Cleveland Rocks!
Music from The Drew Carey Show
Rhino
The reason The Drew Carey Show is so well-liked is that, though there are plenty of sitcoms out there working-class palookas, Drew Carey gives them heaping helpings of sharp vindictive wit and self-deprecating humor instead of cheap and obvious potshots. This CD, containing music incidental to the show along with several numbers from the show itself, is a spiffy and fun compilation that will please any fan of the shows. The current theme of the show, “Cleveland Rocks,” appears twice; first the theme, a cover of the Ian Hunter tune done by the Presidents of the USA, and then the original. The previous theme, the the Vogues’ wonderful “Five O’Clock World,” is also included.
As with the show’s humor, most the music used in the show is an eclectic left of center and not the most obvious choice. There are some great nuggets here: Tower of Power’s “What Is Hip?” Iggy Pop’s “Lust For Life” and Lee Dorsey’s “Working in a Coal Mine.” The music from the show (i.e. music from the Horndogs, Mimi’s mutilation of Christmas Carols, etc.) is also pretty funny, and stands up to repeated listening.
Overall, this compilation is better than most Drew Carey fans might expect. Cleveland Rocks! Rhino Records, 10635 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025; http://www.rhino.com
