Grand Theft Auto - San Andreas (Official Soundtrack Box Set/Original Game Soundtrack) [PA] - Various Artists > Reviews > An illusion is shattered

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Not applicable
Quality and consistency of tracks	Mixed
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Not applicable
Value for Money	Very Poor

Advantages:	Nice for hardcore fans of the GTA franchise
Disadvantages:	Poor value for money, edited versions of songs

Recommend to potential buyers:

no

Full review

I have always held the GTA games' soundtracks in high regard. While it may be true that the soundtrack to the GTA series of games is renowned for it's quality, surely this is mostly down to the fact that the player is presented with a vast list of radio stations and gets to choose their favourite? For example. When I was playing this game, I had two or three favourite stations, two or three stations which I would definitely avoid listening to, and the rest I would only rarely listen to and would ignore most of the time. Surely then, the soundtrack is as good as the player makes it?

This becomes apparent when you rip all of the songs from the CD into iTunes. I found myself deleting the vast majority of the songs on the soundtrack. Even some of the songs that I enjoyed listening to while playing the game, didn't have the same feel to them if I wasn't diving out of a plane or blowing up a police car. It turns out that I've narrowed my selection down to basically just the K-DST and Radio X playlists, and a few other good songs from the other stations. Even these songs that I like, I'm not entirely happy with, as many of them seem to be abbreviated edits!

My advice, if you want to hear some of the songs you loved from the game, is to head over to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Theft_Auto:_San_Andreas_soundtrack and pick the ones you like. Get them individually from iTunes. You'll get the proper recordings and save yourself a ton of money!

Track Listing:

Disc 1 (Bounce FM)
Genre: Funk

1. Bounce FM Intro
2. Kool & The Gang - Hollywood Swingin'
3. Rick James - Cold Blooded
4. The Gap Band - You Dropped A Bomb On Me
5. Cameo - Candy
6. Ronnie Hudson - West Coast Poplock
7. You're On Bounce FM
8. Zapp - I Can Make You Dance
9. Dazz Band - Let It Whip
10. Roy Ayers - Running Away
11. Ohio Players - Funky Worm
12. Maze - Twilight
13. That Was Bounce FM
14. Glory Hole Theme Park: Fun With Strangers
15. Eris Pump Up Shoes

Disc 2 (Playback FM)
Genre: Classic Hip-Hop

1. Playback FM Intro
2. Public Enemy - Rebel Without A Pause
3. Brand Nubian - Brand Nubian
4. Slick Rick - Children's Story
5. You're On Playback FM
6. Eric B. & Rakim - I Know You Got Soul
7. Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock - It Takes Two
8. That Was Playback FM
9. Kid Frost - La Raza
10. The D.O.C. - It's Funky Enough
11. Da Lench Mob - Guerillas In Tha Mist
12. Compton's Most Wanted - Hood Took Me Under
13. Cypress Hill - How I Could Just Kill A Man
14. 2 Pac - I Don't Give A F**k
15. Ice Diamonds
16. Commando Pest Eradication

Disc 3 (Master Sounds 98.3)
Genre: Rare Grooves

1. Mastersounds 98.3 Intro
2. James Brown - The Payback
3. The Chakachas - Jungle Fever
4. Lyn Collins - Think About It
5. Bobby Byrd - I Know You Got Soul
6. Charles Wright - Express Yourself
7. Maceo & The Macks - Cross The Tracks (We Better Go Back)
8. You're On Mastersounds 98.3
9. Sir Joe Quarterman & Free Soul - (I Got) So Much Trouble
10. In My Mind
11. The J.B.'s - Grunt
12. Harlem Underground Band - Smokin' Cheeba Cheeba
13. James Brown - Funky President
14. Booker T & The MG's - Green Onions
15. That Was Mastersounds 98.3
16. Cluckin' Bell
17. Zebra Bar: Fun To Try

Disc 4 (K-Rose)
Genre: Country

1. K-Rose Intro
2. Willie Nelson - Crazy
3. Hank Williams - Hey Good Lookin'
4. Conway Twitty & Loretta Lynn - Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man
5. Statler Brothers - Bed of Roses
6. You're On K-Rose
7. Jerry Reed - Amos Moses
8. Eddie Rabbit - I Love A Rainy Night
9. Whitey Shafer - All My Ex's Live In Texas
10. Ed Bruce - Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys
11. Merle Haggard - Always Wanting You
12. Patsy Cline - Three Cigarettes In The Ashtray
13. That Was K-Rose
14. Logger
15. Starfish Resort And Casino

Disc 5 (CSR 103.9)
Genre: R&B, Soul

1. CSR 103:9 Intro
2. Guy - Groove Me
3. Today - I Got The Feeling
4. Bobby Brown - Don't Be Cruel
5. En Vogue - My Lovin' (Never Gonna Get It)
6. Wrecks-N-Effect - New Jack Swing
7. Boyz II Men - Motownphilly
8. You're On CSR 103:9
9. Bell Biv DeVoe - Poison
10. Samuelle - So You Like What You See
11. SWV - I'm So Into You
12. Aaron Hall - Don't Be Afraid
13. Ralph Tresvant - Sensitivity
14. That Was CSR 103:9
15. Renegade Cologne
16. The Epsilon Program: Covet

Disc 6 (K-Jah)
Genre: Reggae

1. K-Jah Intro
2. Max Romeo & The Upsetters - Chase The Devil
3. Barrington Levy - Here I Come
4. Black Uhuru - Great Train Robbery
5. Blood Sisters - Ring My Bell
6. Toots & The Maytals - Funky Kingston
7. Augustus Pablo - King Tubby Meets The Rockers Uptown
8. You're On K-Jah
9. Pliers - Bam Bam
10. Dillinger - Cocaine in My Brain
11. Black Harmony - Don't Let It go To Your Head
12. Reggie Stepper - Drum Pan Sound
13. The Maytals - Pressure Drop
14. That Was K-Jah
15. Sooth Cough Medicine
16. Wrestling On Weazel

Disc 7 (K-DST)
Genre: Classic Rock

1. K-DST Intro
2. Heart - Barracuda
3. Kiss - Strutter
4. Boston - Smokin'
5. Grand Funk Railroad - Some Kind of Wonderful
6. Joe Cocker - Woman To Woman
7. Humble Pie - Get Down To It
8. You're On K-Dst
9. America- A Horse With No Name
10. The Who - Eminence Front
11. Lynyrd Skynyrd - Free Bird
12. Eddie Money - Two Tickets To Paradise
13. Rod Stewart - Young Turks
14. That Was K-DST
15. Midlife Crisis Center
16. San Andreas Telephone: New Father

Disc 8 (Radio X)
Genre: Alternative

1. Radio X Intro
2. Soundgarden - Rusty Cage
3. Helmet - Unsung
4. Faith No More - Midlife Crisis
5. Stone Temple Pilots - Plush
6. Rage Against The Machine - Killing In The Name
7. You're On Radio X
8. Living Colour - Cult Of Personality
9. Danzig - Mother
10. Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus
11. Jane's Addiction - Been Caught Stealing
12. L7 - Pretend We're Dead
13. That Was Radio X
14. My Five Uncles
15. Exsorbeo Handheld Gaming System