Review Summary: A mixed bag of an album; only for Spider-Man die-hards or alternative/post-grunge fanatics.
I wouldn't blame you if you got a copy of this album back in 2002, when both the album and the film of the same name came out. The film took the world by storm, then becoming the highest grossing superhero movie for its time and spawning a bevy of other media inspired by its success. Included was a soundtrack called Music from and Inspired by Spider-Man, a collection of Spider-Man-related rock tunes mixed with miscellaneous tracks, like a few of Danny Elfman's compositions from the film.
What we get is a very mixed bag of tunes, ranging from fantastic to downright terrible, and with many average tunes thrown in between. Most of them are in the alternative rock and post-grunge genres, with a few exceptions such as with The Hives and The Strokes. At nineteen songs and about an hour's worth of material, there's quite a lot to digest here; how does it all add up?
The whole thing starts with the original Spider-Man theme song from the original cartoon, which is very nonsensical and aggravating. First off, why is it the cartoon theme if this is a cash-in on the 2002 film? Additionally, the song isn't exactly the ideal song to kick of a collection of hard rock tunes, setting sort of a false tone for the rest of the album. However, all of this is remedied by the next song "Hero" by Chad Kroeger and Josey Scott. Surprisingly for the lead singer of Nickelback, this is a great bright spot in his otherwise weak discography. The chorus is extremely inspiring, and the acoustic guitar is powerful, yet not too much as to be overbearing. Plus, the song length is perfect, making its mark and leaving before it drags at all.
As for the rest of the album, it's truly hit-or-miss. For every great song like "Hero," Theory of a Deadman's "Invisible Man," or Black Lab's "Learn to Crawl," there always seems to be a song like Bleu's "Somebody Else" or Greenwheel's "Shelter" to ruin the experience. Most of the album's weaknesses stem from the uninspired nature of the more standard tracks; we've heard these song structures a billion other times by other radio artists, and it's old hat here.
Here's the deal: these are the songs you'd be advised to download, and the rest is more based on how much you like the genres I mentioned.
1. "Hero": Already mentioned this one... definitely one of the above-average tracks on the record. 4/5
2. "Learning to Crawl": A heavier song than "Hero," "Learn to Crawl"'s strengths are with the lead vocalist and a strong memorable A-major motif it bases its verses on. 3.5/5
3. "Bother": The highlight of the record. Corey Taylor's vocals are very intimate and blend well with the sparse guitar work and orchestral work that layers the song. Additionally, the lyrics are very touching, quite fitting for the musical experience. 4.5/5
The other highlights: "Invisible Man," "Hate to Say I Told You So," "My Nutmeg Phantasy"
To conclude, buy at your own risk. When the songs work, they are pretty fantastic, but when they don't, the experience can leave a pretty bad taste in the mouth. Overall, the album really depends on the listener's tolerance to popular radio rock, as well as sometimes-decent post-grunge. Be cautious on this one.
