Super Troopers Soundtrack CD

Filled with the sort of Southern rock that seemed to have faded away in the '70s, Super Troopers is the soundtrack to the comedy of the same name. Featuring numerous contributions from Southern Culture on the Skids, Steak, the Jack Grace Band, the Unband, and Nashville Pussy, the soundtrack does not take itself very seriously, which sinks the album by the end. This was never that humorous of a genre in its heyday, which makes it perplexing why so many Southern rock bands choose to take that route. The best band here is Nashville Pussy, who rages through their contributions like a Texas-born Motorhead. Their heavy riffs and charismatic songwriting set the mood perfectly. Southern Culture on the Skids also fit the album quite well, using their years of experience to write some pretty darn catchy country songs. Bubbles takes an entirely different approach, getting the pace and mood of a hoedown, but twisting into a techno anthem with bizarre vocals and a danceable beat. Poor 38 Special performs "Trooper With an Attitude," the first track, and sadly this is one of the worst songs here. The former kings of the genre sound like an old metal band trying to ape their former selves. The song is a truly sad showing for a band that used to be the epitome of this music. But, outside of these artists, most of the album is dedicated to a generic style of Southern rock that jumps between heavy metal with a southern twist (the Unband) and Southern rock with a poppy twist (the Jack Grace Band). No matter which direction the musicians take, it usually has goofy enough lyrics to negate whatever curious things the bands might be doing. Fans of the movie may get a kick out of the soundtrack, and this is not terrible, but it is simply an uneven album that never quite recovers from the poor entries. ~ Bradley Torreano

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