Ally McBeal: For Once In My Life
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By Sheila Price
Sounds Like:A mellower version than the other three"Ally"soundtracks with more ballads from resident bar crooner Vonda Shepard but still very good. Vonda's in some pretty strong company from actor Robert Downey Jr., Sting, Tina Turner, Anastacia. And what's"Ally McBeal"without the series' theme songs -- John Cage's Barry White's mojo number"You're The First, The Last, My Everything,"Ally's depressing"How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?"by Al Green and Richard Fish's"It's Not Unusual"by Tom Jones which breaks down the otherwise doom gloom ambience throughout.You May Have Heard:The single"Chances Are"that features Vonda and Downey Jr. which is unquestionably one of the best tracks here. And it is Downey who stands out with his manly, raspy vocals. Some critic commented that Downey should confine his singing fantasies to the shower. Bollocks! Despite his drug problem, Downey is truly gifted. Let's just hope he gets himself back in the game soon.We Fancy:Vonda's own creations like the heart-wrenching ballad"You And Me,"and"Home Again."I also loved her treatment of Todd Rundgren's"Can We Still Be Friends."Downey Jr. is especially impressive in his self-penned"Snakes"number, while his duet with Sting in"Every Breath You Take"is not bad either. Also loved the powerhouse, funky number"Love Is Alive"by Vonda and Anastacia.We're Not Sure About:An overdose of Vonda's whining can get to you after a while, so hit the forward button if that happens. And why did David Kelly decide to throw in those songs from Barry White, Tina Turner and Al Green who all guest starred two seasons ago, only to this soundtrack now? And what the hell is Chayane's latino"Boom Boom"doing here? In place of these wasted tracks, it would have been nice idea to include some of the fun numbers performed at the bar scenes from this season for extra bonus."Ally"fans will know what I'm talking about.Verdict:If you haven't already caught the fourth season of"Ally McBeal"like us lucky souls in Singapore, no worries, just be sure to savour this first to get you revved up.
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