BAMBOOZLED - ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK

I don't think it will come as a surprise why I bought this soundtrack.  Especially if you look at the tracklist for this release.  Yep, you guessed it...  This was another purchase purely for the Prince track.  The song was released on a single during 2000, but for the people not lucky enough to find the CD at a live show, this is the only place you can get this song on disc.

I would go into a deep review of the entire disc except the truth is, I've just listened to it for the first time this evening as I was considering writing about it.  Until now, I've only listened to the Prince song.  Because I don't have a deep impression of the songs on an individual level, I can only give you a basic overview of the whole project.

The first track that stands out is the first Stevie Wonder song.  I become more and more convinced he's a musician I should explore in more depth when I hear his music.  It's an interesting number and I quite enjoy it.  The Angie Stone track is quite nice too.  It's got a nutty groove and stays at a nice level.  You just kinda bounce along with it.  The Indai.Arie song is also lovely.  Outside of the rap, the disc is mostly mellow R&B.  It's very relaxing to listen to.

Next up is Gerald Levert and he's got another smooth cut for your ears.  Lay back and enjoy this one too folks.  The next amazing track is the second Stevie Wonder piece.  The Harpsichord sounds heavenly and he makes it another dramatic and full piece of music. Profyle's 'One Night' is the next cut I was really digging.  I've never been a huge fan of Bruce Hornsby and the Mums track is a bit annoying.  

Prince ends the album on a high note with the exception of the opening speech of the track.  He employs his Camille voice a few times during the song and it's a welcome change from what he was releasing at the time.  I love the song and encourage everyone to listen to it.  The India.Arie snippets fill out the last bit of the record and serve to promote her solo effort.  I'm very impressed with her work and I'm considering picking up the disc and checking it out.

So it's a surprising release.  One I feel a bit lame for over looking.  It's relaxing and enjoyable to let play in the background while you're chilling.  My final words: ALMOST AN A+ EFFORT!

BAMBOOZLED - ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK

01. Mau Maus Featuring Mos Def, Canibus, Charlie Baltimore, MC Serch, Mums & Gano Grills - Blak Iz Blak

02. Stevie Wonder - Misrepresented People

03. Erykah Badu - Hollywood

04. Goodie Mob - Just A Song

05. Angie Stone - Slippery Shoes

06. India.Arie - In My Head

07. Gerald L - Dream With No Love

08. Common Featuring Erykah Badu - In The Light (Remix (For U))

09. Stevie Wonder - Some Years Ago

10. Charlie Baltimore - Charli

11. Chuck D. The Roots And Featuring Zack De La Rocha - Burned Hollywood Burned

12. Profyle - One Night

13. Mums - Ploylessness

14. Bruce Hornsby - Shadowlands

15. Prince - 2045 Radical Man

16. Bonus: India.Arie Snippets

       01. God In You

       02. Back To The Middle

       03. Strength Courage & Wisdom

       04. Can I Walk With You

       05. Promises

HAPPY FEET - MUSIC FROM THE MOTION PICTURE

Aside from being an animated feature targeting children...  Happy Feet is nothing if not a lobby pushing an agenda.  I hate it when people try to push a political agenda under the guise of something innocent and sweet.  But that's beside the point when you consider the soundtrack.

So let's be honest, the entire reason I bought this disc was because of the first track...  Prince wrote and performs the number.  And this is the only release containing the track.  It's an uplifting and interesting number far superior to most of the rest of the disc and well worth the investment.  It's not a stretch to think Prince's track is one of the (if not the actual) best on the disc.  He's mastered the ability to write popular music and this catchy ditty is no exception.  It's dripping with little surprises and interesting twists.

What follows is a collection of movie mashups and character performances mixed in with original material written for the movie.  Prince turns up again when Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman join forces to deliver a mashup of Prince's 'Kiss' and Elvis Presley's 'Heartbreak Hotel'.  It's not as exciting or interesting as the original track in both cases, but it's serviceable and enjoyable when you see it in the film.

There are a string of enjoyable songs throughout the disc, but for the most part, it's uneventful and somewhat unremarkable.  k.d. lang appears on the disc performing a song called, 'Golden Slumbers/The End'.  Her performance is stunning and also one of the better tracks on the disc.  Gia Farrell delivers a decent track along with The Brand New Heavies and the song 'I Wish' performed by Patti LaBelle, Yolanda Adams and Fantasia Barrino.  Pink's performance of 'Tell Me Something Good' leaves a lot to be desired and many of the mashups are confusing and complicated enough to drive the listener insane.

All in all, it's a soundtrack.  And you can't really look for a real blockbuster hit with a soundtrack.  That's not what they're there for.  So my final words:  SKIP IT AND DOWNLOAD INDIVIDUAL TRACKS!

HAPPY FEET - MUSIC FROM THE MOTION PICTURE

01. The Song Of The Heart - Prince

02. Hit Me Up - Gia Farrell

03. Tell Me Something Good - Pink

04. Somebody To Love - Brittany Murphy

05. I Wish - Patti LaBelle, Yolanda Adams And Fantasia Barrino

06. Jump N' Move - The Brand New Heavies (Featuring Jamalski)

07. Do It Again - The Beach Boys

08. The Joker/Everything I Own - Jason Mraz Mash-Up With Chrissie Hynde

09. My Way (A Mi Manera) - Robin Williams

10. Kiss/Heartbreak Hotel - Nicole Kidman Mash-Up With Hugh Jackman

11. Boogie Wonderland - Brittany Murphy

12. Golden Slumbers/The End - K.D. Lang

13. The Story Of Mumble Happyfeet - John Powell