Hairspray

Original Soundtrack

New Line, 2007

REVIEW BY: Jeff Clutterbuck

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 08/21/2007

The following may mean I lose a man card, but here goes; I’m a guy, and I enjoy musicals.

Am I the kind of man who sleeps outside to get advance tickets of Rent? Hell no. However, more often than not, a musical is more entertaining to me than the crap released as "movies" nowadays.

The whole genre unfortunately has been in decline since its golden age, and musicals are much rarer. The last major film I can remember was my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250 Chicago, a decent flick with a decent soundtrack. But while Chicago may have had more critical acclaim, the music to Hairspray is infinitely more entertaining.

From the opening, Spector-esque beats of “Good Morning Baltimore,” you know this is going to be a series of songs that seek to capture the period. With the exception of Aimee Allen’s “Cooties,” every track has that early ’60s flavor, which makes Hairspray s a delightful series of pop confections that melt in your mouth.

Having seen the film from which a soundtrack is from is an advantage when reviewing the album, but I get the feeling that this would still be an enjoyable experience to the novice, because the songs are just so damn catchy. So for those guys out there who stayed away from the movie because of your rep, feel free to download the album in secrecy and enjoy.

The performances are solid across the board; ranging from the exceptional to the concrete. Newcomer Nikki Blonsky has the biggest challenge, and meets it admirably. Her unbridled enthusiasm would drive even the most cynical minded listener to tap his/her toes. Zac Efron from Disney’s High School Musical is also a standout, fully embracing his role as the most talented dancer/singer within the film.

Being a musical fan, it was great to hear Michelle Pfeiffer get the chance to make up for Grease 2 (shudder). Speaking of that movie series, John Travolta also gets a few cracks at vocals, and while no one would confuse this with his performances as Danny Zuko, he doesn’t fail to measure up. Finally, Christopher Walken (!) engages in an incredibly campy tune with Mr. Travolta, inspiring laugh after laugh.

The best part is, I was not expecting Hairspray to be as entertaining as it was. Consider this review as a full-fledged endorsement for the movie, but do not hesitate to pick up the soundtrack if you don’t want to spend half your trust fund to go to the movies.

Rating: A-

User Rating: Not Yet Rated


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© 2007 Jeff Clutterbuck and The Daily Vault. All rights reserved. Review or any portion may not be reproduced without written permission. Cover art is the intellectual property of New Line, and is used for informational purposes only.