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

READY TO WEAR - MUSIC FROM THE MOTION PICTURE

I saw this movie long before I realized my interest in the soundtrack. Let me state for the record... This film is absolutely brilliant. The soundtrack is another matter entirely. Although it has moments of absolute brilliance, it isn't a complete collection in that it leaves out a large number of songs appearing in the film. The tracks it does include seems to consist of the songs the producers thought would make the most money. Not always the smartest move when it comes to compiling a soundtrack.

The Ini Kamoze track opens the disc and it's ok. I remember it got some airplay and I saw the video on VH-1 a couple times. The Supercat track is awesome. It's a nice bluesy 50's number with a great beat. I quite like it. I really love the Salt-N-Pepa track, 'Here We Come'. It's funky, straight up and in your face. Salt-N-Pepa have always interested me and this track is a wonderful addition to the record. M People's contribution is cool, but somewhat standard fare for house records at the time. I'm sure it was mixed like crazy. Janet Jackson's number is lackluster but also fairly common for her during this time. This is right about the time I checked out on her. She became boring and everything sounded largely the same.

The Rolling Stones number is laughable and unwelcome. It's place in the movie is also annoying. It's the one song I absolutely feel has no business anywhere near this project. The Sam Phillips cover of 'These Boots Are Made For Walkin'' is wonderful. She captures the intensity of the original number with a folksy twist.

For years, I dished The Cranberries. I just hated them. Every song sounded like a broken record. Then I saw this film and heard this number. I think this song is incredible for a number of reasons... First and foremost, I love the message. "You're so pretty the way you are..." What an amazing statement in both the film and the music. Plus the mix is absolutely riveting. The Deep Forest song called 'Martha' is actually the track 'Marta's Song' from their album 'Boheme'. I like this track quite a bit as well. There is a slight difference in the bass track, but otherwise, it's the exact same number.

The Brand New Heavies tune is interesting but not remarkable. I enjoy the vocal delivery and although I've never invested much time or energy into this band, I'm interested in hearing more. The Cece Peniston song is pretty typical of her stuff, but it's fun and I really like the song. I can sing along and tap my feet. That's a great feature in a tune.

Now here's the reason I should've bought the disc. There's a Prince composition by The New Power Generation here. 'Get Wild' appears on the 'Exodus' record, but this version is quite different in a number of ways. There's different effects happening throughout the song. Specifically, Mayte in the background saying stuff in Spanish. There is a different vocal take as well. It really is worth having. It shows some of the progression in the way Prince writes and records music.

TTD clocks in with 'Supermodel Sandwich'. I have to be honest, as much as I normally enjoy his work, this is one of my least favorite numbers ever. The Perfecto Mix of 'Lemon' by U2 is pretty interesting though not incredible by any means. It's got a nice rhythm and flow. But the gasping cries of Bono detract from the overall effect of the song. It's all beat and no substance.

Overall, it's an interesting collection, but hardly one that goes well together. Like the fashions in the film, this disc is all over the place. You'll probably pick this up for one or two numbers you're interested in rather than the entire collection.

If that's the case, save the money and buy the tunes online individually. Check that... I just saw how much this disc was selling for on Amazon... If you want more than two songs, you might as well go ahead and buy the disc online. With prices like $.01... You can't get it cheaper. My final word: INTERESTING.

READY TO WEAR - MUSIC FROM THE MOTION PICTURE
01. Ini Kamoze - Here Comes The Hotstepper (Heartical Mix)
02. Supercat - My Girl Josephine
03. Salt-N-Pepa - Here We Come
04. M People - Natural Thing
05. Janet Jackson - 70's Love Groove
06. The Rolling Stones - Jump On Top Of Me
07. Sam Phillips - These Boots Are Made For Walkin'
08. The Cranberries - Pretty (Remix)
09. Deep Forest - Martha
10. The Brand New Heavies - Close To You
11. Cece Peniston - Keep Givin' Me Your Love (West End Mix)
12. The New Power Generation - Get Wild
13. Terence Trent D'Arby - Supermodel Sandwich
14. U2 - Lemon (Perfecto Mix)