VA - Zoolander - Music From The Motion Picture (2001)

An interesting, if slightly schizoid collection of '80s dance pop hits ("Relax," "Rockit," "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go,"), similarly styled covers (Powerman 5000 churns through a second version of Frankie Goes to Hollywood's "Relax," Nikka Costa adds nothing to Blondie's "Call Me," and No Doubt goes through the sexy motions on a ho-hum take on Donna Summer's breathy "Love to Love You Baby"), a few oddball, yet surprisingly touching '60s folk-pop remakes (The Wallflowers find inspiration in the Bee Gees' "I Started a Joke" and Rufus Wainwright sounds genuinely inspired by "He Ain't Heavy...e's My Brother") and rock/techno dance tracks by the more contemporary likes of BT, Orgy, and the Crystal Method. The last genre comprises the bulk of the album, which includes a heavily remixed version of Jackson's "Beat It" by Moby, who renders the majority of the song almost unrecognizable. The most notable and ultimately interesting tracks are the '60s covers, since, when this album was released in 2001, this was the only place to obtain these cuts by superstars The Wallflowers and No Doubt. The Freestylers inject rasta dancehall, adding to the already eclectic mix, but this is such a varied album stylistically that it benefits from the listener's prudent CD programming to make it cohere. The few highlights are not enough to make this an essential purchase by all but the most rabid followers of the acts, whose music cannot be found elsewhere in a more consistent format.~Zoolander Review by Hal Horowitz