," "Strawberry Letter 23" and "Natural High," as well as the Grass Roots' "Midnight Confessions," are familiar oldies items, but they play an integral part in the film itself and help make the soundtrack a thoroughly enjoyable, compulsively listenable experience. - Thomas Erlewine

Tracklist
A1    Bobby Womack - Across 110th Street    
A2    Beaumont's Lament
A3    Brothers Johnson - Strawberry Letter    
A4    Melanie, Simone And Sheronda
A5    Bill Withers - Who Is He (And What Is He To You?)    
A6    Johnny Cash - Tennessee Stud    
A7    Bloodstone - Natural High    

B1    Pam Grier - Long Time Woman    
B2    Detroit 9000
B3    Foxy Brown - (Holy Matrimony) Letter To The Firm    
B4    Randy Crawford - Street Life    
B5    The Delfonics - Didn't I Blow Your Mind This Time    
B6    The Grass Roots - Midnight Confessions    
B7    Minnie Riperton - Inside My Love    
B8    Just Ask Melanie
B9    The Vampire Sound Inc. - The Lions And The Cucumber    
B10    Elliot Easton's Tiki Gods - Monte Carlo Nights