ABSOLUTELY FILLER-FREE

“ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS: SONGS FROM THE ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE.” Various artists. EMI-America. As the line between recorded music, movies, TV and the advertising industry grows progressively blurrier, in steps David Bowie to commandeer the ship. Bowie wrote and performs the title track to Julien Temple’s major motion video, and a rousing anthem it is. Built around an addictive refrain, the song doesn’t add up to much if you examine it closely, but it sure sounds good. Bowie goes on to address the idea of merchandising (the inadvertent theme of the film) in a song called “That’s Motivation,” which finds him advising all ambitious young comers to learn to “fall in love with yourself.”

Though the movie has received mixed reviews, there’s no denying that it’s a slick style job, and the sound-track album is excellent. Virtually filler-free, it includes strong performances by three major artists and a handful of newcomers. Sade contributes a smoky mood piece called “Killer Blow,” veteran blues artist Slim Gaillard scats a sassy tune titled “Selling Out” and the ever-quaint Ray Davies turns in “Quiet Life,” a cute ditty that’s almost too adorable.

The surprise standout of the LP is “Rodrigo Bay,” a tropical samba by rookie group Working Week. Also included are cuts by former Specials front man Jerry Dammers, and the vastly overrated Style Council, which is fronted by anti-American snip Paul Weller. It makes sense that Weller would be part of this film: He’s currently the keeper of the Mod flame in England, and “Absolute Beginners” champions style as a means of salvation.