MattA75's Full Review: 10 Things I Hate About You by Original Soundtrack
When you first watch the movie 10 Things I Hate About You, perhaps the first thing that will strike you is the high quality pop/rock music showcased throughout the film. And while some people call this just what some of the characters in the movie did ("angry girl music"), the fact is is that about 2/3 of this album is excellent stuff, some of it very surprising.
Boston's Letters to Cleo, long a favorite of mine, and sadly now disbanded, has two songs here, including a cover of Cheap Trick's I Want You to Want Me. Kay Hanley's voice is positively seductive on this track, and the power pop hooks delivered by the rest of the band are something that I have only come to expect from this excellent band. The other track, a cover of Nick Lowe's Cruel to Be Kind, is another nice little pop ditty, even if it doesn't hold the universal appeal of the prior Cheap Trick cover. It is very sad that these two songs will hold up as the band's swan song, as they never got the support they deserved from their record label.
Save Ferris, another band that has always been solid in my mind, contribute I Know to the soundtrack. The song is a dancy, upbeat ska tune that is basically a cover of the famous 60s tune, probably better known to people who don't know it by any other name than Shout. The horn section shines, and lead singer Monique Powell sounds just as seductive as Kay Hanley does. She has one hell of a voice!
I've also always been a fan of Madness, a band from the "two-tone" era of ska that saw many English bands find anywhere from phenomenal to moderate success in the United States. (Other bands included the Specials and The English Beat) Here, the track Wings of a Dove is contributed, and while I'm not a huge fan of this song, the fact that Madness got put on a soundtrack at all in 1999 puts a huge smile on my face. =)
Two of the more pleasant surprises come within the first 4 songs on the record. Semisonic will always be remembered for their huge hit Closing Time, but it is the song on this record, FNT, that is truly spectacular. While watching the movie, I remembered hearing this song but had no clue who sang it. When I found out it was Semisonic I was shocked. It's very poppy and hook heavy, even moreso than Closing Time was, and yet, I can't resist this song. It's sweet in lyrics ("I'm surprised that you've never been told before, that you're lovely and you're perfect"), and while it may be considered too sappy by some, I'll reject that claim mightily.
The other wonderful surprise is in the form of Sister Hazel's Your Winter. Also best known for their "one hit," 1998's All For You, this song also prooves that maybe this band could be around to stay. While I've always considered them to be a poor man's Hootie and the Blowfish, I have to admit they can come up with a catchy pop song. Again, the lyrics are pure sugar, but for the audience, I guess you could say it's perfect.
Unfortunately, the rest of the album does not hold up to these six or seven songs. The other half of the album is made up of cheesy R&B songs that have no hook and I honestly don't remember them being the movie. Granted, seeing George Clinton on here is great, but they picked one of his weaker songs. The same could be said of the Cardigans. However, it is rare today that you get 6 or 7 positively excellent songs on one record, especially on soundtracks that seem to be getting more and more fogettable. These songs actually fit the mood, story and style of the movie, which alone gives it a bonus star. This is really only a 3 star recording, but the last two factors I've mentioned boost it up a bit in my eyes.
The story of two sisters trying to get a date for the high school prom, 10 Things I Hate About You is an updated version of Shakespeare s Taming of th...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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