Great Rock Albums of 1979: The Soundtrack to The Warriors

This is my favourite movie of all time, I must have seen it at least 25 times and could probably act every part in it, although not very well. When asked why, I explain that as a youth I had some morbid fascination with gang fights, I don't know why. Anyway, I'm not doing a self psych evaluation here. The amusing thing I remember about this film was that there was an uproar when it was coming to Philadelphia because of fears of gang violence. It seems that in some other major US cities, gangs would go to the film for a bit of inspiration and then have a rumble after, only in America.

Onto the soundtrack, when I first watched the movie way back in 1979, it was the last movie I went to before I joined the marines, I was very impressed with the soundtrack. There were some real hard rocking songs on it. As a result I bought it on my first leave after boot camp and I was right, for the most part. I do have to say that I wasn't impressed by the track "Echoes in My Mind" and usually skipped over it when I listened on vinyl or turned down the volume when listening to it on cassette in the car. Nevertheless, the other songs more than make up for it. The ones that definitely do it for me are "Love is a Fire," "Last of an Ancient Breed" and the song from Joe Walsh which would be re recorded by the Eagles in an album I will visit in the not too distant future, "In the City."

Track Listing

1. Barry De Vorzon- The Theme to the Warriors

2. Arnold McCuller- Nowhere to Run

3. Kenny Vance and Ismael Miranda- In Havana

4. Mantrill- Echoes in My Mind

5. Barry De Vorzon- The Fight

6. Joe Walsh- In the City

7. Genya Ravan- Love is a Fire

8. Barry De Vorzon- The Baseball Furies Chase

9. Johnny Vastano- You're Moving Too Slow

10. Desmond Child- Last of an Ancient Breed

When I was in the marines, I met many people from New York who said this film was a load of bull. The gangs aren't visible like they are in the film and one guy said that if his gang went up against a gang looking like the Baseball Furies, the Furies would have kicked their asses because they would have been to busy laughing at them. Whatever you might have though of the film, this is still a great soundtrack with some really cool songs.

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