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Date:04-May-2001 From:Canadian online Explore (Detail is here) Author:JANE STEVENSON Movie stars' music benefits animal sanctuaryHollywood Goes Wild! is one way to describe the mood in Tinsel Town these days, given the ominous threat of both a writers and actors strike. It's also the title of a recently releas-ed album featuring such Hollywood A-listers as Russell Crowe, Brad Pitt and Keanu Reeves crooning for a good cause. The album benefits the animal sanctuary Wildlife Waystation just north of Los Angeles, which cares for over 4,000 animals, both domestic and exotic, every year. Judging from the quality of most of the warbling, my guess is it took some convincing to get some of these actors to okay their tunes. Either that or they've been surrounded by so many yes-men (and women) over the years that they think they can actually sing. Here goes with a song-by-song critical rundown (each rated out of five):
1. Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, Born Free'ky:Goldblum's actually not a bad piano player. Unfortunately, he chose to kick off this big band jazz tune with some ridiculous nonsense about: "I was born freaky, like um, unique-y, I'm the sheik of Arabic-y, I'm the super freak." You can say that again. (HH1/2)
2. 30 Odd Foot Of Grunts featuring Russell Crowe, The Photograph Kills:"The photograph kills and your fame will destroy you," sings the notoriously cranky star on this hokey bar-band rocker straight out of the early '80s. What's he trying to tell us? Stinky to the maximus, I say. (H)
3. Bijou Phillips, Polite:One of the many offspring of the late Mama and The Papas leader John Phillips, she actually sounds pretty good on this mid-tempo dance song, in that breathy, little girl, Natalie Imbruglia kind of way. (HHH1/2)
4. Brad Pitt, MidTown:"I want to meet a model who's only got one name," croaks Pitt, in character as the lead in the forgettable bomb Johnny Suede. I want to meet the person who gave Pitt voice lessons. (H)
5. Juliette Lewis, Hardly Wait:I'll give Lewis props for capturing the sound of real romantic torture in her voice, even if she pales in comparison to the song's composer, P.J.Harvey. (HHH)
6. Dogstar featuring Keanu Reeves, Your World:Whoa. Reeves, who's long played bass with this modern rock trio, is weighed down by lead singer Bret Domrose's mediocre voice and mediocre rock song. (HH)
7. Mare Winningham, It's So Hard:Given her lacklustre film career and beautiful, clear voice on this pretty, self-penned folk song, you almost wonder why Winningham didn't seriously pursue a music career. (HHHH)
8. Billy Bob Thornton, Island Avenue:Given the pain infliction level of this country-tinged rock song, it's hard to believe BBT is currently recording an entire album and plans to go on tour. Get ready to throw them french-fried per-tay-ters at the stage! (H)
9. Milla Jovovich with Plastic Has Memory, On The Hill:Judging from her dis-oriented vocals on this strange, slow song that limps along at an excruciating pace, I think some one may have dropped Milla on her head on the way to the studio (H)
10. Bruce Willis, Crazy Mixed Up World:Willis has always fancied himself a blues singer, much the same way Dan Aykroyd has, if you get my drift. He does a passable job here, if not exactly blowing up big time. (HHH)
11. Iggy Pop & Johnny Depp, Hollywood Affair:Pop sings while Depp strums on this stripped-down, mournful ballad that never really takes off. "I can't get out of here, she loved me back aways, A lonely purple cat, uh, huh/ A stripper with two kids, a Hollywood affair, and that's the end of that, uh, huh." Sounds like a day at the beach for Iggy. (HHHEstablished since 1st September 2001 by 999 SQUARES. |
