The X-Files: The Album
Various Artists
Elektra Entertainment
The X-Files has always augmented its television soundtracks with great popular and not-so-popular tunes. The television soundtrack album was a big seller, so it would be reasonable to assume they would go to great lengths to duplicate that success when they made a movie. For the most part they’ve pulled it off.
The big single, a cover of “One” by Three Dog Night is fairly standard Filter fare and won’t disappoint fans. As with the Godzilla soundtrack, I’m disapointed with the cut from Foo Fighters. Maybe I’m just expecting too much from my heroes. Ween turn in a tasty pop-rock treat for their assignment. I like Ween. Sting and Aswad generate a fresh version of “Invisible Sun,” an old favorite of mine. On to a moody little number from The Cardigans called “Deuce,” and “One More Murder” from Better Than Ezra, sounding a little U2ish, then we get to the really good stuff. “More Than This” is the Cure at their dreamy best. With “Hunter,” Bjork demonstrates why many consider her one of the most talented and adventurous artists working today. Soul Coughing cranks things up a notch with “16 Horses,” and then on to punk legends X doing a cover of “The Crystal Ship” by the Doors. Awesome. Sarah McLaclan gets way trippy with “Black,” and Noel Gallgher of Oasis fame gets trip-hop-ier still. Winding it all up is a Dust Brothers mix of “The X-Files Theme.” Overall, it’s a very interesting and eclectic mix that reflects the quirky nature of The X-Files.
