Search - Various Artists :: Desperate Housewives: Music Inspired By

Fans of the TV show Desperate Housewives are a mighty devoted bunch: thankfully, the wickedly clever dialogue and sassy badness of the characters is succinctly captured on the show's first compilation disc. This CD's lineup alone elicits an immediate "wow" response: Shania Twain, Joss Stone, LeAnn Rimes, Macy Gray, Indigo Girls, k.d. lang, and more have each packed the collection with previously-unreleased music. With half of the disc recently-written songs and half covers of old classics, the originals ultimately prove to be the highlight. Shania Twain's "Shoes" is a future line-dancin' classic, analogizing men to shoes ("a girl can't never have too many of 'em"). Joss Stone's "Treat Me Right" is nothing short of sexy, soul perfection, while SheDaisy's performance of the Jann Arden -penned "God Bless the American Housewife" kicks things off in a dark country style. The "who's that girl with the voice?" award goes to Idina Menzel (Rent, Wicked) for her powerhouse performance of "Damsel In Distress." The covers on this CD are ultimately more clever than killer, but Liz Phair's take on the Rolling Stones' "Mother's Little Helper," the Indigo Girls' "Mrs. Robinson," and Martina McBride's "Harper Valley PTA" match the mood of the series perfectly. For no extra charge, there's some classic Desperate sound clips on the disc: quick audio bites taken from the show, providing glimpses of its compelling, acerbic tone. --Denise Sheppard