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Mel Gibson may learn
What Women Want by listening in on their thoughts, but it doesn't take an eavesdropper to know what moviegoers expect in a romantic-comedy soundtrack. Nancy Meyers, the movie's director and soundtrack album executive producer, has compiled an interesting mix of old and new, borrowed and blue. The emphasis is on the pre-rock age of big-band swing, whether it's performers from that era or others emulating them. Three cuts from
Frank Sinatra (arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle) and entries from
Sammy Davis Jr.,
Nancy Wilson, and
Tony Bennett sew up the soulful crooning of the velvet age.
Lou Rawls and the
Temptations replace their modern soul grooves with lush orchestrations that perfectly fit the mood. Only teeny-dance-bopper
Christina Aguilera and alternative rocker
Meredith Brooks, who chime in with a couple of recent hits, sound woefully out of place.
--Rob O'Connor