As if dealing with oversized Hollywood egos on screen and in the celebrity magazines isn't bad enough, now we have to listen to them. This compilation is as shameless a tribute to that entire rotten industry as it is a collective feel-good jerk-off, packaged and wrapped as a benefit CD for the Wildlife Waystation - a non-profit animal hospital outside of Los Angeles. There are lots of low points here, but none sink deeper than Bruce Willis's teeth-grating version of Willie Dixon's "Crazy Mixed-Up World." Runners-up include Billy Bob Thornton serving up a cheesy rock-light ballad, Brad Pitt (as Johnny Suede) singing in a strained, weak voice; Jeff Goldblum with the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra doing a beatnik poet thing to coffee-house jazz that steps out here and there into swing - oh, it goes on. Some surprisingly decent tracks include 30 Odd Foot of Grunts with Russell Crowe (he at least has a rock'n'roll pedigree), Milla Jovovich with "Plastic Has Memory," and Iggy Pop and Johnny Depp (in an aptly-titled "Hollywood Affair"). And in case you've always wanted to hear how well Keanu Reeves plays guitar, there is a track by Dogstar here. And no, it's not very good.
(RPH)Various
Hollywood Goes Wild!
BY Patrick LejtenyiPublished May 1, 2001