Original Soundtrack
The Devil in Miss Jones (Hollywood 62216)

I love sex music. The soundtrack to The Devil In Miss Jones, recently released on CD by Oglio Records, definitely fits the bill. There are the expected wah-wah guitars, but a lot of unexpected orchestral overtones as well. Some of the tracks could eas ily be theme songs for afterschool specials, showcasing sappy violin melodies and "beautiful" piano music. Other tracks almost pass for cabaret standards ("I'm Comin' Home"). The overall effect is somewhere in between John Barry, Jimmy Webb, and Joni Mitchell.

As far as porno soundtracks go, this surely must be the Pet Sounds of the genre. The score was composed by Alden Shuman, and overachieves by about six thousand times what he probably needed to do. The melodies are very dramatic and memorable, something like Liberace making a deeply introspective concept album.

Surprisingly, none of the tracks is noticeably derivative (though the James Bond melody weaves its way into "Beauty and the Beast"), which is unusual given the on-the-fly nature of projects like this. It almost makes you respect the early porno cinema, though it is easy to romanticize that era in the wake of Boogie Nights. Still, you can tell listening to this album that they were trying, at least.

The Devil in Miss Jones is a low-key album suited for late night sex with the devil, or unsuspecting bridge lunches with grandma. Echoes of Lawrence Welk give it a slightly bent feel, but by an large it is an unostentatious work that remains a pleasure to listen to. I would love to see the movie as soon as I turn 18.

Loud Bassoon rating scale

Review by The Teenage Boner