Shake Rattle & Roll

Description

.com Shake, Rattle & Roll is a network TV four-hour miniseries about rock & roll's cultural influence in the late '50s as seen through the eyes of a fictitious couple and band called the HartAches. The blurring of the line between reality and fantasy continues in all aspects of the film and soundtrack. Modern-day rock stars portray both real music legends and fictional characters. As for the 21-song soundtrack, it's nearly all fiction. Nine of the tracks are by the HartAches, tackling the likes of "Slippin' and Slidin'" and "One Bad Stud" by Leiber & Stoller. Big Joe Turner's title track is covered by Dicky Barrett of the Mighty Mighty Bosstones with Dan Wilson of Semisonic. These "incredible simulations" might appeal to fans of the Commitments or the Blues Brothers. But for anyone with any sense of music history, the curious moment is B.B. King's performance of Bob Dylan and Tim Drummond's "Fur Slippers." --Rob O'Connor