VA - Over The Top (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (1987)

This Stallone soundtrack naturally oozes testosterone, and used to be the only place to get Sammy Hagar yelping over Eddie Van Halen runs (on bass no less) in the adrenalized "Winner Takes It All" (remember Hagar arm-wrestling Sly in the video?). "Winner" is actually one of the best cuts from the limp Van Hagar years. Of course, tender moments can be found as well: Kenny Loggins yearns to "Meet Me Half Way." Yes, this bombastic piece of fluff belongs on Top Gun, but it gets ya right here. Halfway between the power and the pansy stands Robin Zander (who had already ventured outside the Trick camp for the Rebbie Jackson duet "You Send the Rain Away"), who relays the solemn national anthem "In This Country." Over the Top is held together and composed (except for "Bad Nite" from Frank Stallone, who is Sly's brother) by disco brain Giorgio Moroder, who shows off in the instrumental "The Fight." Sometimes Moroder yields a great song ("Call Me"), and his Midnight Express score qualifies as the best soundtrack in history. Of course, that is not the case here, and despite some formidable talent (Asia, Eddie Money), only the four tracks listed above make this record matter.~Over the Top Review by Doug Stone