Dayton Daily News / ActiveDayton Web Site March 8, 1998 Added April 25, 1998

A review of the Great Expectations soundtrack appeared in the Dayton Daily News on or around March 8, 1998. The review also appeared online at the ActiveDayton web site.

Various artists:
Great Expectations The Album

Review: * * (2 stars)

The recent plethora of eclectic, loosely based "soundtracks" are more educational than entertaining. It's not everyday you hear vintage Grateful Dead followed by a Latin pop classic, Besame Mucho.

Still, this collection complementing the movie Great Expectations presents a relatively cohesive set. Its 16 songs--four not used in the film--generally offer variations of mainstream rock, especially up-and-comers such as Poe and The Verve Pipe.

The disc starts strong with Tori Amos' funky Siren and the fresh-for-now light trip-hop of Mono. But by track No. 5--the tuneless Resignation of Reef--it's clear that great expectations won't be met.

Chris Cornell, formerly of Soundgarden, and ex-Stone Temple Pilot Scott Weiland do battle in the "Now That We No Longer Sing for Popular and Respected '90s Bands, What Do We Do Now" category. Cornell's Sunshower aspires to be like mellow Zeppelin but lands near Triumph or other bland bands from circa 1980. Weiland fares better with an artsy piano-based waltz that includes accordion by Sheryl Crow.

Other winners come from Duncan Sheik, Pulp and David Garza.

If you're buying, don't confuse this with the movie-score CD composed by Patrick Doyle.

--Reviewed by Bob Underwood, Dayton Daily News

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