Barnes & Noble
The Thornberry family's animated TV adventures move to the big screen, journeying to Africa with an exotic soundtrack that features big-name musicians from around the world and an exhilarating tapestry of styles that range from rap to rock to reggae. Paul Simon gives a heartfelt performance in "Father and Daughter," a soft blend of acoustic guitar, light tympani, and vocals. Reggae flavors several tunes, including "Accident" by the Baha Men and "Monkey Man" by the ska band Reel Big Fish. Several well-known African musicians appear, including trumpeter/singer Hugh Masekela, who contributes the ska-tinged Afro-beat of "Motla Le Pula"; South African-born Dave Matthews, who pairs up with Benin-born pop star Angelique Kidjo for the Afro-pop song "IWOYA"; and Senegalese vocalist Youssou N'Dour, who appears in "Don't Walk Away," a mellow duet with Sting, and with Peter Gabriel and Shaggy in the hip-hop- and reggae-flavored "Shaking The Tree." Bow Wow, P. Diddy, and Brandy take a walk on the rap side in "Dance with Us," while the rock segment is represented by Euro-pop/rock singer Sita ("Happy"), the Backstreet Boys' Nick Carter ("End of Forever"), and the Pretenders ("Get Out of London"). What these varied songs have in common are the sounds and rhythms of traditional African music, making this the perfect soundtrack for a great African adventure. Beth Amos
All Music Guide
The soundtrack to Nickelodeon's feature film The Wild Thornberrys, based on their cartoon series about a family of explorers, features an apt and surprisingly hip mix of world music, teen pop, hip-hop, and globally-inspired rock. Chief among the highlights are contributions from some of the collection's biggest names, including Paul Simon's mellow, amiable "Father and Daughter," Dave Matthews and Angélique Kidjo's duet "Iwoya," and Hugh Masekela's "Motla le Pula (The Rainmaker)." Peter Gabriel contributes two tracks, a new remix of "Shaking the Tree" featuring Shaggy and "Animal Nation," a quirky new track that suggests that a children's album by Gabriel could be a treat. Aside from appearing on "Shaking the Tree," Youssou N'Dour also appears on "Don't Walk Away," a meditative duet with Sting that is pleasant but doesn't fit with the rest of the relatively energetic soundtrack, particularly the tracks that surround it -- Reel Big Fish's "Monkey Man" and the Baha Men's frenetic "Accident." Overall, though, The Wild Thornberrys does a pretty good job of weaving diverse tracks like P. Diddy, Brandy, and Bow Wow's "Dance With Us," the Pretenders' "Get Out of London," and Wes' "Awa Awa" together into a fairly cohesive album. Sita's "Happy" and Nick Carter's "End of Forever" provide the daily minimum requirement of teen pop, but overall the soundtrack ends up as one big happy musical family that just might spark kids' interest in more eclectic sounds. Heather Phares