Pros: Several new interesting tunes and some classic rock...
Cons: ...do not a hit album make.
The Bottom Line: Steel Dragon would not even warrant a Behind The Music episode, much less a movie, were it not a construct to tell the Judas Priest story. Pass.
Joubert's Full Review: Rock Star by Original Soundtrack
The lowest common denominator of popular music is frequently the gathering of musicians outside of a normal band experience to create a record. Extraordinarily successful artists like The Monkees, the Partridge Family, Spinal Tap and more recently, O Town’s platinum success show that we’re often just as eager to listen to an artist pretending to be another artist. One could even extend the concept to include the one album supergroups and Milli Vanilli. Unfortunately, the gathering of classic metal cuts and well known musicians to front the fictitious band in the movie Rock Star will not have the commercial success, and frankly, doesn’t warrant such.
What makes the Rock Star soundtrack such an interesting listen then are not the songs by Everclear, Kiss and Ted Nugent among others, but the formation of mock band Steel Dragon. Steel Dragon is a band loosely based on Judas Priest, and Rock Star is the story of their selecting an underdog as frontman much as the real band did years ago. The studio and band couldn’t reconcile what they each politely called creative differences and Steel Dragon, the band that isn’t a band was formed.
Ex-rapper and current movie star Mark Wahlberg portrays the singer onscreen, but in a bit of confounding surrealism, the ex-singer portraying a fictional singer is himself voiced by others. Steel Dragon is made up of Dokken bassist Jeff Pilson, former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Zakk Wylde, famous son Jason Bonham on drums and Jeff Scott Soto, Yngwie Malmsteen’s vocalist. Two other unknowns are also credited on the liner notes, Nick Cantonese on guitar and Mike Matijevic on vocals. I’m usually hesitant about referring to anyone as an unknown, but there are no listings for either in the All Music Guide, ArtistDirect or even Google. Since my old computer music files can be found in Google, I’m left with little choice but to say that they remain fairly unknown to this day. Wahlberg does not contribute any vocals despite a gold and platinum album to his credit.
So do we have a hit album? That’s hard to tell given the mess that has marked radio in the last four days. The album was only out for six days before the recent terrorist attacks, but there was little pre-release buzz. The Steel Dragon cuts are not strong enough to make a radio splash and most of the cuts contributed by other artists are niche-oriented or older releases packaged on the album.
No Hits? Are You Nuts?
I didn’t say no hits. There are two strong possibilities, The Verve Pipe’s Colorful, also on their brand new album, Underneath and Everclear’s title track, Rock Star. If Art Alexakis’ overexposure hasn’t managed to bore the record buying public, then Everclear should chart Rock Star simply on the basis of its hooks. The Verve Pipe are again victims of an overly sweetened string section and offer a pretty song that remains devoid of anything resembling a hook.
Dropping The Needle…Cut by Cut
Everclear’s title track starts the album with the same post-grunge pop last heard on AM Radio. Eschewing the easy comparisons to Smash Mouth is difficult, especially since Rock Star has the most kitsch of any cut on the album. Alternating between a danceable beat (I give it a 98, Dick) and a singalong chorus, the Everclear gang may just realize their wish and break out as true rock stars themselves. Meanwhile, you’re forgiven if you hear Freddy Mercury’s spirit singing this harsher version of Bicycle Race.
Album credentials established, Steel Dragon’s first offering on the album, Livin’ The Life mixes KISS and Crue in a paean to good old-fashioned heavy metal. The sound is unsurprising given that both adored artists appear later on the album. There’s nothing particularly remarkable about this cut save for the anthem-like bass drum and power chords designed to stoke testosterone levels in pre-teen boys even higher.
Once summoned by the metal disciples, the soundtrack offers up Motley Crue’s 1987 Wild Side from the MTV archives. A benefit to being sandwiched between Steel Dragon cuts is that the Crue lads sound positively groundbreaking with Nikki Sixx’s bass marching alongside Tommy Lee’s strong beat. To be honest, I had forgotten this song until the soundtrack because Girls, Girls, Girls was their hit at the time, but after prolonged time in the CD player, one remembers that Motley Crue’s breakup was not necessarily a bad thing.
Contributing to the teen angst that must be found on such albums, Steel Dragon next offers We All Die Young, a ballad that would have a legitimate shot at airplay were this ten years earlier or if Wylde’s guitar didn’t degenerate into a distorted mess on the chorus. The guitar work throughout the song is actually well done, including a lovely counterpoint more reminiscent of Eric Clapton than any metal act, but the attempt to drive emotion into the song is ruined by overuse of pedals and effects. One high point is Soto’s vocal work, bringing to mind some of Bret Michaels’ better Poison ballads.
