The Faculty Music From The Dimension Motion Picture

I've mentioned before that once upon a time I was really into buying soundtracks. One of the cooler soundtracks I picked up during those days was The Faculty Music From The Dimension Motion Picture. The movie was okay, with an interesting concept, but the music was what caught my eye.

The album opens with a cover of Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2) performed by Class Of '99 which was a group made up of Layne Staley, Tom Morello, Stephen Perkins, Martyn Le Noble and Matt Serletic. This song is not better than the original, and I don't know anyone that would claim differently. However, this rendition is really enjoyable. It's loyal to the original, but it has it's own unique signature that represents the artists performing the song.

The next song is The Kids Aren't Alright by the Offspring. This is one of the few songs I will admit to liking by The Offspring. It's a good, serious, well played song, that has some meaning. It's nothing overly crazy or special, but it's enjoyable all the same. This track was lifted from the Americana album, released the same year as this soundtrack, 1998.

After that is something that should become a total ripper for me. I'm Eighteen being performed by Creed. Is it Alice? Hell no! But it is a good cover, and it's played really well. It's a bit tame in a sense, but it's tame in the same way the original was. I personally think this may be one of Creed's best songs. I say that half jokingly, and half totally honest.

I'm not sure who D Generation is, where they came from, or what happened to them. They contributed a song called Helpless to this album, and it's okay for something that sounds like a cross between Coffee shop rock, Pop wannabe Punk, and Frankenstein Drag Queens From Planet 13. I don't mind it when it's playing, but I don't go out of my way to listen to it either.

After that it's on to another Alice Cooper cover, and you can see why I was interested in this album. School's Out is being performed by Soul Asylum, and I have to say that they also did a fair version of the song. It's not great, and it doesn't blow my mind, but it is well done. So, I must give props where props are due.

When it comes to Garbage I have a love hate relationship. I love Shirley Manson's voice, and the way she kind of purs when she sings, but without sounding stupid and cat like. On the other hand I often find the music overly slow and sleep inducing. The song Medication is from Version 2.0, which also was released the same year as the soundtrack.

By the time I get to Haunting Me by Stabbing Westward it's pretty clear that this album is made up of a who's who of mid to late 90's Rock and Alternative Rock, and this is more of a promo for other albums, than it is a soundtrack. Since this song is also from an album released the same year as the soundtrack. Based on my limited liking, or caring about Stabbing Westward, this song sounds pretty typical of the band. But I couldn't tell one of their songs from another based on how little I cared for them back in the day.

Maybe Someday follows that up. On a quick search I don't find much about the group Flick, who perform the song. This leads me to believe that this is the best the band ever got, and it's easy to see why. It sounds like the Garage Pop band of a family member somehow associated with the movie or soundtrack.

Resuscitation is one of my favourite Sheryl Crow songs, and it's one of the few songs on this collection that I can't find on any other album. This is one of those songs that's the reason I buy soundtracks. You never know if you are going to find one of those hidden gems, and I do consider this song one of those.

Neve is a one hit wonder and that one hit came from this soundtrack, and their first album. It's Over Now, was released the same year on the soundtrack as the album it also came from. I don't know why or how it became a hit. It's such A-typical crap from that time period.

Shawn Mullins is an American singer-songwriter that normally plays folk rock, instrumental rock and adult alternative. He had one real hit, and a whole slew of albums that I have never heard of prior to doing research on his name five seconds ago. He performs a cover of David Bowie's Changes. He does it really well. It's not the original, but it's really well done. It has a slightly different vibe, but other than that it's a well done cover.

I hate that I have to write down the review for the following song, because of who the band is. There are just some things that a person should never have to admit to, but these reviews are about giving my honest opinion.

Originally a B-side for Oasis' D'You Know What I Mean?, Stay Clean is one of the songs I enjoy the most on this album. It's fun, bouncy, has a great vibe, and leaves me feeling really good at the end of the song. I can't believe these are the same assholes that I loathe, that did Champaign Super Nova and Wonderwall. But this is why I buy soundtracks. Sometimes you find stuff that really surprises you.

The album finishes with Another Brick In The Wall, by Class Of '99. This sounds like a pretty bitching jam on the classic riff that makes up all the Bricks In The Wall. It's nothing complicated and works very much like it were being done as a score to a movie. Oh, wait a minute...

I find this soundtrack floating into my CD player once a year or so, especially when I'm on a soundtrack kick. I wish they made more sountracks like this now a days. I mean they still might be, but I'm not finding them. I think it was around this time that these type of soundtracks were starting to disappear in favour of every movie being filled with the exact same ten songs for the next five years.

This is one of those CDs that I suggest buying if you find it somewhere. It still surprises me to this day. Like everytime I learn that it's an Oasis song that I don't mind, in the second last track.

My major complaint is too many album tracks are on here. I don't mind when it's b-sides or unused album tracks, which often happens with soundtracks, but album cuts leave me feeling a little ripped off.

7/10 - content

7/10 - production

7/10 - personal bias