Gno Schitt

I've been listening to the original motion picture soundtrack for "Cool As Ice" for the past week, and I've gotta tell ya, the album is brilliant. The mix of 80's white bread rap/hip hop and slow techno ballads is a welcome change of pace from anything else I've been listening too lately. Here are some highlights:

1. Cool As Ice (Title Track) by Vanilla Ice (feat. Naomi Campbell)
What can I tell you? The track opens with this pipes and synths section that is wonderfully musical. Then it moves into the main song section with electronic beats and fantastic sound effects and orchestral work in the background. Add to that the 'epic' V.I. rapping and Naomi Campbell (who sings really well for a model) and you have a wonderfully enjoyable song.

4. Love 2 Love U by Partners In Kryme (feat. Debbie Cole)
Smooth mainstream accessible 80's rap with accents of strong vocal work and rolling bass lines. At the time, would have been too radical for radio play, but easily out shines a large body of todays contemporary 80's inspired commercialized techno-ish tracks that get air time.

7. Forever by D'New (feat. Temple)
Another pairing of a fairly forgettable electronic act (D'New) with a very memorable elegant and silky voice (Temple) to produce a song that has a much greater emotional impact that you would first think possible. The use of minor root key and subtle discord in juxtaposition with sections of very clever harmony is powerful. This is a song I recently woke up with running in my head. Great stuff.

10. Get Wit' It by Vanilla Ice
To seal the deal with his reinvented James Dean image the album finishes with an excellent technically produced piece of electronica. The use of sounds that move in space (stereo imaged) as well as with pitch creates a fascinating listening experience. V.I.'s rapping is, of course, totally self-indulgent, but strangely appropriate once you set the perspective in the mind of a self-absorbed ego maniacal bubble head (and I'm being pretty kind here). There are little tid bits in this song that I intend to lift and remix into something a little heavier.

It's got me inspired to watch the actual film again too. So, I tracked down an avi copy. This is an open invite for people to join me in watching it at my place sometime over the next week or two.
Anybody out there willing to take it up with me?