Movies You Can Hear -- Or Maybe Not ...

By Beth Winegarner

As the sequel to this decade's most popular horror film, Scream 2 has a lot to live up to. So the fact that its soundtrack is crammed with some of the moment's hottest musicians is no surprise. Although it includes new tracks by everyone from Master P to the Dave Matthews band, Scream 2 functions mainly as a companion to the film. Its mostly lackluster songs don't pack the punch necessary to make it a successful album in its own right.

The soundtrack opens with Master P's "Scream." Filled with doomsday lyrics and a chorus of "I hear him comin'/I see him comin'/Scream!" -- followed by shrieks and bellows contributed by Master P, Silkk the Shocker and others -- the song strikes the right balance of goosebumps and giggles to complement Wes Craven's horror flick.

Kottonmouth Kings' "Suburban Life," with its mixture of white-boy raps and alternagrunge samples, makes a decent segue between Master P's opener and the rest of the album, which is mainly composed of rock. Aside from a couple of clever lines, though ("Two turntables and a Heineken beer"), the song is the kind of aural wallpaper typical of soundtracks.

D'Angelo's cover of The Artist Formerly Known as Prince's "She's Always in my Hair" is one of the few standouts here. Burning with primeval funk, D'Angelo's wah-wah vocal grooves over the finger-snapping drumline like there's no tomorrow. Itıs so good it almost makes up for the next track, the mediocre "Help Myself," from the normally brilliant Dave Matthews Band.

Likewise, Collective Soul's "She Said" is average at best, although it takes on a triumphant warmth if youıve heard it during the film's closing shot. Other numbers -- including "Dear Lover" by the Foo Fighters and "The Swing" from Everclear -- are equally average, and donıt benefit from cinematic resonance.

The John Spencer Blues Explosion offers a rendition of "Right Place, Wrong Time," updating the funky classic with their kamikaze charisma and a truckload of funky, fuzzed guitar. In another cover, Less Than Jake takes on the Partridge Family's "I Think I Love You." In the movie this song is delivered by one of the characters in a romantic -- yet suitably gruesome -- cafeteria scene, but Jake's ska-pop version is just as fun.

The eerie, downcast melody of Nick Cave's "Red Right Hand" is a fitting counterpart to the film. It's used in several scenes throughout Scream 2 -- practically every time Craven wants to achieve a spooky mood, in fact. Eels' dreamy "Your Lucky Day In Hell" wields a similarly chilling charm and serves as foreshadowing during an early scene.

The soundtrack closes with "The Race," performed by mystery band Ear 2000, with spoken word vocals by David Arquette, who portrays Officer Dewey in Scream and Scream 2. The lyrics explore what happens when the innocence of every character (especially the current beau of Neve Campbell's character, Sidney) is called into question. Meanwhile, the track's musical aspect swings from revved-up party rock to a mellow, ambient outro.

Scream 2 might be an enjoyable listen for fans of the film, but on its own it's not really worth the price. The only truly scary thing about this collection is how dull so much of it is, especially given its stellar cast.

This article was originally published in Addicted to Noise.