Bachelor Party Soundtrack CD

Sophomoric school bus driver Tom Hanks is to wed wealthy socialite Tawny Kitaen, but not before his overly eager buddies throw a hedonistic bash of epic proportions. Bachelor Party's capricious collection is partially an independent rock sampler, but does contain some expected '80s cheese. The nicest surprise is a vintage R.E.M. rarity, "Wind Out," with a down-home guitar exuberance without pretentious gloss. Two songs from soundtrack mavens Oingo Boingo, along with the Alarm, the Fleshtones, and Jools Holland contribute to this festive mix. But for all the good there are also the bad -- Adrian Zmed (one of Hanks' beer buds in the film) sings "Little Demon," a typically plastic period piece that's really horrible, and little-known Yip Yip Coyote's "Dream of the West" is equally awful. A forgotten gem, "Why Do Good Girls Like Bad Boys?" by Angel & the Reruns, is pure adulterated silliness reminiscent of the Waitresses and Josie Cotton. The music, along with the inviting construction-paper confetti cover artwork, is a playful romp that mostly sidesteps usual '80s fodder. ~ Craig Curtice

Let's have a bachelor party with chicks and guns and firetrucks and...The Fleshtones, and R.E.M., and Oingo Boingo, and The Alarm, and more! Tom Hanks' 1984 motion picture, Bachelor Party, features one of the best soundtracks of the '80s. Now, for the first time, this album is available on Compact Disc! It features 10 exclusive and digitally remastered tracks from some of the biggest bands of that era. The bash starts rocking when The Fleshtones kick off the CD with American Beat '84. Followed by Oingo Boingo's Something Isn't Right, and later, Bachelor Party-both of which can only be found on this CD. And we Wind Out with R.E.M. Not only are the aforementioned bands included, but these partiers join in as well: the film's co-star, Adrian Zmed Little Demon; Ex-Squeeze member, Jools Holland Crazy Over You; and, Darlene Love, with a funky version of Alley Oop. The newly designed booklet features exclusive liner notes from the Film's Producer and Music Supervisor, as well as classic stills from the film.