South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut [PA]

Performer: Original Soundtrack
Producer: Arif Mardin
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

Notes: "Blame Canada" was nominated for the 1999 Academy Award For Best Song. From the sounds of the soundtrack for South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, when Trey Parker and Matt Stone decided to take their vulgarian cartoon to the big screen, they decided to take to heart Milhouse's immortal words to Bart: "Let's go crazy, Broadway style!" And so the film's original songs parody the Great White Way and movie musicals, forms that South Park's core audience ignores -- they prefer rap and metal, usually mixed together. That's what the second half of the record is all about: rap interpretations of songs from the film, along with a couple of songs that were simply inspired by the film. Marc Shaiman has helped Parker turn in some particularly wicked satires, particularly with "What Would Brian Boitano Do?" and the opening revue, "Mountain Town," not to mention the Michael McDonald showcase, "Eyes of a Child." ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine From the sounds of the soundtrack for South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, when Trey Parker and Matt Stone decided to take their vulgarian cartoon to the big screen, they decided to take to heart Milhouse's immortal words to Bart: "Let's go crazy, Broadway style!" And so the film's original songs parody the Great White Way and movie musicals, forms that South Park's core audience ignores -- they prefer rap and metal, usually mixed together. That's what the second half of the record is all about: rap interpretations of songs from the film, along with a couple of songs that were simply inspired by the film. Unsurprisingly, the second half doesn't really sit well with the show-tune pretensions of the first half, even if all the recordings are meant in jest. The original tunes are kind of funny, at first, but the joke wears thin pretty quickly with repeated listens. Marc Shaiman has helped Parker turn in some particularly wicked satires, particularly with "What Would Brian Boitano Do?" and the opening revue, "Mountain Town," not to mention the Michael McDonald showcase, "Eyes of a Child." Still, as the lavish revamping of the classic "Kyle's Mom's a Bitch" illustrates, Parker's melodies sound better as schoolyard ditties. Consequently, the first half is sporadically funny, but it's hard to imagine playing it more than once or twice. In contrast, the second half is hard to sit through once, with the exception of Violent Femmes, Isaac Hayes, and RuPaul, not coincidentally the only songs not reinterpreting the soundtrack. The rest is ludicrously profane, pandering hip-hop; it's all tossed-off and careless, not even containing clever cussing. It's a record that pleases nobody, even if Parker and Stone should be commended for at least trying something different with their gonzo send-ups. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine It was inevitable a feature film based on the hilarious animated show SOUTH PARK would be made. It was also inevitable that the movie would produce an equally sidesplitting soundtrack. Stan, Kyle, Cartman, Kenny, and the whole South Park gang sing their hearts out in the tradition of the Hollywood musical-but with all the raw, shocking bathroom humor that has made the show such a hit with its devoted viewers. Things naturally can get a bit rough in the language department, so this disc is not for the faint of heart. But that's the fun of it, right? All of the movie's big musical numbers are here, including the opening "Mountain Town," "Blame Canada," and "What Would Brian Boitano Do." Even such characters as Mr. Mackey, Terrance and Phillip, Satan, and Saddam Hussein get their own hysterical spotlight cuts. Also featured are songs by such artists as Nappy Roots, Joe C. featuring Kid Rock, and RuPaul. These were not included in the film, but they are certain to entertain SOUTH PARK fans. A rocking version of "O Canada"--by Rush's Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, along with the flatulent Terrance and Phillip--brings the production to an uproarious end.

Entertainment Weekly (10/12/01, p.40) - Ranked #68 in EW's "100 Best Movie Soundtracks" Entertainment Weekly (8/13/99, pp.73-4) - "...deliciously tasteless...a cast album that gleefully sends up all the Hollywood musical conventions we're being deprived of..." - Rating: A-

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