VA - Charlie's Angels: Music from the Motion Picture (2000)

As modern and contemporary as the new Charlie's Angels is supposed to be, the soundtrack, with the exception of a few new offerings from Destiny's Child, Aerosmith, and Fatboy Slim, is a nostalgic mix tape of 1970s and '80s hits. The older songs are fun and ripe for a party: Tavares's "Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel," Marvin Gaye's "Got to Give It Up (Part1)," and Deee-lite's "Groove is in the Heart" are certain to please a crowd. The new tracks, with one notable exception, are weak and contrived. Destiny's Child offers "Independent Women (Part 1)," an empty declaration of female self-reliance (aren't we over this already?). Aerosmith's "Angel's Eye" is, in a word, terrible. The exception is Caviar's "Tangerine Speedo," a trip-hoppy lounge groove that packs a sassy punch. All in all, Charlie's Angels is a solid purchase, but in spite of, not because of, the new material. --Courtney Kemp