Hubert Laws & Earl Klugh - How To Beat The High Cost Of Living (1980)

2013 Wounded Bird reissue.

Soundtrack for a 1980 caper comedy starring Susan St. James, Jane Curtin, and Jessica Lange. In preparation for this post, I watched said movie and while I wouldn't watch it again, I didn't switch it off. If you're interested, there's a good summary/retro-review over at F This Movie.

And while there's some big names performing on the soundtrack, giving Laws and Klugh top billing was no doubt a marketing ploy. If you read the fine print, all the music is composed and conducted by prolific soundtrack composer Patrick Williams. So while I was hoping for some of Klugh's smooth jazz goodness, he's just a hired hand playing a typical soundtrack score - unobtrusive by design. It's not terrible, but it makes me wonder what an actual collaboration between Laws and Klugh might have sounded like. The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999) gives it 3 of 5 stars which seems a little high to me.

Billboard and Record World

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: #134
Peak on Billboard Jazz LPs chart: #21
Peak on CashBox album chart: #134
Peak on CashBox Jazz albums chart: #10

Tracks: 10 tracks, 32 minutes. The lead track, Down River, has a catchy bass line, courtesy of studio veteran Neil Steubenhaus. If I recall correctly, Down River is the main theme for the movie and that bass lick appears in other tracks. The best cut is Dream Something, featuring Klugh. The remainder is harmless soundtrack fare.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
Move (1994)
Midnight in San Juan (1991)
The Best of Earl Klugh (1991)
Volume One (1991)
Collaboration (1987)
Soda Fountain Shuffle (1985)
Nightsongs (1984)
Two of a Kind (1982)
Dream Come True (1980)/Crazy For You (1981)/Low Ride (1983)
Late Night Guitar (1980)
Finger Paintings (1977)/Heart String (1979)/Wishful Thinking (1984)