If you've never seen The Doom Generation or a Gregg Araki film, it's definitely an experience. I couldn't find The Doom Generation for rental but found a used copy for purchase on a VHS tape recorded at EP speed, so the quality sucked and was a less than optimal platform for enjoying the film. At the time, there was a punk/gothish girl I was trying to get next to who worked at the shop I purchased it from, and when she asked if I enjoyed the film I had to tell her that I was left a little queasy afterwords. She assumed it was because of the scene where one of the characters eats their own semen after masturbating, so she initially gave me the "you're much too vanilla for me" look, but that was never the issue, it was the violence of the ending, with a group of neo-nazis castrating and killing one of the main characters in such gruesome detail that put me off, leaving an otherwise entertaining film experience tainted by something seemingly out of step with the rest of the film.
I'm sure most people were put off by the majority of the film, what with the homosexual-undertones, violence, and ridiculously vulgar language, but it's meant to be confrontational, made with the intent to get one thinking outside of the figurative box. It probably didn't help that the script was rough, the film looked cheap (the VHS medium may have been a factor though) and there was a consistently directionless vibe throughout, all of which helped earn it a bad reputation, though I think it was wrongfully applied. Not every film is for everyone, so why would someone reviewing The Doom Generation treat it as if it were intended for the same people going to see Ace Ventura? It's their loss in the end, although I suppose what's great about The Doom Generation is it's so out there that just about everyone could walk away with something completely different. If only films like this could have made it to the local multiplex. Oh yeah, it also had a deliciously young Rose McGowan! Vavavoom!
I may never have found out about The Doom Generation, the film, if I hadn't been exposed to the soundtrack. I found the cassette for cheap at the same shop I eventually purchased the movie at and it became a permanent fixture in my car for a few years. Filled with shoegazer tripiness, hypnotic grooves, plenty of diversity and a clutch of supposedly rare tracks, I drove around blasting the Cocteau Twins' Summerblink, Babyland's deathly stomp of Double Coupon, the beauty of The Verve's Already There and much, much more. I figured, any indie film with a soundtrack this good had to be alright, and it certainly was.
The Doom Generation soundtrack was issued on American Recordings, Rick Rubin's label which I've mentioned before has catalog issues, what with it's distribution changing frequently and only it's Slayer and Johnny Cash releases always remaining in print. So, despite what seems like a decent push from Warner Bros. and it's appearance during the grand age of indie films, the soundtrack for the The Doom Generation, much like the film, is mostly forgotten today. I'm sure it would be hell to keep this collection of songs licensed for what would probably be an almost non-sale, so it's not at all shocking to see it has disappeared from retail, both literally and digitally, so I'm happy to post it here today for you to enjoy, and I'm sure you will. It's a REALLY GOOD record which, to be perfectly honest, stayed with me a lot longer than the film did. Don't get me wrong, the film is good and worth seeing, but the tunes from Medicine and Pizzicato Five still occupy my consciousness today, so that's saying something. This is ripped from an original US CD pressing with a new scan of the cover so enjoy!
The Doom Generation
01 Intro
02 Curve - On The Wheel
03 Love & Rockets - This Heaven
04 Cocteau Twins - Summerblink
05 The Wolfgang Press - Christianity (The Adrian Sherwood Mix)
06 Meat Beat Manifesto - Paradise Now (Remix)
07 The Verve - Already There
08 The Jesus and Mary Chain - Penetration
09 MC 900 Ft Jesus - But If You Go
10 Lush - Undertow (The Spooky Mix)
11 Babyland - Double Coupon
12 Medicine - Slut
13 Pizzicato Five - Groovy Is My Name
14 Extra Fancy - Violator
15 Slowdive - Blue Skied An' Clear
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