SOUNDTRACK
The Flintstones In Viva Rock Vegas (Hip-O/Universal)
Reviewed by Bill Holmes

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Forget reliving one wasted moment in the theater watching Fred and Barney plots so lame that John Goodman and Rick Moranis wouldn't touch them (let alone the more discerning cartoon characters themselves). I mean, for the love of god, Joan Collins is in this movie. Thirty years ago I would have loved to see her wearing flimsy and revealing animal skins--now I just pray she puts on a full gorilla suit and keeps it zipped up all the way.

But enough of my failed erotic fantasies, and enough about the lame movie. This record rocks! Running the gamut from classic fifties sides to current wunderkind Susan Tedeschi, no movie could hold up to song after song like "Rock-A-Beatin' Boogie" (Bill Haley) and "Rock, Rock, Rock" (Jimmy Cavello and His House Rockers). If you're smelling a trend, you're correct--outside of the Flintstones theme and the cover of Brian Wilson's "This Isn't Love," every song has the word "rock" in the title.

Nick Lowe's electrifying "7 Nights To Rock" and Sir Douglas Quintet-influenced "Half A Boy And Half A Man" will send you back to your vinyl archives to pull out his entire catalogue (a trip I highly recommend!). Whoever assembled this soundtrack was cool enough to include current cult acts like Robbie Fulks while not forgetting to pay props to The Johnny Burnette Trio and Moon Mullican, not to mention getting Ann Margaret to sing the title track that also features James Burton on guitar. Have a yabba-dabba-doo time with this.

© 2000 - Bill Holmes