Maybe Andy Warhol assured us that everybody would get a stab at 15 minutes of fame in the future, but does that include "Best Of ... " compilations? Publicity for Geffen Records announced something called "Everybody Wang Chung Tonight ... Wang Chung's Greatest Hits" (out this week), which, after you get through the hits "Everybody Have Fun Tonight," "Dance Hall Days" and "To Live and Die in L.A.," is about 11 songs longer than it should be. The 14-track collection is padded out by a new dance remix of "Dance Hall Days" by UK DJ's the Rapino Bros., a previously-unavailable-on-CD ballad demo of "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" and a new song, "Space Junk," written, recorded and produced by members Jack Hues and Nick Feldman specifically for this collection. Still, we're left wondering "What the hell is a 'Wang Chung' and why would I want to do it tonight?"
Plenty of movies are re-born as sequels, but with the exception of "Dirty Dancing," it's rare to see a hit soundtrack album inspire a sequel. But, according to Addicted to Noise, the makers of William Shakespeare's "Romeo & Juliet," starring Claire Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio, knew they had too good a thing going to leave it at one album. With the original soundtrack still kicking strong in the Top 20 on sales of over three million, now comes the release of "Music from the Motion Picture: William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet Volume 2" (April 8), a 24-track mix of music and dialogue that completes the first album's mission. As promised, the CD is a cut-and-paste mix of story-telling set to music. It weaves the classic story together with Craig Armstrong's ominous techno score and remixed versions of songs that didn't fit on the first album.
The result is a shotgun blast style that accurately captures director Baz Luhrmann's quick-edit update of the story while still managing to squeeze in remixes of One Inch Punch's "The Montague Boys," "Kym Mazelle's "Young Hearts Run Free," Quindon Tarver's scene-stealing cover of Prince's "When Dove's Cry" and the Butthole Surfers/Dust Brothers collaboration "Tybalt Arrives." With the inclusion of tracks like the "Gas Station Scene" and "Kissing You," Luhrmann (one of the album's executive producers along with Nellee Hooper), who's also credited with scripting the collection, manages to put yet another modern spin on Shakespeare's most enduring tale by re-introducing it as a contemporary opera set to near-pounding beats alongside swelling string arrangements. After all, what other album do you own that has both the Butthole Surfers and Wagner on it?
File it under the "strange but true" heading, but Axl Rose has indeed been in discussions with diminutive former-techno god Moby about producing the next Guns 'N' Roses album. Addicted to Noise tells us that the duo are said to have gotten along famously during meetings over the past three weeks and has supposedly seen eye-to-eye on a lot of things. The story goes that Moby, who spilled the beans last week by mentioning that he had been meeting with Rose recently to listen to demos at a panel on the future of electronica at SXSW, went in to soak up some music compiled on nearly 300 DAT tapes that the band had filled with ideas, loops and sketches, and was duly impressed with what Rose and crew had come up with. As you might recall, Moby recently abandoned his mantle as the God of Techno by releasing the guitar-heavy album "Animal Rights," but what you may not know is that Rose has been toying with the idea of crossing over into electronica for years.
Word is out that Skoal smokeless tobacco is sponsoring a summer alternative rock festival. The tour, says Addicted to Noise, is to be known as Skoal Music ROAR (Revelation of Alternative Rhythms), is slated to feature a rock-oriented slate of performers including Iggy Pop, Sponge, Linda Perry (ex-4 Non Blondes), Reverend Horton Heat, the Bloodhound Gang and Tonic at the budget price of $10 a ticket. In a nod to the competition, the tour is expected to feature multiple stages and side-attractions like virtual reality tents, rock-climbing walls and the like. The first-time event will kick off in early June and work its way across the country, no doubt trailing controversy behind it at a time when the drive to restrict teen access to tobacco products is on the upswing.
Speaking of Billy Bob, Thornton is following up his Oscar win for "Sling Blade" with next month's comedy "Homegrown," a film about, of all things, marijuana, as reported in Variety. Pot afficianados Cheech & Chong and Woody Harrelson will not be seen, though the ensemble cast does include Jon Bon Jovi and Jamie Lee Curtis. Apparently, three names are a prerequisite.
Those of you fans who are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the high waters and Christian Slater aura of "The Flood" will have to wait several more months, according to USA Today. The rainy season-and-bank robbery-thriller starring Slater, Minnie Driver and Morgan Freeman has been postponed until at least September, so that re-shoots and re-edits can be performed. You might say that "The Flood" is now just trying to keep its head above water.
Who are the 10 hottest young actresses in Hollywood today? This month's Vanity Fair Hollywood issue thinks that Claire Danes, Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jada Pinkett, Renee Zellweger, Minnie Driver, Alison Elliott, Charlize Theron, Fairuza Balk and Jennifer Lopez are so hot, they devoted an entire fold-out cover to the talented women. Check out this April extravaganza for the latest and best in portraiture of the rich and famous - everyone from Madonna to Eddie Murphy to Kristin Scott Thomas are profiled.
The Prodigy are: Liam Howlett, Maxim Reality, Leeroy Thornhill and Keith Flint.