Various Artists - Scooby-Doo Soundtrack - Music & Performance - CD

The styles of music on the soundtrack for 2002's big summer movie Scooby-Doo are quite simply as diverse and quirky as the personalities of the loveable junior detectives themselves! Rap, hip-hop and reggae are the predominant styles on this 14 song souvenir from the film about a doggy detective and his gang, but straight pop and punk also get their digs in. What better way to start the soundtrack than with a retooled and contemporary version of the show's old theme song, retitled "Shaggy Where Are You?" Shaggy (Who else?) provides the vocal on the Rasta-fied track in typical Shaggy/shaggy-dog style.

OutKast featuring Killer Mike & Sleepy Brown bring on "Land of A Millions Drums" with its driving snare-drum rhythm and humor similar to an old Prince track in good spirits and with light hearts. "Lil' Romeo's B House" is a funked up rap that uses a sample of the Commodores' stone funk classic, "Brick House," as a base; Master P's more serious rap is in contrast to Lil' Romeo's younger voice. Solange with Murphy Lee turn the Scooby-Doo theme song into a smooth, pop R&B number. They cleverly replace the title with the line, "Thinking About You," (where are you?).

"Words to Me" is a nice slice of alterna-pop meets hip-hop, the kind in which chartbusters Sugar Ray specialize. The song borrows a bit from Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing" for it's very singable chorus. You can always count on Busta Rhymes for a little comic relief; he delivers on the track by Uncle Kracker, "Freaks Come Out at Night." This one cops the vibe of original rappers Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five for its lyric and rhythm. Allstars' "Bump In the Night," is most reminiscent of the old pop stylings of Abba; it's an atypical track for this collection of songs, but it sounds particularly fresh and welcome at the soundtrack's hip-hop heavy midpoint. The same can be said for Kylie Minogue's disco dancefloor knock-out, "Whenever You Feel Like It."

A hard and fast/pop/punk rock version of "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?" by MxPx is reverent and fun, plus, it completely rocks-out. It might just be the best thing on a soundtrack which does it's best to preserve the wacky spirit of the Saturday morning cartoon show on which the movie was based. At last, the Scooby soundtrack has been found! The good news is, it's a keeper.

By Dolly Starkey