March 23, 2000

Various

A Cohen brothers tale of smalltown idiocy, [a]John Robinson[/a] is the story of a man checking out film soundtracks. It's quite good, if you like that sort of thing.

Untitled Various
Any Given Sunday
(Warner Sunset/Atlantic)

../img/anygivensunday0300.jpg Heavyweight Oliver Stone movie about American football comes with an obligatorily heavyweight soundtrack. It's ugly, but as Stone would tell you: life wasn't put there to be easy. It was put there so you could watch your buddies die.

Necessary or evil? Evil, of course, but that's part of the point. New clobber from Missy Elliott and Capone-N-Noreaga bring a triumphal and string-based state of affairs, while new Hole track 'Be A Man', well, doesn't. Not bad at all, you sick fuck. 7/10

Various
Pokimon The First Movie - Music From And Inspired By The Motion Picture
(Atlantic)

../img/pokemon0300.jpg Aimed at the age group that traditionally leaves social gatherings with a piece of cake wrapped in a serviette, this features pop music of the kind traditionally accompanied by an exclamation mark, but here, not. Comes with free 'Jigglypuff'.

Necessary Or Evil? There are 150 Pokimon characters, so you get the feeling that rather they're more asking you to recognise them as a microcosm of society. Nonetheless. 5/10

Various
Wonder Boys
(Columbia)

../img/wonderboys0300.jpg Or rather, 'rich old boys with ranches'. This soundtrack features a selection of men who crashed in the '60s, burned in the '70s, and raised cattle in the '80s.

Necessary or evil? Like every hippy out of context, pretty evil. No-one needs a new Bob Dylan track ('Things Have Changed') enough to buy an LP with a picture of Michael Douglas on the front. Like Neil Young said to the buffalo, "You got some hide." 3/10

Various
Music From And Inspired By The TV Series King Of The Hill
(Elektra)

../img/kingofthehill0300.jpg Squareheaded Texan propane vendor Hank Hill is a modern, strictly two-dimensional Everyman. Small wonder he turns to that most honest of music - country - when looking to unwind.

Necessary Or Evil? Well, it's not Nine Inch Nails, and thank the Lord for that. Former show guest Willie Nelson turns up, his Boomhauer-like crowing a reminder that country music extends a welcome to everyone, while Sheryl Crow is just a vision of homespun loveliness. Barenaked Ladies, though? The boys just ain't right... 5/10

Various
Ghost Dog - Original Soundtrack
(Epic)

../img/ghostdog0300.jpg Jim Jarmusch's tale of a modern day hitman (in the frankly ludicrously unlikely person of Forrest Whitaker, the Stevie Wonder of evil) is given weight as mighty as that of Shaolin itself by a full RZA-co-ordinated soundtrack.

Necessary Or Evil? Stand-out tracks include the top 'Cakes', by Kool G Rap featuring RZA and Wu-Tang's 'Fast Shadow'. In the absence of nu Wu proper, this is really ideal. 8/10

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