Soundtrack Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey
Greetings, my excellent pupils. Today we continue our study of the physics of acoustical reverberation. This is our review of the Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey Soundtrack. So let's all get back in our telephone booth and revist the soundtrack to this non bogus film. Station!
⭐ 8/10
Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey Track Listing
- Shout it Out - Slaughter
- Battle Stations - Winger
- God Gave Rock 'N' Roll to You II - Kiss
- Drinking Again - Neverland
- Dream of a New Day - Richie Kotzen
- The Reaper - Steve Vai
- The Perfect Crime - Faith No More
- Go to Hell - Megadeth
- Tommy the Cat - Primus
- Junior's Gone Wild - King's X
- Showdown - Love on Ice
- The Reaper Rap - Steve Vai
- For The Love Of (Music) - Neverland
Whoa! Station's most bodacious creation, the Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey soundtrack
How's it going, dudes?
The Wyld Stallyns are back with another excellent adventure, that's really a bogus journey, that ends triumphantly, and ... aww who cares, they kick ass and emerge victorious. And while the rock remains the same, the names on the album cover get a major overhaul. Where as the Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure soundtrack featured unknowns, as Extreme and Nelson became household names later, the Bogus Journey soundtrack drops the commercial success hammer.
In are most non heinous bands like Kiss, Faith No More, Megadeath, and Primus. Out are Shark Island, Tora Tora, and Vital Signs. That's not to mention the inclusion of hair metal stalwarts Winger and Slaughter, and, guitar heros Steve Vai and Richie Kotzen.
Holy Hollywood budget, Batman!
Anyway, this original soundtrack is totally the type of cassette tape you would have acquired off of a BMG/Columbia penny in the mail for 12 albums deal. I sure did. If you haven't, go to Amazon right now and buy it!
Rufus's neon Flying V guitar in the beginning of Bogus Journey might be the single greatest guitar ever created in history. I need that guitar. I bet Vai left his Jem behind and exclusively played that guitar for his bitchin' solos.
Non soundtrack things I noticed when re-watching the film
- Ms. Wardroe really wants them to succeed.
- Surprisingly, no ultra shreddy music plays over the proposal scene. Just some good old fashioned movie score from David Newman.
- The Wyld Stallyns van is killer.
- Grier and Carlin, Carlin and Grier ... Grier is Carlin ... Grier is a man!
- Heywood from Shawshank is Death! (He's also the Englishman)
- Fun fact, the royal babes are 521 years olds.
- The Battle of the Bands is September 15th
- The Reaper is, "A deadly person with a tool" - a direct quote from Fizz Jr.
- There is literally a Stairway to Heaven
Chew on that pop trivia bubblegum for a bit.
Also, if the Bad Robot Us's came from the future, and thus know what happens in the future, are we mislead by the conclusion of the film? Bad Robot Bill calls Missy his future wife. Does that mean that the Bad Robots live? Or, does that mean that Bill ends up marrying Missy? And if he does, does history repeat itself with Ted marrying her as well? Does that make her the biggest groupie ever? A groupie in the highest choir of bandaids? One beyond even Penny Lane of Almost Famous?
Double chew on that pop trivia bubblegum, with doublemint!
(update - apparently Chuck De Nomolos, Ed Solomon spelled backward, wrote a book where he posits who marries Missy in the future.)
Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey soundtrack notes (various artists)
Shout It Out, Battle Stations, and God Gave Rock 'N' Roll to You II are great, but Steve Vai is the real hero of Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey soundtrack.
Below are our notes and thoughts on the music from the motion picture: Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey! It's hard to believe that the release date for this album was nearly 30 years ago, July 9th, 1991. Let us all thank Orion Pictures and Interscope records for allowing this slice of slice of heavenly cassette to be bestowed upon us.
Shout it Out - Slaughter
Dana Strum and Mark Slaughter write/produce/arrange what could be considered as Slaughter's best song.
Shout it Out conducts a test of the Good Times Broadcasting System. I want to be part of that test, sign me up!
I wonder which song of the "Slaughter Parties Hard" Trilogy concluded the series.
- Act 1 : Up All Night
- Act 2 : Shout it Out
- Act 3 : ...
Tell you what, it certainly wasn't Spend My Life (Stick It to Ya).
Why don't you groove on this a little while ... is that a question? A statement? A declaration?
Slaughter wasn't kidding, 1991 really was the most excellent time of our lives ... happy to party with you too, Mark!
NICE OG Charlotte Hornets jersey in the Shout it Out video. Filming the camerman and breaking the fourth wall is always a classy move.
Who at the Interscope Records was like, "A test of the good times broadcasting system? That's genius! The video needs a VLA!"
Battle Stations - Winger
Battle Stations is something unplanned for and unprepared for in human history. The lyrics are second only to Winger's Seventeen (Winger) in virtuosity. As for the music, Morgenstein, Taylor, and Beach slay.
