Movies You Can Hear -- Or Maybe Not ...
As the sequel to this decade's most popular horror
film, Scream 2 has a lot to live up to. So the fact that its
soundtrack is crammed with some of the moment's hottest
musicians is no
surprise. Although it includes new tracks by everyone from Master P
to the
Dave Matthews band, Scream 2 functions mainly as a
companion to the
film. Its mostly lackluster songs don't pack the punch necessary to
make it
a successful album in its own right.
The soundtrack opens with Master P's "Scream." Filled
with doomsday lyrics and a chorus of "I hear him comin'/I see him
comin'/Scream!" -- followed by shrieks and bellows contributed by
Master P,
Silkk the Shocker and others -- the song strikes the right balance
of
goosebumps
and giggles to complement Wes Craven's horror
flick.
Kottonmouth Kings' "Suburban Life," with its mixture of white-boy
raps and alternagrunge samples, makes a decent segue between
Master P's
opener and the rest of the album, which is mainly composed of
rock.
Aside from a couple of clever lines, though ("Two turntables and a
Heineken
beer"), the song is the kind of aural wallpaper typical of
soundtracks.
D'Angelo's cover of The Artist Formerly Known as Prince's "She's
Always in my Hair" is one of the few standouts here. Burning with
primeval
funk, D'Angelo's wah-wah vocal grooves over the finger-snapping
drumline
like there's no tomorrow. It¹s so good it almost makes up for the
next
track, the mediocre "Help Myself," from the normally brilliant Dave
Matthews Band.
Likewise, Collective Soul's "She Said" is average at best,
although
it takes on a triumphant warmth if you¹ve heard it during the film's
closing shot.
Other numbers -- including "Dear Lover" by the Foo Fighters and
"The Swing"
from Everclear -- are equally average, and don¹t benefit from
cinematic resonance.
The John Spencer Blues Explosion offers a rendition of "Right
Place,
Wrong Time," updating the funky classic with their kamikaze
charisma and a
truckload of funky, fuzzed guitar. In another cover, Less Than Jake
takes on
the Partridge Family's "I Think I Love You." In the movie this song
is
delivered by one of the characters in a romantic -- yet suitably
gruesome --
cafeteria scene, but Jake's ska-pop version is just as fun.
The eerie, downcast melody of Nick Cave's "Red Right Hand" is a
fitting counterpart to the film. It's used in several scenes throughout
Scream 2 -- practically every time Craven wants to
achieve a spooky mood, in fact. Eels' dreamy "Your Lucky Day In
Hell" wields a
similarly chilling charm and serves as foreshadowing during an
early scene.
The soundtrack closes with "The Race," performed by mystery
band Ear 2000, with spoken word vocals by David
Arquette, who portrays Officer Dewey in Scream and
Scream 2.
The lyrics explore what happens when the innocence of every
character (especially the current beau of Neve Campbell's
character, Sidney) is called into question. Meanwhile, the track's
musical aspect swings from revved-up party rock to a mellow,
ambient outro.
Scream 2 might be an enjoyable listen for fans of the film,
but on its own it's not really worth the price. The only truly scary
thing
about
this collection is how dull so much of it is, especially given its
stellar
cast.