VA - That Thing You Do! (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (1996)

This is the soundtrack to the Tom Hanks-written and -directed movie about a fictional rock & roll band from Erie, PA (the Wonders), who luck into their one and only hit record in 1964. As a souvenir of the movie, this soundtrack more than fills the bill. But as a collection of great songs, it more than stands on its own as well. The tunes and performances perfectly evoke that cusp of time in rock history when one era was ending and another was beginning, while the production values are retro and yet modern, clean, and sharp. If you're a fan of mid-'60s British pop, here's a new recording that adds some more great songs and performances to that genre.~Review by Cub Koda