New WWF CD disappoints
By ALEX RISTIC -- SLAM! Wrestling
If you needed further proof that the WWF is now a multi-aspect
capitalist corporation, and if the XFL wasn't a big enough hint, then
you can use WWF - The Music Volume 5 as your ironclad example.
First off, most people are going to look at the CD much like a WWF wrestling card
- you're going to like the songs of your favourite WWF stars more than
the songs of the stars you despise. That said, in an impartial analysis,
this review will be based totally upon the music.
Let's start with the two songs that actually use internationally renown
recording stars, namely the HHH theme song "The Game, performed by
legendary metal act Motorhead, and the Rock's song, "Pie," which has a
guest appearance by 80's rap star Slick Rick.
If anyone needs aggressive, pummelling, ear-bashing music in the WWF its
HHH. The song is intense, and matches the wrestlers personality to a T.
While the music of Motorhead isn't as extreme as the offerings of death
or black metal bands, it is rough around the edges, hard hitting, and
raucous, and is perfectly suited to the image HHH portrays.
As for "Pie," well, lets just say that it needs to be cooked in the oven
a while longer before it's suitable for consumption. It starts off as
gospel track, jumps into hip-hop territory, and then returns to gospel
format. The transition is too choppy for it to be entertaining and the
misuse of Slick Rick is a travesty. Here you have a legendary performer
in his genre, and he's reduced to commentary status, taking a back seat
to the Rock. Let's put it this way, K-Kwik is a whole lot better at
rapping than The Rock, who makes his own song sound like it came from
amateur night at the Apollo in New York.
As for K-Kwik's "Rowdy," well, it could stand to be a bit more rowdy
than it is. The song has gone through a number of changes since the
wrestler debuted, now noticeably slower and a little smoother. While
there's nothing wrong with the song itself, and it is quite admirably
executed, it no longer represents K-Kwik as the older version used to. A
high-flying, high impact wrestler like K-Kwik needs a song that better
represents his abilities, and while the new "Rowdy" is done well, it's
not quite the music that you envision him walking to the ring with.
Tazz's "If You Dare," on the other hand, is the opposite. It's heavy,
short and punishing, much like the WWF superstar himself. Along the same
lines is Raven's "What About Me?" The cawing of crows is an excellent
addition to this heavy rock track, which has some eerie moments to
complete the image of this hardcore champion. Also, the music of these
two songs represents the two wrestlers on a personal basis, as both are
known to be fans of heavy metal and hard rock music in their private
lives.
Lita's "It Just Feels Right" is more of a mixed bag. The music is on the
extreme side of rock and roll, which compliments her and the vision that
she and the Hardy Boyz portray as part of Team Extreme, but is a little
on the slow side. The musical attack of the song is anything but
delicate, much like Lita herself, but for a woman who relies on high
flying moves in her arsenal, the song could have been sped up to reflect
her repertoire a bit more.
The biggest issue on this CD is the amount of older material that is
seen on the album. Kane's song, "Out Of The Fire," is old in terms of
when it debuted, and Kurt Angle's "Medal" was actually used as the theme
song for the Patriot in 1997 - almost four years ago. Not a ringing
endorsement of composer James Johnston's ability to come up with
something new.
Other songs mirror the "old" feeling given by the above examples, such
as Eddie Guerrero's "Latino Heat," Chyna's "Who Am I," and Chris
Benoit's "Shooter." These songs are now almost a year old. Of course,
this is the first opportunity for fans to legitimately hear these songs
on a CD format, but it comes a little too late. Most hardcore followers
of these wrestlers probably could have downloading this entrance music
on Napster months ago, so the WWF missed out hugely on an opportunity to
capitalise by making new music for these stars.
All in all, James Johnston is a talented individual who, for the most
part, makes music that fits the respective wrestlers on camera
personality. Having said that, however, he could have tweaked some of
the songs a bit more to fit each grappler a little bit better.
As for the WWF, they should have updated a lot of the material on the
CD, and possibly included a little more content from musical superstars.
While guest artists cost a little more money to utilise, they would have
also been an added attraction for the purchase of this CD. If you're
going to shell out a regular CD price of $16.99 or more, it would have
been a little nicer to get more bang for your buck. Johnston was already
paid for creating this material, so most of that money made from this CD
is dough in the WWF's back pocket. Free money for doing nothing but
collecting the songs on CD, basically.
Of final note, and another oversight on the WWF's part, they have
included a special Rock browser that only purchasers of the CD can
download from the company's web site. It seems a little arrogant, don't
you think, that the WWF automatically assumes that everyone buying this
CD would want a Rock media browser or a copy of Internet Explorer installed on their computer. What if your favourite superstar is
Tazz, Chris Jericho, or The Undertaker? What if you only want and use Netscape?
To sum up, WWF - The Music Volume 5 is littered with inconsistencies and
because of that only a true hardcore WWF should purchase this item. And
while the CD is most likely geared toward a hardcore WWF audience, even
a long time fan might not find enough enticing material to rush out to
the record store and purchase this album.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Alex is also the editor and publisher of the kicking music mag -
Rip 'N Tear. You can check it out online at
http://www.ripntear.net/
