Alvin & The Chipmunks Alvin And The Chipmunks Soundtrack CD

Audio Mixer: Al D.
Recording information: DeeTown Studios; Fight Klub, New York, NY.
Vintage cartoon characters ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS get a 21st-century update in the 2007 CGI/live-action film of the same name. Accordingly, the singing Chipmunks' helium-fueled music also receives a makeover on this soundtrack, most notably on a rap rendition of "Witch Doctor." Also included on the collection are an amusing cover of Lipps Inc.'s "Funky Town" and the original version of the Chipmunks' always-endearing "Christmas Song."
For the most part, it takes a real sourpuss to make the act of sucking on a helium balloon a dismal affair, so this umpteenth rendering of creator Ross Bagdasarian's Chipmunks empire has its fair share of chuckles. The 2007 live-action/computer-animated film Alvin and the Chipmunks follows the pint-sized rodents as they cause their usual mischief, and the soundtrack relies exclusively on their squeaky voices to convey what once was a grand recording idea. Nowadays, the joke wears thin awfully fast, and new songs like "Get Munk'd," a weird remix of "Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late) [DeeTown OG Mix]," and trite covers of "Funkytown" and Daniel Powter's "Bad Day" (all right, that last one is kind of funny) don't help the cause. That said, kids who missed out on the Chipmunks' '70s heydays or the trio's animated series a decade later will probably discover a lot of potential Christmas presents in the experience, and the inclusion of the original "Christmas Song" and "Witch Doctor" shows that the producers at least feel a little bit guilty about dressing the furry critters up as gangsta rappers on the cover. ~ James Christopher Monger