Editorial Reviews

The Dukes of Hazzard enjoyed its own nostalgic resurgence in 2005, joining most pop culture artifacts of the last 30 years. (The Brady Bunch and Scooby Doo movies, the TBS reality headscratcher Real Gilligan's Island, etc.) CMT returned The Dukes' reruns to prime time, and a feature film remake hit theaters that summer with Sean William Scott and Johnny Knoxville as The Duke Boys and Jessica Simpson as Daisy Duke. The film had its own soundtrack, a set of Southern rock faves and '70s country featuring Willie Nelson's Uncle Jessie covering "Theme from The Dukes of Hazzard." But the hubbub also spurred a reissue of the show's original 1981 soundtrack, complete with bonus tracks. Sorrell Booke's Boss Hogg is the star here; his red-faced commentary frames the collection of urban cowboy-style country, General Lee tributes, and good-naturedly hokey opportunities for the how's original stars (John Schneider (Bo), Tom Wopat (Luke), and Catherine Bach (Daisy)) to sing. James Best's Roscoe P. Coltrane gets into the act too, contributing "Flash," an ode to his sleepy basset hound. Johnny Cash and Doug Kershaw have competing odes to The Dukes' famous 1969 Dodge Charger, "General Lee" and "Ballad of the General Lee" -- Kershaw's might be marginally better -- while Booke (as Boss Hogg) cackles his way through "Laughing All the Way to the Bank." Since Dukes of Hazzard is more of a laugh than a memorable listen, its best feature might be the inclusion of Waylon Jennings' original "Theme from the Dukes of Hazzard [Good ol' Boys]," a bonus track that wasn't on the 1981 version. Towards the end Jennings references his role as the unseen narrator of Dukes. "I'm a good old boy," he laughs. "You know my momma loves me/But she don't understand why they keep showing my hands and not my face on TV..." Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide

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