It's worth reading the lyrics below, as Billy Shakespeare's got nothing on ol' Kip.
Battle Stations lyrics
Yeah! Hit it! Breakin' out, I'm on a mission, Been caught between heaven and hell. My guitar is my ammunition, Raise the flag, sound the mission bell. Everybody always wants control of me, The only way to get it's over my dead body. Take no prisoners, open fire, Battle stations! Someone's trying to brainwash me, Battle stations! Six-string shooter, hear it screaming, Slicing your head like a laser beam. It's true love when I'm cranking the metal, It makes me, makes me, makes me cream. Never let you get between me and my guitar. No use to keep trying, you won't get very far. Take no prisoners, open fire, Battle stations! Someone's trying to brainwash me, Battle stations! Open fire, raise your fist, Battle stations! It's the season to resist, Preprogrammed morons, Computer sleaze. Oh, yeah yeah yeah yeah! Never let you get between me and my guitar, No use to keep trying, you won't get very far. Take no prisoners, open fire, Battle stations! Someone's trying to brainwash me, Battle stations! Back off, baby! Take no prisoners, open fire! Battle stations! Battle stations! Take no prisoners, open fire! Preprogrammed morons, Computer sleaze. Whoa! You're mine baby! Oh! Oh! Oh! Whoa!!!!
Battle Stations plays as they leave the Builders Emporium, Station building the Good Robot Us's.
To note, Doug Pinnick of King's X co-wrote Battle Stations with Kip & Reb.
You know what, go back and read the lyrics again. You will need to to answer the next question. Which 4 bars are better, Battle Stations or Seventeen? And I don't mean just Winger, I mean of all time!
- Six-string shooter, hear it screaming, Slicing your head like a laser beam. It's true love when I'm cranking the metal, It makes me, makes me, makes me cream.
- Yes! Such a bad girl, loves to work me overtime. Feels good (ha), dancin' close to the borderline. She's a magic mountain, she's a leather glove. Oh she's my soul, it must be love.
Speaking of the lyrics to Battle Stations, you see anything cleverly hidden?
"Slicing your head like a laser beam" ... where have we seen that before, Kip?!
Bless your soul, Kip Winger. Bless your soul.
God Gave Rock 'N' Roll to You II - Kiss
The finale!
In 1973, Russ Ballard of Argent wrote a decent song. That song was God Gave Rock 'N' Roll to You. The lyrics are a bit different, but it's pretty much all there.
Amazingly enough, the gang chorus of Argent's versions sounds like Bang Camaro hopped in a telephone booth and performed it. Excellent Adventure proved that the booth is big enough to fit the 20-man man-band.
PS - check out the 70s acoustic power move at 4:00.
Then Christian rock band Petra Come and Join Us came along and really believed God Gave Rock 'N' Roll to them. That's some Dungeons and Dragons artwork there on the album cover, fellas!
Kiss then came along and electrified it. Huge distorted power chords. Exposed tongues. Stage pyro. Studded leather. The whole Kiss treatment.
To be fair to Paul Stanley, his preaching and vocal power note is the second best thing to happen to the song.
"I know life sometimes can get tough. And I know life sometimes can be a drag. But people, we have been given a gift. We have been given a road. And that road's name is Rock 'N' Rolllllllllllll-ol-ol-olllllll Yeah Yeah Yeahhhhh!!!"
You can't make this stuff up. 100% pure Detroit genius!
You can't comedown off a high like that without listening to some Van Halen, the crash will break you. Go listen to Jump and grab a few cold beers, you will feel better. But let's be clear, you wouldn't know God Gave Rock 'N' Roll to You without the guitar heroism of His Holiness, Steve Vai. He's a good friend.
Steve Vai's anthemic, harmonized lightning intro is the very best part of all versions of this song. And in true Vai fashion, he waltzed into the studio a week before the Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey red carpet premiere to write and record it for the soundtrack. This was years before doing that for Halo.
It cranks the film's finale to 11.
One thing that is consistent across all versions of God Gave Rock 'N' Roll to You is that everyone has their own take on the intro. Not only that, everyone seems to change the lyrics. Cause sure, why not.
As for me, I only have one problem with the title of the song, as it relates to Bogus Journey ...
Bill and Ted gave Rock 'N' Roll to God. They literally recite Poison's Every Rose Has Its Thorn (Open Up and Say Ahh) to God.
Lastly, it's a song with the word rock in the title. Of which, there are many.
Drinking Again - Neverland
90s alt rock intro. 80s whoas and yeahs. Drinking Again is caught between hair metal and grunge. After all, it was 1991.
Can't tell if this is a girl or guy singing Drinking Again. That is what makes it great.
A very consumable guitar solo for the average listener.
