Search - Various Artists - Soundtracks :: The Powerpuff Girls: Heroes and Villains

An Instant Classic

Colin Gorham | Sydney, Australia | 08/01/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Like the cartoon show it is based on, "The Powerpuff Girls - Heroes and Villains" is an instant classic, and may well be the coolest and most-played CD you buy this year! From the opening snippet and Devo's "Go Monkey Go" (all cheesy 80's synths and lyrics Boojii Boy might have written twenty years ago) through to the extended version of Bis's hard-rock end theme (reason enough for fans to buy the album, having two full verses for the first time), this release just does not put a foot wrong.The artists involved were all hand-picked by Craig McCracken, creator of the series, who also contributes liner notes. It's not a question of which tracks on the CD are good and which aren't...but rather which are good and which are awesome. Stand-out tracks for me would have to be the hi-tech wonders of "The Fight" by Cornelius (listen LOUD with a good pair of headphones and prepare to be blown away) and the other Bis track, "Fight The Power" - featuring a huge Chemical-Brothers-style meltdown in the middle. And who could resist lyrics like "You've got the brainpower of a sunflower"? Aside from the fact that the ORIGINAL "Love Makes The World Go Round" (sung by the Powerpuff Girls) really should have been included, this WEA/Rhino release is a perfect CD, full of variety and talent, with a fun storyline to match. What more needs to be said?"

Good enough tribute to the Powerpuffs

Daniel J. Hamlow | Narita, Japan | 10/05/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"There have been a few notable tie-ins to animated TV series. Some, like South Park's Chef Aid, boasts an eclectic collection of songs from the series done by alternative, rap, and punk artists. In the case of The Powerpuff Girls:Heroes And Villains, the concept is different, as the songs here are inspired by the series, and with the exception of the intro and end theme, are original. The songs assume that one is in on the Powerpuff Girls, otherwise references to Mojo Jojo and the Gangreen Gang would be lost on the uninitiated.Interspersed between the songs is a bit by bit story of the Powerpuff Girls against Mojo Jojo.At least Mojo gets a song rooting him on. That is the upbeat "Go Monkey Go" by Devo. Q: Are they not human, A: No they are Mojo."Signal In The Sky" by The Apples In Stereo is a nice dose of Beatles-ish pop-alternative and one of the highlights of this collection. Anyone see the music video for this?Optiganally Yours' "Walk & Chew Gum" is a pleasing oddity of 1930's/1940's lo-fi jazz and describes the Mayor as someone who can't, well, do the actions of title track at the same time. The lyrics here has the mayor down to a tee: "Thank goodness for the Powerpuffs/Bubbles, Blossom, and Buttercup make it easy to do my job." That is a massive understatement right there.With "All right, Mo-Jerk! How'd you like a taste of Buttercup?" introduced by the toughest Powerpuff, comes the best song on Heroes On Villains, Shonen Knife's "Buttercup (I'm A Super Girl)," which is the punkest song I've heard the Yamano sisters do. The adrenaline fury of the drums and guitar reflect Buttercup's reputation as the toughest fighter perfectly. I can picture Buttercup jamming to this song over and over.Unfortunately, Blossom and Bubbles' songs aren't as impressive as their sibling's. Komeda's alt-techno hybrid doesn't do tribute to the Powerpuff commander. Lyrically, yes. Musically no. Ditto for Dressy Bessy's song for Bubbles. The girls deserved better songs.Bis's "Fight The Power" is sung from Mojo's perspective, and mainly features the male vocalist, and is better than the two tunes preceding it. Love that chorus: "I've got the brain/I'm insane/(You won't stop the power)."Sugarplastic's "Don't Look Down" has a pleasing, goofy, ambling ambience, and is the Professor's song. Cornelius's instrumental techno number "The Fight" combines techno beats with samples of dialogue and narration. Bill Doss's skipping alt-McCartney-ish "Friends Win" rounds things off, with references to a few of the show's villains before yielding to Bis's closing theme.There is a hidden track continuing immediately after. That is the song the girls sing in "Mime For A Change" to wake up Townsville from the black-and-white nightmare instigated by Mr. Mime with the "Love makes the world go 'round" chorus. However, it is not done by the girls. Pity--otherwise it would have been perfect. Despite a briefly sagging midsection, Heroes And Villains is a worthy collection giving the girls' their due.By the way, the Japanese writing along the cover sleeve reads from top to bottom: amaimono, spaiceenamono, iimono. Literal translation: sweet things, spicy things, and good things. Or in English, sugar, spice, and everything nice."

Fun for adults, iffy for little kids.

oompah_loompah | 08/09/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If you are an adult PPG fan, you will get a kick out of this little upbeat collection set up as an "audio adventure." The pace is upbeat and mostly fast, so it goes to the gym easily for an entertaining workout. If you are a parent thinking of buying it for a child, it might be a little iffy. Although it pleases me to see more positive role models for little girls and it's not as violent as other cartoons, a parent wishing to limit their child's exposure to violence on TV might not want to deal with PPG stuff. It also bothers me that the lyrics to B.L.O.S.S.O.M. coupled with the chanting, almost frantic pace can come across as bulimic: "Go beserk, let it work, do the right thing. I've got an urge, I've got to purge, I've got to get it out, I want to make a better day. I want to hear you say, I want to make a better day. I want to hear you say -- We've got to make a better day."So overall? I think it is a lot of fun for the adults, and maybe a little iffy for the kids. It's going to be a personal call for the parents."