First clue: It's music from "a film that has been loved by such luminaries as Hunter S. Thompson and Marilyn Manson," who said, "This is one of the most unforgettable movies ever made with a suicide scene that will leave a scar on you. Roger Avary pisses in the idyllic Dawson's Creek like a genius...."

Second clue: "From the corrupt minds that brought you ... American Psycho."

Need I say more? However, I am bound to the duty to review this disc and I press on.

It's hard to get a sense of this game of "attraction" from the outer disc jacket, which portrays a strange progression of contorted faces. Once I opened the disc, I realized that this game of "attraction" is one I probably wouldn't want to play. Breasts, blood, sex (via humping beanie bears) and lesbianism feature prominently in the artwork. I knew I would regret this experience when I saw a picture of a nude reenactment of the Crucifixion on the inside liner. However, in the game of music reviews, passing is against the rules. So, I played. Unfortunately, I got dealt a bad hand.

The "attraction" game may have its rules, but the motion picture soundtrack doesn't play by any. This strange brew of music includes both instrumentals and tracks with vocals, songs classified in varied categories as adapted Christmas carols, techno, folk, progressive rock and soft rock, and artists as diverse as the Cure, Harry Nilsson, Love & Rockets, Yaz, Milla Jovovich, Donovan, the Rapture and Starland Vocal Band. Really!

The initial track on the disc, as well as three other tracks, features original compositions by tomandandy, whoever that is.

While, I did enjoy hearing Nilsson, I wanted to say "pass" at each turn of the track. Determined, I stayed in the game. Although I was a fan of many progressive rock bands in my time, including the Cure, Blondie and Erasure, I had little patience for "Six Different Ways," "Sunday Girl" and "Stop," their respective contributions to this soundtrack, or any of the other tracks except Nilsson's "Without You." A good tune, but certainly not worth the ante in this case.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find the attraction, never mind the rules. In any event, I've made up my own -- it's within the rules to judge a compact disc by its cover and to say "pass" when the feeling strikes you.

- Rambles
written by Lynne Remick
published 24 May 2003