"Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Radio Sunnydale [Bonus Tracks]" (01/19/2004) Rock & Pop Original Soundtrack, EMI Music DistributionProducers: Ralph Sall, Steve Brown, Robert Civillies, Davie Coles, Matthew Sweet, Fred Maher, Gavin MacKiiop, The Divinyls, Charley Drayton, Duane Baron, John Purdell, Rob Halford, Nick Terzo. Engineers: Toby Wright, Acar S. Key, Peter McCabe, Lloyd Puckitt, Gavin MacKillop, Duane Baron, John Purdell. RADIO SUNNYDALE is a soundtrack to the cult TV show BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER and contains music featured in seasons 5-7, including songs by The Breeders, The Dandy Warhols, Aimee Mann, Alison Krauss, Angie Hart, and others. This Australian version includes nine more songs than the U.S. release. When speaking of the Zeitgeist of late '90s teen television and culture, it would not be fair to merely call "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" simply a tolerable element for people past the age of 20. "Buffy" stands on its own as one of the more intelligent, unique, and lively shows of the past decade. The commitment to quality carries over to the show's soundtrack, a blend of appealing alterna-rock--about half new and half previously issued--based on the show's occult themes. Guided By Voices' "Teenage FBI" from DO THE COLLAPSE is quite possibly Robert Pollard's most appetizing concoction to date. Bif Naked surprises with the enticingly ethereal ballad "Lucky" as does Black Lab, with the nugget "Virgin State of Mind." The soundtrack abounds with simple, indisposable pop tunes from virtual unknowns like Hepburn, with its jangle-pop gem "I Quit" and Superfine, with its country-tinged punk rabble-rouser "Already Met You." Finally, on any soundtrack worth its salt there is that one selection from a few years back that shoulda, woulda, coulda been a hit in a more perfect world. They choose the Sundays' Rolling Stones cover "Wild Horses." Perfect. Released in 1999, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Album was the official soundtrack to the series, while 2002's Once More with Feeling was the soundtrack to the peerless musical episode with the same name. Which makes 2003's Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Radio Sunnydale -- what? A cash-in attempt for a cult series that's now off the air, but still retains its devoted audience? Cynics could argue that, but they'd be wrong since the album does indeed collect songs that were featured on the program -- hence the subtitle "Radio Sunnydale," an indication that these tunes did function as background music in Buffy's hometown. Also, Mutant Enemy has yet to rip off its loyal fan base, and this is no exception to the rule -- it's a fine, logical soundtrack that's faithful to the feel and sound of the series, and functions as a good, solid alt-rock collection on its own terms. As Buffy music supervisor John King points out in his liner notes (Buffy creator Joss Whedon contributes his own set, as well), the first Buffy soundtrack covered seasons one through four with this covering five through seven, the final three in the series' run. Like the preceding soundtrack, this isn't heavy on hits or big names -- Blur and Sarah McLachlan are the sales titans here, with Joey Ramone, Aimee Mann, and the Breeders, who do a wonderful version of the title theme, being the cult favorites; the rest of the soundtrack consists of names who are barely known -- but it sustains a consistent mood, one that conjures up Sunnydale in an instant. True, it's the kind of thing that's targeted directly at the show's faithful, but that's also what's good about it: by taking their fans seriously, the Mutant Enemy bunch has produced another soundtrack that lives up to the series' legacy, which, as most TV soundtracks illustrate, is a difficult thing to do. [The 2005 EMI re-release includes bonus tracks.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
