Soundtrack, William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet- Stephen Lin

Have you ever had a great shirt and a great tie, but they look absolutely wretched together? Well, that's exactly what William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet soundtrack is. Most of the tracks stand beautifully alone, but together they clash like pickles and Ovaltine! However, I assume that executive producer (and musical genius) Nellee Hooper had some greater vision that I'm just not seeing yet.

At any rate, the album opens with Nellee Hooper's remix of Garbage's "#1 Crush." "#1 Crush" originally appeared on the import Subhuman EP which preceded Garbage's self-titled album. The original version had more of an edge with grittier guitars chiming in periodically. The soundtrack version has had its edges smoothed out. By removing the grit, the song becomes extraordinarily eerie and haunting. Romeo & Juliet is worth your money just for this one track alone. But there's so much more.

I don't particularly like Everclear. In fact, their singles irritate me (but have stuck in my head). Surprisingly, I'm hooked on "Local God." For some reason, the repetitive, quirky guitar line endears me to the song. Go figure.

While these first two tracks aren't identical in nature or sound, they could be remotely associated in one way or another. Let's jump ahead to the love theme from Romeo & Juliet, "Kissing You" performed by. Des'ree. Huh? I'll admit that I'm not a big R&B fan, but this song sticks out like a sore appendage. And who would you logically follow this song up with? The Butthole Surfers, of course. (Do you see what I was talking about?) Unlike the wonderfully assembled pseudo-soundtrack, Songs in the Key of X - Music from and Inspired by the X-Files, Romeo & Juliet has ZERO continuity. Inconsistent mood and incompatible styles permeate this album.

Despite this lack of odd choice of coordination, the album redeems itself in the individual selection of tracks. The Butthole Surfers' catchy tune, "Whatever," is followed by The Cardigan's robo-mega-super-pop song, "Lovefool." (Warning: if you listen to "Lovefool" too much, you'll be in danger of going postal for no apparent reason.) Mundy's "To You I Bestow" is followed by Radiohead's "Talk Show Host." Interspersed between gaps I didn't mention are tracks that are good and NOT-SO-good. Perhaps it's simply the environment in which they're found.

If you're a fan of any of the bands mentioned in this article, you wouldn't be disappointed in purchasing the soundtrack. If you're looking for one cohesive unit in which to lose yourself, you'll find yourself lost and confused. Be irritated and amazed, incensed and astounded. it's the Romeo & Juliet soundtrack!

In all seriousness, it is worth a listen. Diversity is a good thing. On top of it all, it's an enhanced CD for your home computer (nice layouts)! What more could you ask for?.