BATMAN FOREVER [Movie Soundtrack] (by Various Artists)

SUMMARY:                            RUNNING TIME: 59 Min.

Released through Time Warner in 1995, this partial soundtrack sports five songs from Batman Forever, plus another nine supposedly inspired by the film.  Tracks from Elliott Goldenthal’s instrumental score aren’t included, as his work would be allotted its own separate album.  The fourteen tracks are:

 Title:             Artist:                   Running Time:

1. Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me U2    4:46
2. One Time Too Many   PJ Harvey    2:52
3. Where Are You Now?    Brandy      3:57
4. Kiss From a Rose           Seal            3:38
5. The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game   Massive Attack & Tracey Thorn        4:06
6. Nobody Lives Without Love    Eddi Reader  5:05
7. Tell Me Now      Mazzy Star       4:17
8. Smash It Up       The Offspring  3:26
9. There is a Light     Nick Cave      4:23
10. The Riddler           Method Man  3:30
11. The Passenger        Michael Hutchence   4:37
12. Crossing the River   The Devlins               4:45
13. 8                     Sunny Day Real Estate   5:27
14. Bad Days          The Flaming Lips          4:39    

REVIEW:

Track 8’s “Smash It Up” aptly describes the lack of continuity in this Gotham City hodgepodge.  Popular through their heavy MTV and VH1 music video rotation, Seal’s multi-Grammy-winning “Kiss from a Rose” and U2’s “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me” (despite its nonsensical lyrics) are this album’s definitive highlights.  Brandy’s likable “Where Are You Now?” is another asset.  Yet, The Devlins “Crossing the River” ballad serves up this album’s unexpected gem.  Tracks 5-6 would make terrific solo downloads, no matter their tenuous connection to the Batcave.         

Trying too hard to be mid-90’s hip, the assortment of remaining tunes end up as background noise.  Their primary detriment is that these shallow tracks are near-impossible to recognize as even correlating to Batman Forever.  Case in point: Nick Cave’s Track 9 oddly mimics Val Kilmer’s impersonation of Jim Morrison in The Doors instead of Kilmer’s one-and-done Batman.  In essence, this shameless paycheck-heavy soundtrack pleads guilty to pop overkill.  Its best half-dozen or so songs paired with Elliott Goldenthal’s instrumental highlights would have sufficed as a more satisfying and cohesive musical package.  Batman Forever’s middling soundtrack is a good garage sale or thrift store find, but it’s not worth pursuing a new copy.

PACKAGING:

The casing is standard-issue.   Of note is that the CD itself doesn’t offer any track info.  

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                    5 Stars