With temperatures steadily climbing, everyone, gay or straight, likes to seek comfort in the air-conditioned, popcorn-scented confines
of a movie theater during the summer months. There are plenty of options, ranging from acclaimed independent and foreign films to a
Disney onslaught and over the top summer blockbusters. If you'd rather stay home in the security of your own climate-controlled
space, there are plenty of DVDs available.
During the 1960s and into the early 1970s, brothers Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman provided memorable songs to
Walt Disney movies such as The Parent Trap, Mary Poppins, That Darn Cat, The Happiest Millionaire, The One and Only Genuine
Original Family Band, and Bedknobs & Broomsticks. Believe … The Songs of The Sherman Brothers ( Fynsworth Alley ) is a loving
tribute to the pair featuring songs from the aforementioned movies performed by current stars of the theater including Christine
Ebersole ( 'The Age Of Not Believing' ) and Rebecca Luker ( 'For Now For Always' ) . The Shermans also wrote tunes for the movies
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Charlotte's Web, Tom Sawyer, as well as the stage musicals Over Here! and Busker Alley, songs from which
can also be heard on this disc.
The Shermans also wrote some of the music for Disney's 1967 animated feature The Jungle Book, including 'I Wan'na Be Like
You ( The Monkey Song ) .' The aforementioned song can be found in a new interpretation by Smash Mouth on The Jungle Book 2
( Walt Disney Records ) , the soundtrack to the recently released Jungle Book sequel. 'The Bare Necessities,' which also appeared in
the original movie, is performed as a duet by John Goodman ( as Baloo ) and Haley Joel Osment ( as Mowgli ) on this new soundtrack.
The spectrum of Disney's recent releases can be seen in two movie currently in theaters—the dismal Lizzie McGuire Movie and
Finding Nemo. The soundtracks are also indicative of a big part of the problem at the house of the mouse. The Lizzie McGuire Movie
( Walt Disney Records ) is the soundtrack to the miserable Hilary Duff movie whose sole existence seems to be so that 'tween' girls
can buy the soundtrack which consists of bad faux Europop and abysmal cover tunes such as Atomic Kitten doing 'The Tide Is High,'
Jump 5 doing 'Shining Star,' and Taylor Dayne belting out 'Supermodel.'
On the flip side is the Finding Nemo Soundtrack ( Walt Disney Records ) . It's hard to go wrong with a score by Grammy-winning
and Oscar-nominated composer Thomas Newman ( cousin of Randy ) , and this soundtrack is the proof. The soundtrack also features
Robbie Williams doing a cover of 'Beyond The Sea,' which is as deeply moving as the ocean. This is a soundtrack that is every bit as
good as the movie.
I didn't expect to find songs by the Eels on the soundtrack to a Walt Disney live-action feature, but there they are. The Eels' songs,
'Might Fine Blues' and 'Eyes Down' are on Holes: Original Soundtrack ( Walt Disney Records ) . The soundtrack to the film, which
starred Eartha Kitt and Sigourney Weaver among others, recycles Moby ( 'Honey' ) , but also attempts to introduce its young, target
audience to a variety of other artists including Keb' Mo', Dr. John and Fiction Plane.
A Billy Bob Thornton movie is a more likely place to find an Eels song and that is probably why Mark Oliver Everett ( a/k/a E of the
Eels ) wrote the original score to the movie Levity ( Pleximusic ) . The mostly acoustic instrumental soundtrack is just the latest in E's
long lost of impressive achievements.
The movies Fame and Camp have a few things in common. They are both cinematic portraits of talented teenage misfits trying to
find their places in the world. Both movies feature gay characters, although a lot has changed in the more than 20 years since Fame
was released, and Camp more than makes up for that passage of time with its gay characters. Finally, and perhaps most important,
Camp: Music From The Motion Picture ( Decca ) , the soundtrack to the upcoming movie features a pair of songs co-written by Michael
Gore, the man who wrote most of the songs for Fame. That said, Camp easily stands on its own merits with the combination of original
numbers and interpretations of songs such as Victoria Williams's 'Century Plant,' Jagger & Richards's 'Wild Horses,' Todd
Rundgren's 'The Want Of A Nail,' Sondheim's 'The Ladies Who Lunch,' and Bacharach & David's 'Turkey Lurkey Time,' performed
by the talented, young cast.
I haven't seen Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas ( Dreamworks ) , but it looks like it's trying to be Dreamworks Pictures' summer
movie equivalent of a cross between Pirates of The Caribbean and Finding Nemo. The score, conducted and composed by Harry
Gregson-Williams, is orchestral and brassy, which is probably what this animated swashbuckling feature needs. 'Sirens,' a vocal
track, features Lisbeth Scott with assistance from one-time Madonna backing vocalist Donna DeLory.
Speaking of Pirates … Klaus Badelt composed the salty and seaworthy score for the Disney swashbuckling epic Pirates Of The
Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl ( Walt Disney Records ) . This traditional score, like the sea, is at times calm and nearly still
and at other times raging in waves.
