Shrek 2 Soundtrack CD

Like late animation-giants Jay Ward and Chuck Jones, the folks at Dreamworks obviously believe that the best cartoons appeal to adults and kids alike, judging from their "fractured fairy-tale" hit movie SHREK and its sequel. On the SHREK 2 soundtrack, this philosophy is followed to an even greater degree in the smart, sophisticated musical choices. Starting with Counting Crows, who serve up the harmony- and hook-filled "Accidentally in Love, memorable performances abound, from Butterfly Boucher and David Bowie breathing new life into the latter's "Changes" to Pete Yorn's jangly, infectious reading of the Buzzcocks classic "Ever Fallen in Love."

It's surprising to hear Tom Waits's creaky voice on the brooding tango "Little Drop of Poison" and Nick Cave leading his Bad Seeds through the gorgeously glum "People Ain't No Good." However, these offbeat, inspired selections balance out the entertaining silliness of Eddie Murphy and Antonio Banderas hamming up "Livin' La Vida Loca." As a fun bonus track, AB FAB's Jennifer Saunders counteracts Frou Frou's frosty electronic cover of "Holding Out for a Hero" with a bold, orchestrated version of the song.

Counting Crows/Tom Waits/Pete Yorn/Dashboard Confessional/

This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.Rolling Stone (p.89) - 3 stars out of 5 - "This soundtrack shamelessly courts kids and parents alike with perversely fun results."