Blood Pollution, the next cut by Steel Dragon, features more guitar flash and a return to the shouted arena rock choruses found in most of the cuts. The song is forgettable enough, undistinguished by vocals, instrumentals or lyrics, to render it unsuitable for even a Spinal Tap sequel.
To restore order, the album’s producers followed this dreck with one of rock’s biggest hits from the mid 1980s, Bon Jovi’s Livin’ On A Prayer. After the Steel Dragon cuts, Richie Sambora’s guitar sings as eloquently as Bon Jovi’s vocals. The pair was responsible for a massive hit making machine in their heyday, but never again approached the fist pumping chorus found here. Its inclusion on the soundtrack is a smart move, introducing a new generation to a cut now found living on classic rock radio.
Stand Up And Shout, penned by Sammy Hagar and not to be confused with the Dio song, becomes Jason Bonham’s showpiece, a gritty mix of blues and metal that again gets overshadowed by Wylde’s fondness for accenting vocals with an overdriven guitar that threatens to swallow the vocal in the mix and manages to inject a sense of schizophrenia into the song. The caustic bridge destroys the song’s theme, but does at least give the listener an appreciation of Jason Bonham inheriting Daddy’s wrists.
Ancient guitar god Ted Nugent provides an eight minute excursion into a melodic guitar song with his chestnut Stranglehold. The song appears on nine different Nugent albums and a variety of collections. Disc jockeys of twenty years ago used it as the perfect song to play along with Free Bird for bathroom breaks, but that doesn’t give the song its due. Unfortunately, this is the studio version rather than the blistering cut from Double Live Gonzo, but is still a welcome respite from the clanking sounds emanating from Steel Dragon, especially on their next cut, Wasted Generation, which to be fair, could only be recorded by three-quarters of the garage rock bands in the land.
Fans usually agree that KISS was never the same after the makeup came off and Ace Freehly was gone, but Lick It Up remains one of their better post 1970s songs. Vinnie Vincent’s guitar, particularly when double tracked on the bridge, and the trademark KISS vocals so poorly copied by Steel Dragon are another pleasant respite on the album. This is a softer KISS that still rocks.
The final Steel Dragon cut on the album is Long Live Rock and Roll, a cover of the Rainbow classic album. Bonham in particular acquits himself well and the entire band manages to pass off the cover as well as one would expect from an artist dealing with a well known, distinctive cut. Its obvious that neither Dio or Richie Blackmore are present in the mix, but the cover is faithful to the original’s strength.
Perhaps the strangest selection album is INXS’ The Devil Inside. Granted, the mid 1980s are well represented on the album and one would do well to not forget INXS’ breakthrough album Kick, but Michael Hutchence’s vocal sounds silky smooth against the album’s metal backdrop.
This softening of the album continues with The Verve Pipe’s new song, Colorful. As mentioned in the introduction, the song is pleasant enough and Brian Vander Ark’s vocals have never sounded as sweet or as clear. Their new album is gaining sales and airplay traction, not to mention critical praise, but this song isn’t the single to lead the album to success like Hero led their last effort.
Former Yes-man and all around super guitarist Trevor Rabin concludes the album with Gotta Have It, a nifty little instrumental that also doesn’t belong in the song selection, but is a wonderful song. Rabin’s progressive art rock pedigree is without peer and one can only assume that this song was used over the ending credits. An album of this would have made a boring movie, but Rabin is turning into a well known producer and soundtrack artist. Gotta Have It mixes styles and sounds into a nice mélange that quiets the listener’s pulse and ends the entire album on a high note.
The Bottom Line…Skips and All
There are not many reasons to purchase the soundtrack unless you’re looking for a decent metal mix album. Nugent, KISS and Motley Crue lend the album its classic chops, but more time is used by the fiction that is Steel Dragon. Listeners who mutter “Cheap Dio knockoff” are excused for those feelings, which I voiced myself more than once during this CD’s rotation in my player.
Yes, Everclear may hit with the title track or the softer alt stations might pick up on The Verve Pipe again, but one need only wait for the single’s release if either song becomes your favorite. Otherwise, this soundtrack is destined for the remainder bin within the year and might be worth a listen at those cut prices.
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