VA - Grease 2 - Original Soundtrack Recording (1982/1998)

For a sequel to the highest grossing musical of all time, Grease 2 is content on leaving behind the far-reaching magnitude and quality of the music that songwriters like John Farrar immortalized. As far as casting goes, Grease utilized the innocent appeal and gifted vocals of Olivia Newton-John and profited greatly from that casting decision. Michelle Pfeiffer is an arguably better actress than Newton-John, and even though her appeal has lasted through generations, she does not measure as well on the musical scale of entertainment. To say that "Cool Rider" is one of the best songs and Michelle Pfeiffer's only solo on the soundtrack is to reveal the fact that Grease 2 is inferior but for a whole different reason -- the songs are dulled. Grease 2, by name alone, begs for a place alongside its predecessor, maybe even comparison. But as Grease featured a collection of classic '50s songs and new songs (some even better than the '50s hits), Grease 2 could not keep its soundtrack from dripping in the heat if not for "Cool Rider," "Score Tonight," and the explicitly suggestive "Reproduction," which is embarrassingly catchy.~ Review by Peter Fawthrop