Bad movies and bad soundtracks seem to go hand in hand or reel to reel. Among the worst movies of 2003, the Eddie Murphy
vehicle Daddy Day Care ranks close to the top of the list, with The In-Laws and Agent Cody Banks ( another Hilary Duff vehicle )
coming in close behind. Music From The Motion Picture Daddy Day Care ( Columbia/Legacy ) and Music From and Inspired by the
Motion Picture Agent Cody Banks are good examples of what is passing for a soundtrack these days. Daddy is comprised of a dozen
songs from the '70s and '80s meant to inspire nostalgia, but for me the results were nausea. Cody Banks is a hodge-podge of new
and relatively unknown names thrown together in what appears to be a random fashion. In its defense Music From The Motion Picture
The In-Laws ( Bulletproof/WSM ) features a previously unreleased Paul McCartney song ( 'A Love For You' ) and some surprisingly
camp selections, such as Ella Fitzgerald's rendition of 'Sunshine of Your Love,' Michel LeGrand's 'Di-Gue-Ding-Ding,' and Claudine
Longet's interpretation of 'A Man And A Woman.'
Four soundtracks to acclaimed ( and in some cases award-winning ) films are all first rate and highly recommended. The Original
Motion Picture Soundtrack to Winged Migration ( Higher Octave Soundtracks ) , the Oscar-nominated documentary about the migratory
patterns of birds, consists of music composed by Bruno Coulais and features vocal performances by Nick Cave and Robert Wyatt, to
mention a couple, on six tracks.
Lisa Gerrard, perhaps best known for her membership in Dead Can Dance, has been making a name for herself in the
soundtrack realm, creating the scores for The Insider, Gladiator and Tears of The Sun, among others. Whale Rider: Original
Soundtrack ( 4AD ) should continue to earn her praise for the film that is set in New Zealand and deals with Maori mythology and
traditions, as well as a young woman's role in society.
Amandla! The Soundtrack ( ATO/BMG ) is taken from the Sundance Audience Award-winning documentary about the part that
music played in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa. Sub-titled 'A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony,' the political and
celebratory songs from this film are as hopeful as they are holy. The winner of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film of
the year, Nowhere In Africa told the story of a German family who escaped the Nazis in Germany struggling to make a home
themselves in a foreign land and Niki Reiser's score seamlessly blends the cultures on Nowhere In Africa: Original Soundtrack
( Higher Octave Soundtracks ) .
For a truly unusual cultural experience, I suggest The Best of Bollywood ( Hip-O Records ) . More than 70 years after the first Indian
'talkie' was released the film industry in India remains a force to be reckoned with, raking in earnings on the level of Hollywood.
Some of the 15 songs ( from 14 movies ) on this compilation are duets ( 'Hey Maine' by Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar and 'Do
Pyaar' by Sonu Nigham and Sunidhi Chauhan ) and others are performed by solo female ( 'Pyar Do Pyar Lo' by Sapna ) and male
( 'Mehooba Mehooba' by Rahul Dev Burman ) vocalists, with the common denominator being a persuasive dance beat.
Soundtrack reissues are an interesting sub-category. Divided into 'he' and 'she' sides, the She's Having A Baby Original Motion
Picture Soundtrack ( Capitol/IRS/ Hughes Music ) doesn't veer from the original format of the 1988 release. This soundtrack is notable
for contributions such as the title track by Dave Wakeling ( of English Beat and General Public fame ) , 'Apron Strings' by a pre-
electronic Everything But The Girl, a cover of 'It's All In The Game' by Carmel and the amazing 'This Woman's Work' by Kate Bush.
When She's Having A Baby was first issued at the time of the movie's release, it came out on vinyl, cassette and CD. Several
recent soundtrack issues are just now making their debut on compact disc. Titles such as Harlow ( DRG Movies ) , with music by Neal
Hefti and starring Carroll Baker; Let's Make Love ( Columbia/Legacy/Sony Music Soundtrax ) starring Marilyn Monroe and containing
her rendition of 'My Heart Belongs To Daddy'; and Tennessee Williams's Baby Doll ( DRG Movies ) , which also starred Carroll Baker.
One soundtrack and one movie pay tribute to James Dean. The reissue of A Tribute To James Dean ( Columbia/Legacy/Sony
Music Soundtrax ) by Ray Heindorf and the Warner Brothers Studio Orchestra is made up of musical selections from Dean's three
biggest movies East of Eden ( 1955 ) , Rebel Without A Cause ( 1955 ) and Giant ( 1956 ) . In Almost Salinas, Dean's ghost haunts the
little California town and highway café near where he died in a car accident. The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to Almost
Salinas ( Strata Productions ) is a various artists compilation featuring the Native American act Indigenous and insurgent country band
Urban Twang, among others.
TV soundtracks also continue to be a force. American Idol Season 2: All-Time Classic American Love Songs ( RCA ) not only
shamelessly promotes the painful Fox series, but also functions as a tie-in for the Idols tour.
Music plays an integral role on the NBC dramatic series American Dreams, and on American Dreams-Original Soundtrack 1963-
1964 ( Hip-O ) , the songs of the era are performed by a mix of the original artists and contemporary artists offering their interpretations.
Never having watched The Power Rangers ( a small source of pride ) , I had no idea that there was any need for a soundtrack, but lo
and behold, here is The Best Of The Power Rangers: Songs From The TV Series ( Buena Vista ) . Movement appears to be the
common theme here. Personally, I just want them, and these lite-metal tunes to go away.
