Storefront Hitchcock

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Storefront Hitchcock

Soundtrack by Robyn Hitchcock

Storefront Hitchcock is the title of a soundtrack album by Robyn Hitchcock, released in support of a film of the same name, which was directed by Jonathan Demme.

The film is essentially an audience-eye view of its subject matter, singer-songwriter Hitchcock, standing inside a derelict shop window in New York, performing selections from his considerable back catalogue on acoustic guitar. The street scenes and passers by glimpsed through the glass act as a backdrop to the movie, which went on general release in 1998.

The soundtrack CD features twelve songs, interspersed with several Hitchcock monologues, which are ad-libbed in front of the audience in the manner of his concert appearances. At times macabre, they are always witty and imaginative and form a substantial part of the artistic appeal of the set.

The songs themselves include five not previously released in any form by Hitchcock, one of which is an acoustic cover of Jimi Hendrix' "The Wind Cries Mary". Hitchcock would make full studio recordings of a couple of others for subsequent albums, although "Let's Go Thundering" and "Where Do You Go When You Die" remain unavailable elsewhere.

The CD captures Hitchcock in typical live mode, and neatly encapsulates his solo act at that stage. Other attractive titles from the film were omitted, but surfaced on the concurrent vinyl edition.