Mega Man - The Soundtrack Album by Atlantic Records Reviewed by The Avardancer Released: 1995 Use with: A CD Player +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Opening Snide Remarks: I like to special order things. I saw this on a list of CDs.. so I special ordered it from Hastings Book and Store. Anyways, this album was released and has very little to do with Mega Man's Game Boy games, or his NES games, or his SNES, games, or any of his other games, or for that matter his anime, manga, animated movie, or even Mega Man. You'll see what I mean. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Impressions: For a "Mega Man" soundtrack.. Mega Man seems to be just a front for a sampler CD of Atlantic Records Artists. (Oh, Atlantic will do the soundtrack for the Pokémon Movie... we can only hope they don't do this to that one.) Anyways, this features a lot of artists that you and I may be familiar with.. but before they hit "big". Here's your Track by Track review of it. 1. "Driver" By The Hollowbodies. Some punk-sounding rock and roll. Oh, it's more like Sonic Youth... sort of. It sounds a little like Sonic Youth and it has a decent hook. It has nothing to do with Mega Man.. at all. It's about "Letting the driver drive." It's okay. Not spectacular or too addictive.. just good. 2. "Eileen" By Skidrow. Who's Eileen? Who cares.. this song is pretty cool. It's "heavy" rock and I like it. They remind me a little of Dryve.. and I miss Dryve. A interesting hook and some nice flow. The songs they sing are scaring me. ;) 3. "She" By Smile. Sigh... some electric guitar distortion near the front.. it sounds like it would be more at home on a Godzilla (New one) soundtrack. It's mosh material and like everything else on the album has nothing to do with Mega Man.. and it isn't as clean cut or polished as Skid Rows' song. 4. "Iron Mic" By Sugar Ray. If your only experience with Sugar Ray is the "Fly" single and "14:59"... than this will surprise you.. a lot. It's more like, say, Red Hot Chili Peppers or Limp Bizkit. But with samples, and a pretty cool hook. This one could actually have to do with a Mega Man game.. the chorus is "When push comes to shove... KICK @$$!". That's the spirit of the Mega Man games if I ever saw it. 5. "Realms of Junior Mafia Part 2" By Junior M.A.F.I.A. Junior M.A.F.I.A. is Little Ceaser, Lil' Kim, Larceny, and Cheek Del Vec. The group is produced by The Notorious B.I.G. and DJ Clark Kent. And if I had heard this group earlier.. I would have shot Biggie myself. This is self promotion mixed with lyrics about selling drugs, prostitution and shooting people to death. It's butchered by the censors on the album.. and the raps are VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY weak. This doesn't belong on the soundtrack... and well.. it just sucks and it's long.. annoying.. and well.. stupid. I hope that I never hear from this group ever again. The song also has nothing to do with Mega Man. 6. "Tryst" By Machines of Loving Grace. Hmm.. another "heavy" rock song. It doesn't have anything to do with Mega Man at all. But.. it could work... sort of. I think Atlantic Records chose it because the group is called: "Machines of Loving Grace". 7. "Sinnerman" By Extra Fancy. It's a rock adaption of an old Gospel song about Judgement Day. It's very fast.. and it's cool. It's a "Who's gonna save you... lest you wait" song and it's pretty cool. I can see why Atlantic Records picked it.. the title.. is why. Think about it.. their trying to be funny and add something with a "somethingman" in it. Kinda like how the game has everything from Guts Man to Flash Man. Ha ha ha. At least the song is cool. 8. "So far, so good... SO WHAT" By CIV. They remind me of the other songs on LEN's album.. and like LEN.. they are annoying and pretty horrible.. it's generic punk. 9. "Take Cover" By Mr. Big. Hmm... interesting.. the opening sounds like it could be in a Mega Man game. The song sounds like it would have been HUGE in the 1980s. The vocal makes me think: "The Power of Love" from Back to the Future. The music is cool and if this was an instrumental song.. it would be awesome. It's just good for now and it actually fits into the context of a Mega Man game from say... the perspective of "Roll", maybe? 10. "Got Myself Together" By The Bucketheads. Eek! Disco samples! And.. umm.. this ain't too bad. A little of an odd choice for this soundtrack.. but it's not too bad.. although.. it gets annoying; because it is five and a half minutes long. It's rave music. 11. "Signs, I can't take it" By Inner Circle. Okay.. raggae style. Interesting... it's about how awful the world has become today and how something must be done about it. At least it has a good beat and smooth vocals. And it's not so long that you can't take it no more. 12. "Mega Man Theme" By Mega Man. Riiiiiiiiight. It's not from a game.. or the show.. it's techno... with the word "Mega Man" repeated every now in then in a low gutteral voice. Oh, well. It's a bit sadistically silly. If it were good Techno.. that would be a lot different. Liked: Some good artists.. and it's not too hard to find. Hated: Some bad artists.. has very very little to do with Mega Man. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Improve: Make it ABOUT Mega Man and maybe add some tracks from his games. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Final Words: If you want a fairly good CD.. this is a decent pick.. if you want a US Mega Man soundtrack.. keep looking. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Score: 60.5% +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Secrets: None.