Notes & Personnel Info |  | Not surprisingly, perhaps, for a kids' movie based on an award-winning book, the soundtrack to Holes features a smart and eclectic mix of pop, hip-hop, blues, electronica, and rock, including Shaggy's "Keep'n It Real," Moby's "Honey," Keb' Mo''s "Just Like You," and not one but two songs by the Eels, "Mighty Fine Blues" and "Eyes Down." The collection keeps a strong emphasis on blues-inspired songs like Teresa James & the Rhythm Tramps' "I'm Gonna Be a Wheel Someday," Pepe Deluxe's version of "Everybody Pass Me By," and North Mississippi Allstars' "Shake 'Em on Down," reflecting the gritty, rough-around-the-edges feel of the movie. Other highlights include Eagle-Eye Cherry's "Don't Give Up," Fiction Plane's "If Only," and Dr. John's "Let's Make a Better World" (the soundtrack gets points just for bothering to put someone like Dr. John on an album largely intended for children). As hip as it is fun and listenable, Holes works equally well as a soundtrack and a nicely crafted collection of music, and is just as enjoyable to listen to for kids and parents alike. ~ Heather Phares | | This soundtrack to the Disney movie of the Louis Sachar book is an atypically wide-ranging and entertaining mix of the contemporary (a brace of tracks by the Eels), the tried-and-true (Keb' Mo', with the folky "Just Like You"), and the odd (a rare soundtrack appearance by Dr. John and an answer to the question, "Whatever happened to Eagle-Eye Cherry?"). | | The Eels' "Feeling Mighty Fine" typifies the breezy, feel-good atmosphere that's much in evidence throughout, while it's a rare delight and pretty much worth the price of admission to hear the good Doctor's version of the late Earl King's "Let's Make a Better World". The North Mississippi All Stars' "Shake 'Em On Down" combines the down-home and the dirty in a slide-infused lightning tour of the Delta, but it's ultimately the brooding, dubby mix of Little Axe's "Down to the Valley" that pegs HOLES as both an aural feast for musically savvy parents and an extremely useful primer in the multiple modes of contemporary pop music for their kids. |
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