GoldmineDecember 19, 1997 VARIOUS ARTISTS Batman & Robin is one of those soundtracks that more or less hangs together musically, though the diversity of the material keeps things from flowing seamlessly. The Smashing Pumpkins starts things off with the barely intelligible "The End Is The Beginning Is The End." The song rocks in a soaring kind of way, though even at this late date Billy Corgan's atonal delivery remains an acquired taste. (The reprise "The Beginning Is The End Is The Beginning" casts the tune in a more sluggish setting.) Though one would presume that there's some kind of common theme holding all of this together, it's often hard to tell. Words tend to tumble out quickly in many places here, i.e., Bone Thugs-N-Harmony rap faster than most people can think on the new "Look Into My Eyes," a song leavened by smooth soulful choruses. Batman & Robin's finer moments are evenly split between offerings by both established and newer acts. R.E.M's "Revolution", a concert fave the band took to the studio, provides the record's grungiest moment while "Lazy Eye", a new number from the Goo Goo Dolls scores points for infectious high energy. Also earning kudos are newcomers Laura Christy (for the very jangly "Breed") and Eric Benet's soulful homage to one man's own integrity and devotion to God and family ("True To Myself'). On a record that runs the gamut from Jewel's elegiac "Foolish Games" (re-recorded for this soundtrack) to Underworld's hyper-sonic "Moaner", a percolating quasi-instrumental that builds to a frenetic climax, there are bound to be some less-than-stellar moments here. The worst? Me'Shell Ndegeocello's poorly executed cover of the Leiber and Stroller classic "Poison Ivy". Turning the song into a smoky, low-key hip-hop may be keeping in line with the seductive nature of the movies villain (played by Uma Thurman) but it's the most tedious song of the bunch. Still, if Batman & Robin isn't entirely entertaining it at least offers enough variety to ensure a moderately interesting listening experience. -Tierney Smith |