CHARLIE'S ANGELS: Full Throttle - Original Stk CD 2003

The first Charlie's Angels movie was such a huge hit that it was only a matter of time before Sony had a sequel in theaters. Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, currently airing on big screens across the universe, promises to be one of the summer's hottest tickets. The accompanying soundtrack, packed tight with some of the best rock and pop tunes written over the last twenty years, also promises to be a big hit.

Like most soundtracks, Full Throttle has something for just about everyone. The spandex and hair spray crowd who enjoy rocking out to their favorite '80s bands will want to tune up their air guitars and lip sync along with Bon Jovi's heavy metal-light anthem, "Livin' On A Prayer." Journey's melodic "Any Way You Want It" should have a similar effect on aging hair-farmers everywhere as will Loverboy's pulse raising "Working For The Weekend," the quintessential rock song.

Dads will enjoy The Beach Boys' summery "Surfer Girl," while moms will feel their hearts skip a beat when they hear the late Andy Gibb sing, "I Just Wanna Be Your Everything." Teenagers (and those who consider themselves young at heart) will thrash with delight at the sound of Nickelback, with special guest Kid Rock, cranking up the amps and tearing through a pedal-to-the-metal cover of the Elton John classic, "Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)." Chad Kroeger and Kid Rock match each other scream for scream.

MC Hammer's funky fist pumping "U Can't Touch This," a monster hit when it overtook the airwaves back in 1990, along with "Nas' Angels. . . The Flyest," featuring Nas and Pharrell, should please all the hip-hopsters in the audience. Pink's "Feel Good Time," a cut thick with bass and noisy sound effects, should get the dance crowd primed for their next club visit.

The album is rounded out nicely by the ageless David Bowie (who chips in a re-recorded version of "Rebel Rebel"), diva Donna Summer ("Last Dance") and jazz sweetheart Natalie Cole ("This Will Be"). Detroit rockers Electric Six look to the disco era for inspiration and come up with "Danger! High Voltage," a rattling track best described as a cross between AC/DC, the Bee Gees and Talking Heads.

The Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle movie earned close to $38 million in its opening weekend, proving once again that sequels are almost always a sure bet with audiences. Movie buffs will want to pick up a copy of the soundtrack before they see the new flick, that way they can relive the entire experience on the drive home.

By Todd Sterling