Music From Queer Eye For The Straight Guy
Capitol Records, 2004
REVIEW BY: Duke Egbert
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 03/18/2004
OK, I admit it. I've become a Queer Eye For The Straight Guy junkie. I've started using moisturizer. I pay attention to my nails. I've redone some of my wardrobe. I'm either comfortable enough in my masculinity to be fabulous or else I'm in denial.
For those of you who have been living under a pop culture rock
for the last nine months or so,
Queer Eye is the hottest makeover TV show since Ronald
Reagan's presidential campaign. Five gay men -- Kyan, Carson, Jai,
Thom and Ted -- come to the aid of straight men by teaching them
how to be civilized
and heterosexual. They provide help on appearance, home
decorating, manners, couture, food, wine and other fine living
accessories, mostly so the aforementioned straight men can gain
greater favor with a female of their choice.
Sounds like a TV show whose attached CD would scream "gimmick" from twenty-seven light years away, huh? Guess what; it's not. Fact is, Music From Queer Eye For The Straight Guy is a pretty delightful compilation of cutting edge dance, techno, and pop, suitable for playing very loud while you practice your fabulinity. (Fabulousness? Something like that.)
Music From is a mixed bag, but don't let that stop you. The opening track, the theme from the TV show in a more upbeat, hook-laden mix is infectious, and it's still stuck in my head. From there, it's a wild and varied ride, through techno-remixed dance (Kylie Minogue's "Slow," remixed by the Chemical Brothers), pop (Jamelia's "Superstar," which is a pretty groovy listen), and a couple of chart hits (Junior Senior's "Move Your Feet" and Liz Phair's "Extraordinary" -- both of which I like, and both of which other reviewers on the DV have disliked. Just goes to show ya .)
Those, my friends, are the more typical tracks. Even further off the beaten path is the Edith-Piaf-goes-clubbing riff of Ingrid's "You Promised Me (Tu Es Foutu)," the trance beats of Prophet Omega's "An Area Big Enough To Do It In," and the cap of all weirdness, Barry Harris' remix of Fischerspooner's "Emerge" and Billy Squier's "Everybody Wants You," resulting in the freakish two-headed monster of "Everybody Wants You To Emerge," which must be heard to be believed. (Even then you may not believe it.) There are a couple of weaker tracks -- I could have done without Basement Jaxx' "Good Luck," mostly because of its seventies fuzzbox-laden vocals -- but they're the exception, rather than the rule.
For all the wild and weird fun, this is a solid, well-chosen and well-presented smorgasbord of songs. There may be no common ground here but attitude, but for all that it's a really great CD. Should your life be lacking in fabulousness, you could do a lot worse than checking out Music From Queer Eye For The Straight Guy.