Things to note from the Drinking Again video:
- The guitar player neglects to bring his wah pedal to the soundstage they are recording on. So where does the wah come from in the guitar solo? I can't wrap my brain around this level of sloppiness.
- Visually, the band really is caught between hair metal and grunge. The bass player and drummer go Vest Out Chest Out, while baby Jeff Ament dons his knockoff Slash hat and flowy Muskateer shirt, and the singer's white slacks guarantee him a ride aboard the Catamaran headed for the Catalina Wine Mixer.
Score another win for the Sunset Strip.
Dream of a New Day - Richie Kotzen
Dream of a New Day (Fever Dream) features Kotzen's stereotypical excellent guitar work. Nice bass coming through in the mix.
Kotzen can do no wrong on Dream of a New Day. Dude displays all the characteristics of a guitar god.
When Bill, Ted, Station, and Death go to the Builders Emporium.
Kotzen might not be Jeff Keith or Eric Martin, but the guy does have some decent pipes. Sure, it might be all in the production room, but I'm cool with it. I'm not convinced that he isn't the Uncle of vocal/guitar dual-threat, John Mayer. If Mayer were born 15 years earlier, he'd be buddies with Kotzen, Satch, Paul Gilbert, etc.
You know what, he probably is anyway.
The Reaper - Steve Vai
A totally bad ass tune with thousands of notes and copious wah, if that's your thing. Hint, it's mine.
Steve Vai captures the essence of what The Reaper meant to the film.
The Perfect Crime - Faith No More
Forward-pressing drums, aggressive bass, light piano chords, Mike Patton's trademark vocals. Yup, it's a Faith No More tune.
The Perfect Crime is wedged right between albums The Real Thing and Angel Dust.
In the film, they are on the way to Vasquez Rocks! The good Bill and Ted just got abducted by the Bad Robot Us's.
Want to make a bad ass soundtrack? Invite Faith No More to the party. Just see Judgment Night. Surprisingly enough, they didn't make the cut on The Crow. Odd.
Did Patton sneak "Station" into the song?
Sir James Martin
Guitar player, (Sir) James Martin of Faith No More, makes a cameo in the beginning of Bogus Journey. Rufus intros him to his class, noting that Martin is the founder of the Faith No More Spiritual and Theological Center.
Stellar play on words. Strong writing for Solomon and Matheson.
Station!
Go to Hell - Megadeth
Topical, considering that Bill and Ted do in fact go to hell.
Time to kill Bill and Ted!
They weren't my favorite, but Megadeath kicks ass.
Did Go to Hell just parodically reference Enter Sandman? When did this song come out?! Is it the other way around? With Dave Mustaine, you never know.
Fact - Upon inspection, the Bogus Journey soundtrack was released three weeks before the song Enter Sandman. That's astounding.
Tommy The Cat - Primus
Funk metal? Metal funk? Tommy The Cat
The lyrics seem to exist only so Claypool, LaLonde, and Aleander can jam.
Primus is performing Tommy The Cat in the Battle of the Bands right before Bill and Ted show up.
Junior's Gone Wild - King's X
Not quite Hard Rock. Definitely not Blues. Prog soul? Never been sure how to label King's X, not that they need one.
There's a Porsche! Let's bag it! Station!
Junior's Gone Wild
Showdown - Love on Ice
Blues club intro.
Portland's Love on Ice sounds like a Mother Love Bone knockoff for the first half of Showdown, before conjuring up their inner Slaughter and Ugly Kid Joe. Makes total sense when you realize that Temple of the Dog producer Rick Parashar produced Showdown.
For some reason, I can't stop wanting to sing Blind Melon's Tones of Home over this music. Or is it Stop by Porno for Pyros? Is that it? Love on Ice did predate Porno for Pyros.
Hmmmm, perplexing.
The Reaper Rap - Steve Vai
GET DOWN WITH YOUR BAD SELVES!
You could say anything over Steve Vai and band crushing a filthy, saturated blues rock riff and have it be awesome. But taking quotes straight from the great ones themselves is about as triumphant as it gets.
You might be a king or a little street sweeper, but sooner or later, you'll deal with the Reaper!
For The Love Of (Music) - Neverland
The missing track!
For The Love Of (Music) was used in the movie, where as Drinking Again was used in promo material. However, when it came to the Bogus Journey soundtrack, it was reversed.
Baby Jeff Ament has guitar fundamentals down. He isn't Steve Vai, but it works. Speaking of Jeff Ament, at 2:30 in the song, Neverland goes full on Pearl Jam.
Whoa!
Checks the date, yes, this is 1991. That's insane. For 72 seconds, Neverland and Seattle's grunge icons share the same sonic space.
Track 13, For The Love Of (Music) in the movie but not included on the soundtrack
More Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey Details
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