Antonio Banderas: Take The Lead. Never Follow. (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) / Republic Records Audio CD 2007 / B0006372-02

Take The Lead is an endearing little movie about Pierre Dulane's adventures as a professional dancer-turned dance instructor in New York Cities public schools. Dulane was the real life creator of the school ballroom dancing concept immortalized in Mad Hot Ballroom. Like Mr. Holland's Opus, Fame or any of the other sorta sappy "arts as redeeming force" stories, the film involves both the evolution of the students and the teacher. As the "teacher who makes an impact," Antonio Banderas stars, and Liz Friedlander (veteran music video director) directs. The soundtrack, like the movie, is really all about musical evolution and adaptation. Culturally it's pretty fascinating.

The soundtrack CD opens with the inimitable Lena Horne gently sailing through a laid back version of Gershwin's "I Got Rhythm." The orchestra swings and swoops, and the lovely Lena's voice caresses the melody. By the second chorus the remix kicks in and the groove folds into a hot hip-hop breakdown. You'll get where this is all going right here. The question is does the "updating" of music, dancing, and culture improve it or damage it? Does this metamorphosis destroy what's good. Does this modernization help or hurt. Wait a minute!

This might be an interesting question, but it doesn't change the inevitability of change. When the Black Eyed Peas sing, "Feel the vibration of the bass drum/ Put your head on the speaker/ Get ya face numb" you know you're not in Kansas anymore (or the 1940s). The soundtrack mixes up remixes and originals to build a pretty solid sonic picture of middle school New York on the day before yesterday. Those of you who don't dig it, don't worry; in a year this will all sound soooo last year. The Black Eyed Peas are, however, pretty cool. They can sing. They can rhyme. They groove and the groove on. This is all about dance, right. "Feel It" makes a body move.

On the "old school" list is "Here We Go" by Dirtbag. If nothing is as sure as change, then it's cool to say that this is retro rap. The groove is heavy, but not too techno. The rhymes are tight, not to mention hard to say. The vaguely Wizard Of Oz chorus (can I getta Winkie chanting "Oh-ee-yah, eoh-yah") and the roll over of "here we go, here we go , here we go" has a whole Beastie Boys vibe that's soooo eighties. For those true traditionalists you can dig on the bonus track. Sly Stone sings that old chestnut, "Que Sera, Sera" in that inevitable twelve-eight groove. The organ rolls, and well, well, well Sly testifies.

Take The Lead is really a dance sampler CD, with a few clever twists. It cooks, coos and hippity hops all over the place. There are some hot cuts and some interesting remixes. If you liked the movie you'll dig it. If you have kids: it's not raunchy or ugly, just a bundle of "shake your body" grooves.