Songs From The Cool World
	see production credits below
	Released on 1992
	no chart information
	Find it at GEMM
45009-2 cover

C ool World was never this cool. I’ve seen it three times, and it always disappoints me. The film should have been darker, scarier, like a Heavy Metal for the ‘90s. Instead, it came off like Who ****** Roger Rabbit, which is a shame. However, the movie made amends to me by producing this wonderful soundtrack featuring club music that clung to the darkest corners. The creepy, sexy “Greedy” from Pure (which is the only track here that wasn’t used in the film, like I’d even remember), Moby’s frantic cut-ups “Ah-Ah” and “Next Is The E,” Electronic’s yearning “Disappointed” are just some of the surprises in store. I actually bought this for Bowie’s “Real Cool World,” one of his most credible tracks from the ‘90s. It did my old heart good to see Brian Eno included in the party as well, here with a track called “Under” (it appeared on the quickly squelched My Squelchy Life) that features actual vocals. It doesn’t exactly fit in with its surroundings, but if a living legend accepts the invitation, you don’t tell him what to bring. On the hotter side of Cool World, Ministry ushers in the apocalypse (again) with “N.W.O.,” while The Cult smokes out hidden fears on “The Witch.” Absorbing instrumentals also account for some of the soundtrack’s better moments, including TFSOL’s “Papua New Guinea” and Tom Bailey’s “Industry And Seduction.” (His band, Thompson Twins, is also featured on “Play With Me,” and they’ve certainly grown up since I last heard them.) A pair of tracks from My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult add extra punch: “Sex On Wheelz” and “Her Sassy Kiss.” About the only thing I don’t like on here is “Do That Thang” by Da Juice, since it sounds like a retro C&C Music Factory moment in this aggro-dance environment. (Incidentally, I don’t mean to suggest “aggro-dance” as a label -- I’m aware there are dozens of names for different types of club music, from techno to trip-hop, and I wouldn’t dare add one more.) So to sum things up: animated soundtrack, lifeless movie. Or buy the tunes and skip the toons.

TRACK LISTING

1. DAVID BOWIE: REAL COOL WORLD    (David Bowie)
2. THOMPSON TWINS: PLAY WITH ME    (Thompson Twins)
3. ELECTRONIC: DISAPPOINTED    (Johnny Marr/Bernard Sumner/Neil Tennant)
4. THE FUTURE SOUND OF LONDON: PAPUA NEW GUINEA (7" ORIGINAL)    (Brian Dougans/Garry Cockbain)
5. MINISTRY: N.W.O.    (Ministry)
6. THE CULT: THE WITCH    (Ian Astbury/Billy Duffy)
7. MY LIFE WITH THE THRILL KILL KULT: SEX ON WHEELZ (GLAMOUR DYKE MIX)    Buzz McCoy/Groovie Mann)
8. MOBY: AH-AH (MIX I)    (Richard M. Hall)
9. MINDLESS: MINDLESS    (Mindless)
10. MOBY: NEXT IS THE E (LONG ARMS MIX)    (Richard M. Hall)
11. DA JUICE: DO THAT THANG (POLITE MIX)    (Yuri Doktor)
12. MY LIFE WITH THE THRILL KILL KULT: HER SASSY KISS    (Buzz McCoy)
13. PURE: GREEDY    (Jordy Birch/Todd Simko)
14. BRIAN ENO: UNDER    (Brian Eno)
15. TOM BAILEY: INDUSTRY AND SEDUCTION    (Tom Bailey)

CREDITS

Tom Bailey -- producer (15)
David Bowie --
Da Juice and Rutger "Ruti" Kroese -- producer (11)
Brian Eno -- producer (14)
The Future Sound of London -- producer (4)
Hypo Luxa, Hermes Pan -- producers (5)
Johnny Marr, Bernard Sumner, Neil Tennant -- producer (3)
Buzz McCoy -- producer (7,12)
Mindless -- producer (9)
Moby -- producer (8,10)
Pure -- producer (13)
Nile Rodgers -- producer (1)
Rick Rubin -- producer (6)
Thompson Twins -- producer (2)
Michael Ostin -- executive album producer
Jennie Jennings -- film and album music coordinator

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