Studio guitarist and composer Ry Cooder produced and plays on the soundtrack, which includes several of his original compositions as well as works by Robert Johnson, J. B. Lenoir, and others.  In addition to Cooder's guitar work, the music showcases the harmonica stylings of Sonny Terry and Frank Frost, the piano playing of Jim Dickinson, and a host of other musicians.  Strangely absent from the LP and CD soundtracks is the guitar duel between Eugene (recorded by Ry Cooder) and the devil's own guitarist, Jack Butler (played by Steve Vai).  To hear this crowning moment, fans mustlisten to either the 33 1/3 rpm single released in the March 1988 issue of Guitar Player or Steve Vai's album Elusive Light and Sound Volume 1.