AA.VV.
American Graffiti

The last night of the summer of '62.

Runaway by Del Shannon, a quirky and atypical singer for those years, had just come out. As with any last night worth its salt, everything will happen. There's a much more obnoxious Ricky Cunningham than in the TV series, a young guy hitting on a blonde, a "rebel without a cause" on his final ride, who mistakenly picks up a thirteen-year-old eager for a wild night, and Richard Dreyfuss, undecided whether to go or stay, who will chase his elusive woman all night, meet his radio idol, and be co-opted by a biker gang.

The film is "American Graffiti" by George Lucas, and it (demonstrates) what this author could have been if he hadn't gotten lost among the stars. Watching it today, the film hasn't lost an ounce of its polish and remains among the best productions that dance on the edge of nostalgia and the coming-of-age story (or, in this case, post-coming-of-age). The soundtrack needs no commentary, the tracklist speaks for itself: it is probably the best compendium of all the good that came out in the U.S.A. before '62, and as such, this double album takes on, besides artistic and emotional value, a purely historical and memorabilia significance of a period, of a mythology that, together with the western, is one of the unique authentic pillars on which American culture is founded (furthermore, this film has the merit of having sparked the revival, of which the Stray Cats were excellent exponents).

Johnny B. Goode still gives chills with its modernity and virulence, bringing to mind the transfiguration of young Michael J. Fox in "Back to the Future". Buddy Holly lives on in a couple of knockout pieces, the Beach Boys can still be seen surfing on a Wednesday like lions, far from the pop cerebralness of Smile, Booker T. offers with Green Onions one of the modern R&B standards. And then the fun pieces like "Ya ya", "Barbara Ann", and "Get a Job", the still-heartbreaking "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" and "I Only Have Eyes for You" (who doesn't remember certain romantic scenes in "Pleasantville"?), while "At the Hop" by Flash Cadillac, one of the first revival bands, recalls high school proms.

Oh hell, I could go on for hours, every piece has something to say, a historical, cinematographic memory (I almost forgot about Lynch, Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola with "Peggy Sue Got Married", not to mention certain episodes of Quantum Leap), indispensable, essential, irreplaceable. And above all, these are 41 great rock 'n' roll pieces, that will keep you company all summer long.

Have a great summer.