SAVE THE LAST DANCE - MORE MUSIC: SOUNDTRACK
Save The Last Dance is a terrific little movie, which, as its
title suggests, couldn’t succeed without a good deal of
rhythmic impetus from the soundtrack. The protagonists could
hardly be expected to wiggle and thrust their way to love,
triumph and a hip-hop attitude all on their own.
However, laying down a percussive platform on which to boogie
does not automatically make for a riveting album. Or, in this
case, two albums.
The first release was replete with slick beats, soulful voices
and lots of licentious lyrics trying very hard to be sexy instead
of silly. Despite falling short on that last desideratum, it was
a smooth and genuinely booty agitating CD. At least it had our
feet hopping if it wasn’t a hip-hop classic.
What we have here is more like hip replacement. These are the
grooves that didn’t make the first cut, and while there are
consistently danceable beats throughout they are also
consistently banal. Unless you have a fetish for reverse
percussion samples. There’s enough of those to have you hip-hopping
backwards. And I always thought you were supposed to shake your
booty, not have it lead the way. As with all backwards recordings
we must look for a hidden message. Here it seems to be that if
you can’t come up with an interesting enough drum pattern,
there’s nothing like a backwards snare to divert attention
from the lack of creative progress.
Typical of the bland style imitations is the pseudo-Jamaican
patois of The World Beaters’ So Special. Nothing more than
low-rent Shaggy, it relies on one catchy chorus hook for any
entertainment value beyond the obvious. And “low rent Shaggy”
might well be an apt description of Jesse Powell if the lyrics of
So Special are anything to go by. “Let’s make love
until the early morn” sums up the prowess of his supposedly
seductive poetry. Along with extensive repetition of the phrase
“I’m so into you”, which one suspects he’s
opining to a mirror. I’ll relent that singers are entitled
to a little narcissism, but I can never forgive songs like this
one that feature continually ringing phone samples. I suppose we
are to assume there’s a living, breathing, highly bonkable
mannequin on the other end aching for a heavy dose of Jesse’s
luuurve. But I know better. It’s Barry White ringing to say
Jesse’s gotta dig down a few octaves if he wants to join the
Love Gods.
A few better moments on the disc include Angela Ammons’ When
It Doesn’t Matter, a lovely dollop of folk-rock
that sits as comfortably among this mediocre compilation of hip-hop
as Willie Nelson at a rave party. And Audrey Martells’ Hate
The Playaz, which educes a spirited feel from those
staccato orchestra stabs so beloved by Boy-band producers. Even
if the chorus borrows a little too heavily in this regard from
one of the recent mega-hits of N’Sync. Or was it Backstreet
Boys? Or is there any difference.
I assume this disc is the result of the popularity of the first,
and of the film. The latter surpasses its genre and deserves
success. But not because of the music featured on this
unnecessary adjunct. An unfortunate case of more is less.
Brad Green
Published July 5, 2001
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Save the Last Dance SOUNDTRACK Review
SOUNDTRACK CLIPS:
Track 7 - When It Doesn’t Matter
Track 4 - Hate The Playaz
TITLE: More (music from the motion picture) Save The Last Dance
ID: TVT 6980-2
Hollywood Records
ARTISTS: Methodman/Redman; Shawty Redd; The World Beaters; Audrey Martells; Ta-Gana; Jesse Powell; Angela Ammons; Sy Smith; Fat Man Scoop; Medina Green; Blaqout; JR Youing; Blaqout.
TRACKS: 13
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