Austin Powers in Goldmember [Original Soundtrack]

Overview

Apparently, Mike Myers and Austin Powers had spent a little bit too much time in the '60s, so Goldmember, the third Powers flick, moves the series into the '70s, with all the disco and blaxploitation kitsch that goes with it, as well as how it fits neatly into the urban audience that Austin gained with The Spy Who Shagged Me. The first film was a cult phenomenon, watched endlessly on video by SNL diehards and pop culture fanatics who loved its sly references to not just James Bond, but Peter Sellers films, mod culture, and the British Invasion. This was apparent on the soundtrack to the second film, which was heavy with alt-rockers and pop fans, recycling songs and sounds from the late '60s and '70s. There are a couple of remnants of that spirit here -- Susanna Hoffs sings "Alfie" (substituting "Austin" for "Alfie," of course); the pop-underground supergroup who did the fantastic "BBC One" on the first film resurface with the Austin-sung "Daddy Wasn't There," a good song that suffers a bit from the juvenile humour that has crept into the series; plus, the omnipresent Smash Mouth, who do another fine soundtrack tune with "Ain't No Mystery" -- but this soundtrack is firmly in the urban R&B, dance club camp. It's also doggedly modern -- the only oldie hauled out is Earth, Wind & Fire's "Shining Star," although Angie Stone's "Groove Me" is such a faithful remake, it might as well be the original. Since this is the soundtrack to a comedy, not a history lesson, it shouldn't be taken for task for playing fast and loose with pop culture history, treating disco and blaxploitation as if they were interchangeable, but that attitude may grate on old-school Austin fans. Then again, they're not who this album is for. This is for fans of Destiny's Child, whose Beyonce Knowles plays Foxxy Cleopatra in Goldmember, and whose music sets the tone for much of this album, as oldies and new songs alike are given the Dr. Dre or N.E.R.D. treatment -- sometimes explicitly so, sometimes just in spirit. There are good moments here, too -- Knowles' opening "Work It Out" is an excellent post-disco single, better than anything on Survivor; Britney Spears' remix of "Boys" is very good; and the joke songs "Hey Goldmember" (which contains the refrain from nearly every disco song in memory) and Dr. Evil's take on "Hard Knock Life" work well. These tunes, along with the previously mentioned songs, mean that it holds together pretty well, even through the rough spots, and can even dispel the suspicion that, with all the remixes and emphasis on modern soul, this soundtrack is the most calculated Austin Powers record yet. (Final note: If Dr. Dre truly is such a master of funk, then why on earth did he ignore one of the funkiest rhythm sections in rock & roll on his remix of the Rolling Stones' "Miss You?" Stripped of any Stone but Mick, it's a stiff, hulking, mechanized stumble, lacking any of the loose-limbed, sexy swagger of Charlie Watts' rhythms, or Keith's guitar, or Dre's full-bodied, bass-heavy G-Funk, for that matter.) ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	10/24/2020
Label:	Maverick
UPC:	0093624898337
Rank:	39068

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Solange   Primary Artist
Devin   Primary Artist
Foxxy Cleopatra   Primary Artist
Dr. Evil   Primary Artist
Ming Tea   Primary Artist
Smash Mouth   Primary Artist
Angie Stone   Primary Artist
Soul Hooligan   Primary Artist
Susanna Hoffs   Primary Artist
Beyonce Knowles   Primary Artist
Earth, Wind & Fire   Primary Artist
Diana King   Primary Artist
Pharrell Williams   Primary Artist
Britney Spears   Primary Artist
Paul Oakenfold   Primary Artist
Beyonce   Primary Artist
The Rolling Stones   Primary Artist
Austin Powers   Primary Artist
George S. Clinton   Conductor

Technical Credits

John Houlihan   Producer,Vocal Producer,Music Supervisor
Danny Bramson   Producer,Soundtrack Producer
Patrick Viala   Mixing
Smash Mouth   Composer,Producer,Performer
Angie Stone   Producer,Performer
Soul Hooligan   Performer
Susanna Hoffs   Producer,Performer
Martin Charnin   Composer
Beyonce Knowles   Composer
Austin Reynolds   Mixing,Producer
The Glimmer Twins   Original Recording Producer
Earth, Wind & Fire   Performer
Chad Hugo   Composer,Producer
Jeff Lynne   Composer
Walter Murphy   Composer
Jeff Turzo   Mixing,Composer,Producer
Krish Sharma   Mixing,Engineer
Diana King   Performer
Pharrell Williams   Composer,Producer,Performer
Mathew Knowles   Executive Producer
Maurice White   Composer
Philip Bailey   Composer
Matthew Sweet   Composer,Producer
The Neptunes   Producer
Mike Elizondo   Producer
Eddy Schreyer   Mastering
Britney Spears   Performer
Bryce Wilson   Producer
Burt Bacharach   Composer
Paul Broucek   Executive in Charge of Music
DJ Quik   Drum Programming
Harry Wayne "K.C." Casey   Composer
Paul Oakenfold   Composer,Producer,Performer
Paul Myers   Composer
Bob Bowen   Music Executive
Beyonce   Composer,Producer,Vocal Producer
Hal David   Composer
Keith Richards   Composer
Chris Lord-Alge   Mixing
Charles Strouse   Composer
Dr. Dre   Mixing,Producer
Richard Finch   Composer
Mick Jagger   Composer
The Rolling Stones   Performer
Mike Myers   Composer,Soundtrack Executive Producer
Tim Donovan   Mixing
Brad Wood   Mixing,Producer
George S. Clinton   Orchestration
Dave Pensado   Mixing
Patrick Houlihan   Music Coordinator
Damon Elliott   Producer
Guy Oseary   Soundtrack Executive Producer
Lori Silfen   Music Business Affairs
King Floyd III   Composer
Shawn Carter   Composer
Lorenzo Dunn   Composer
Mitch Rotter   Soundtrack Executive Producer
Marco Martin   Assistant
Greg Hilfman   Producer
Frank Maddocks   Design,Art Direction
Season Kent   Music Coordinator
Blake Little   Photography
Mark Kaufman   Music Clearance
Andrew Eccles   Photography
Jay Roach   Soundtrack Executive Producer
Larry Chatman   Project Coordinator
Melinda Sue Gordon   Photography
Francis Ford   Assistant
Mark James   Composer
Cody Lutz   Composer
Robin Ruzan   Composer