Allison Anders‘ 1996 fictional film, Grace of My Heart – a clever and heartfelt tribute to the great sounds of the 1960s and early 70s – features original songs that take their inspiration from Brill Building and girl group pop, as well as Phil Spector’s “Wall of Sound,” British Invasion beat groups, and confessional singer-songwriter balladry that later set the stage for “adult contemporary” pop. The soundtrack’s effectiveness is due, in part, to the fact that a number of songs were written by veteran songwriters of the classic pop era in collaboration with more contemporary artists, as in the case of “God Give Me Strength,” which was written by Burt Bacharach with Elvis Costello.
Producer – Larry Klein
“Take a Run at the Sun” – a deft blend of surf and theremin that is one of the soundtrack’s highlights – was written and performed by J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. and is notable for sounding nothing like the gargantuan guitar roar for which the 90s “alternative” rock trio is famous:
“Take A Run At The Sun“
J Mascis (1996)
The following year saw the release of a Dinosaur Jr. three-song single (in the UK and Australia only) which featured “Take a Run at the Sun” as the A-side with “Don’t You Think It’s Time” and “The Pickle Song” on the flip side. These tracks would also end up as bonus selections on the 2019 reissue of Dinosaur Jr.’s Hand It Over album.
Released 1997 on Blanco Y Negro (WEA subsidiary)
*
LINK to Modern Rock on Zero to 180
LINK to Film +/- TV Soundtracks
