VA - The Adventures Of Ford Fairlane - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1990)

An ice-cold Billy Idol kicks Ford Fairlane off in style with the piston-popping underage examination "Cradle of Love." However, Dion's tropical "Sea Cruise" sinks under unwarranted Don Was board foolishness; this kind of crummy update gives soundtracks a bad name. The unbelievable Andrew Dice Clay himself strolls through the sizzling standard "I Ain't Got You." And prog princes Queensryche, whose usual lofty song concerns get cast aside for a ridiculously enjoyable road fable, finally let their hair down for the strange and welcome "Last Time in Paris"; this sort of detour makes soundtracks worth their weight. The catty "Rock 'n Roll Junkie" also burns (finally some audible bass for this band, courtesy of Bob Rock), but now resides on several Crüe comps. Richie Sambora flies solo through (ho-hum) "The Wind Cries Mary." Otherwise, this disc darts amongst a typical potpourri of disparate styles, making Ford Fairlane a rough listen from front to back. Strident, big-bang production overbearingly suppresses any cohesive groove. Most of the best cuts are available on better collections, so unless you can't get enough of Ton-Loc or yearn for the funky Sheila E., don't pay full price for Ford Fairlane (includes slick fold-out art of Clay's mug).~Adventures of Ford Fairlane Review by Doug Stone