Highway to the Danger Zone!

Ah, Top Gun. A classic 80s movie complete with awesome aerial battles, unforgettable quotable lines, and a killer soundtrack. And then there's the Top Gun Nintendo game... hmmm.... Difficult missiles to dodge, boring game play, and the nearly impossible task of LANDING YOUR PLANE!!! I forgot one very important thing about this game for me, the totally awesome nostalgia factor. Despite it's flaws, I used to play this game all the time, and I truly loved it. I recently played it again and decided to figure out once and for all how to land my plane, refuel in midair, and to beat this game once and for all!

My journey to the Nerd side is complete as I wrote a FAQ for TOP GUN on the NES. If you shared in my frustration with this game, and want to learn to land your plane every time (yes, I now know how to do it EVERY TIME!), I can send you a copy... Just drop me a line on this blog!

This blog is supposed to be music-related, so let's talk a little bit about the music for the movie TOP GUN. So, I'm going to pull out my TOP GUN tape (for those of you born after 1992, a tape is what preceded CDs, for those of you born after 2002, the CD is what preceded MP3s) and review it track for track...

Side 1
1. Danger Zone - by Kenny Loggins
Big Guitars, Keyboards, rippin' guitar solos, it's 1986 again! I still think this is a cool song more than 20 years later. It has a catchy beat, and the guitar riffs are basic but rockin'. Cool solo too. Solid track.

2. Mighty Wings - by Cheap Trick
This song rocks my face! From the moment those two snare hits cue the huge guitars and that riff, I am instantly flying through the canyons dogfighting against Viper, playing by my own unpredictable rules. This song still pumps me up. This is probably the most solid rock track on the soundtrack.

3. Playing with the Boys - by Kenny Loggins
I always associate this song with the "beach volleyball scene," ugh, I have to get through this one quickly. I'll never forget watching this scene with my sister-in-law and being confused (as a 6 year old) when she said "This is my favorite scene in the movie!" Maybe it's not fair, but that scene just oozes so much latent homosexuality that it has tainted this song for me. Cute pop song, but I hope I never have to listen to this full song again. I'd rather fly a cargo plane full of rubber dog S&*! out of Hong Kong!!

4. Lead Me On - Teena Marie
Synth intro, electronic drums, hmm, not a good start. As I recall, this was background music for the bar scene. Despite being a "pop" song, it is actually refreshing to hear a guitar in a pop song again. Most pop these days is devoid of guitars (or only has a sampled guitar part played over and over), and the guitar adds a little more energy to the track. There's even a little pop-rock guitar solo towards the end. This song is typical mid-80s pop.

5. Take My Breath Away (Love theme from "Top Gun") - by Berlin
Yes, on the tape it actually does say "Love theme from 'Top Gun'", as if we could escape this song at the time!! This is make out music, plain and simple. That warbly bass line could fit into any "adult" movie. If you're not getting it on by the time the woodblock towards the end kicks in, you're dead.

Side 2
6. Hot Summer Nights - by Miami Sound Machine
Wow, electronic drums are lame. Once again, it is refreshing to hear a guitar in a pop song, no matter how lame it is. There are some nice chord progressions and melodies in this one, but the lyrics and production are way to schmaltzy for me. Anyway, more 80s pop.

7. Heaven in your Eyes - Loverboy
I don't think I've ever actually heard this song. Is it even in the movie? What the hell, I mean, oh excuse me... sorry, I just barfed. This is possibly one of the worst songs I've ever heard. This ranks up there with Hulk Hogan's rap song, "I want to be a Hulkamaniac." I never thought 4 minutes could feel like 4 hours. Ugh. Moving on....

8. Through the Fire - Larry Greene
This song is an OK rock track. It is definitely a B side track, especially compared to "Danger Zone" and "Mighty Wings." It fits well on this soundtrack though. Not terrible, but not special either.

9. Destination Unknown - Marietta
Again with the electronic drums, ugh! The synthesizer combined with electronic drums just makes it worse. The synth combined with real instruments can actually work (see Mighty Wings). It took me a second to remember where this song was in the movie... (I think it was the TOP GUN awards ceremony). There's a nice solo towards the end actually, but otherwise, it's a pretty forgettable song.

10. Top Gun Anthem - Harold Faltermyer and Steve Stevens
This theme rules. Heroic melodies and guitar playing were courtesy of Steve Stevens (played for Billy Idol). When that first low bass note kicks in, I feel like I'm sitting in the ready room before the final scene in the movie being briefed for combat. The track has a little bit of that 80s schmaltz (especially the bridge), but all of these tracks did to a certain extent.

So all in all, the soundtrack is very memorable. The best songs by far are "Danger Zone", "Mighty Wings", and the "Top Gun Anthem." The pop, lovey-dovey stuff had to be in there, I guess. It's not great to listen to, but it fits the scenes in the movie, and for what it's worth, are catchy enough to launch me back to those scenes with just one listen. "Take My Breath Away" was a monster hit as well. This soundtrack really had it all for the time... songs to get pumped up to, going clubbing to, to get it on, and to remember the great 80s classic, Top Gun. I've got the need. The need... for speed! Ow!!