The film Almost Famous is set in 1973, a time when rock and roll was about to evolve into a lumbering, arena-conquering dinosaur. Director Cameron Crowe--who was himself a teenage rock journalist for Rolling Stone magazine--has applied his own first-hand knowledge of the 1970s rock scene and co-produced a soundtrack that neatly encapsulates an era in rock and roll history. Contributions from Simon and Garfunkel ("America") and the Beach Boys ("Feel Flows") nod to a gentler musical scene on its way out, while tracks by Lynyrd Skynyrd ("Simple Man"), the Allman Brothers Band ("One Way Out") and Led Zeppelin ("That's The Way") indicate the shape of rock to come. Meanwhile, David Bowie's version of "I'm Waiting for the Man" hints at the glam scene lurking just around the corner, and Clarence Thomas's "Slip Away" provides an example of perfect 1970s soul. Even Almost Famous's fictitious house band, Stillwater, contribute a track: the nicely retro, guitar-rocking "Fever Dog". --Robert Burrow