ELO & OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN: XANADU (OST)

This is the soundtrack that everybody LOVES to hate! It's admittedly the perfect recipe for the ripest stinkiest cheese this side of the French Riviera and I for one absolutely think the movie for which this soundtrack is supposed to represent is a big fat stinker indeed. It has been a very long time since i've seen the movie and I only remember that it was so very very bad that I will not be seeing it again while I am inhaling oxygen on this good Earth.

The soundtrack however isn't as bad as all that. Far from being a masterpiece it is not the total rubbish that it's made out to be. First of all it must be taken for what it is, namely a POP album. Although the Electric Light Orchestra is on here, put all notions aside that there is anything even remotely progressive and then, unless you are closed minded to pop music in general, you may find something to enjoy here.

I have never been the hugest fan of Olivia Newton-John but can't say she makes me want to vomit chunky puke either. In fact, I think some of the best stuff i've ever heard from her is on this soundtrack. The first track and huge hit "Magic" is a phenomenal pop song and perhaps my favorite track here is the duet of her with The Tubes called "Dancin." Basically she does a vocal jazz number part reminiscent of The Andrews Sisters and trades off with a rockin' part by The Tubes. At the end they come together and do their parts simultaneously. The ELO tracks are good catchy pop sounding like any others they did during their late 70s albums. Listening to this after many many years I have to say that I haven't changed my mind that this is hardly a throwaway.