Spider-Man [Soundtrack]

One of the best tracks on the album is from The Strokes: 'When It Started' is gifted with a superb opening, superb vocals, and inspired instrumentation. I have no idea if really did feature in the film, but I don't care, because I adore this track. The Hives follow The Strokes and produce another of the album's ace tracks: ear-shakingly-sonic in all the right ways and full of raw little edges. Pete Yorn's 'Undercover' is another good reason to buy and enjoy this album, although I'm sure he's done better stuff - you can hear something quite intriguing in parts of this track, but for some reason the intriguing bits aren't as sustained as they might be. Alien Ant Farm's 'Bug Bytes' is catchy and energetic, and I like it. (My only reservation about this track is that AAF can't seem to decide what kind of music it is they're producing. Which means the track can feel a bit... random, at moments). I love the lyric "It's quite the web you've spun around her..." Although I'd heard Macy Gray sing 'My Nutmeg Phantasy' before, I hadn't heard this mix (by Morello) and it's... different, certainly.

The first track on the album is hilarious - the old 'Spider Man' theme. "Spider Man, Spider Man... friendly, neighbourhood Spider Man", etc. Very funny indeed. It is a nice, witty touch, and captures the light touch of the film really well. It is a shame they didn't put track 17, Danny Elfman's 'Main Titles' theme music on next, as track 2, but there you are (you can always program the CD to play the other way round). When you do get to the 'Main Titles' track you find a fantastically epic-sounding piece, reminiscent, in some of its phrasing, of the Batman theme. There are the grand, choral voices, and the track feels like it rises and falls to the same pattern as the earlier Elfman score; but it is distinct from that darker comic-hero movie, with its slightly more noble variety of bravery. Spider-Man is a less cynical, world-weary character than Batman, and you can hear that in this track. Elfman introduces a degree of tragedy, but predominately there is the hope and promise of youth; the strength and energy of the tribal drum. It is the perfect score for the story of Peter Parker: you can see him swinging through Manhattan as it plays. By way of contrast, the album ends with the movie's official 'theme', by Aerosmith. It has all the manic, wide-eyed, rock elements you want in an Aerosmith track - there is even frantic panting in the background at certain moments. And sirens. And much guitar-thrashing. It's a world away from Elfman, but fits into the film just as neatly.

There are some tracks "from or inspired" by 'Spider-Man' don't live up to the rest: there are always winners, losers, and runners-up. Chad Kroeger's offering is alright, but not an absolute highlight; the same goes for Sum 41's 'What We're All About', which isn't my sort of music at all. Black Lab provide a catchy song, and this makes up for the wishy-washy Bleu track 'Somebody Else'. Corey Taylor's sings a particularly mellow track, with moments of orchestra-led drama, and I'm glad it's on the album. However, I could have probably have done without Greenwheel and Default altogether.

There are a couple of tracks that I'm undecided over. 'Invisible Man' by Theory of a Dead Man, for example, is great in one way, but bad in another... It's one of those tracks that balances precariously on the fence that is my musical taste. Same for the Jerry Cantrell track... I can't quite decide whether I like it or not.

Overall, though, this is worth it for the good stuff, and a thoroughly enjoyable mix of stuff I'd not usually listen to.