Various

Hollywood Goes Wild!

BY Patrick LejtenyiPublished May 1, 2001

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)

Latest Coverage