This CD brings together a mix of different music styles. Some of them you’ll like and some of them you won’t. What’s clear though is that these wrestlers are multi-talented but most of them have definitely picked the right career by being a wrestler and not a full time singer.
Throughout the CD there are small sections of Stone Cold Steve Austin in a recording studio. He is getting ready to perform his track for the WWE Originals CD. Ultimately we don’t get to hear his song but the purpose of these sections is to break up the CD and bring a bit of humour to the album.
The first song on the album is by the Dudley Boyz. This is mainly a rock tune but later on in the track D’von raps to a slower paced section of the song. Bubba isn’t the best singer but his voice fits well with the rocky chorus. The song is about their wrestling career but the DVD that accompanies the CD shows the real Dudley Boyz. By this I mean you see a sedate Bubba playing classical music on a piano, which is something very different from his aggressive character in the ring.
The next song by Trish Stratus is a slow tune and is basically a love song. The song works well because it fitted in well with the way Trish Stratus the wrestler was portrayed at the time. Although
it arguably doesn’t have the same effect when you listen to it now after Trish’s evil turn in WWE. The term multi-talented fits in perfectly for Trish Stratus as it shows she can sing as well as wrestle. This is all a bonus considering she started off as a model. Like the previous song by the Dudley Boyz this song has a strong chorus, which does what a chorus should do, which is stick in the mind. Her voice isn’t strong though and that is highlighted when the song picks up the tempo a little and her voice doesn’t sound as good.
Rey Mysterio’s song is a mix of Spanish and English and has a Latino feel to it because of his background in Mexico. The Spanish parts make it difficult to stay with the song but the song reflects his flamboyant wrestling style.
Booker T’s song is very much in character and he uses a lot of the catchphrases he used in WWE when he was a fan favourite on RAW. As Booker T has a strong and distinctive voice when he tries to rap it doesn’t sound as good as when other people are rapping like D’von Dudley or John Cena. It is still a good song though and could be described as a bit of a head bopper tune. The song does tell the story of Booker’s upbringing though and the trouble he was in when he was young and this makes it a tune that has to be listened to.
Kurt Angle is one of the worst singer’s on the album but the song is still a good one and one that you don’t mind listening to. It’s basically his wrestling theme tune, which is a version of the American national anthem I think, but this has been produced with a greater feel of rock music than his entrance. He tries to rap a little and it’s ok but the song probably would have been better without it. He talks rather than sings and that’s why it’s one of the worst songs.
Lita’s song is a rock/punk tune, which isn’t a surprise as this is the music she likes and liked when she was a teenager. She hasn’t got the most powerful voice, which means her voice gets lost in some of the rockier parts of the track. Overall though you can see why she managed to earn a bit of money by singing when she was younger.
Lillian Garcia’s song is also a rock tune and came as a surprise to me. I knew she could sing but thought she would go with a slow song. It definitely shows a different side to her from the one that sang the American national anthem at the first RAW after 9/11. Straight away you can tell she has a really powerful voice and doesn’t get lost at all in the rocky track. The song shows the range her voice has.
The Guerrero’s song is very much in character. Like Rey’s song it has a Latino feel and describes the characters of Chavo and Eddie if they were outside of the ring. It’s a bit disappointing though as it is similar to Kurt Angle’s song in that it is mainly talking.
Chris Jericho’s song is my favourite track. It is another rock track and is very similar to what his band is like. Chris Jericho is the singer of Fozzy who are an American rock band and this would fit perfectly onto one of their albums. I wouldn’t be surprised if the rest of his band helped do this song as it does fit with the style of the Fozzy albums. It shows everyone the real Chris Jericho and gives an insight into the musical side of his life as a lot of wrestling fans only know about his wrestling side.
I was very surprised by this track, which is sung by Rikishi. I think he sounds like the late, great Barry White. For such a big man he has a tender, soulful voice. He sings ‘put a little ass on it’ but it sounds very serious and it all fits with his character and his stink face gimmick. Although it’ not the type of music I like it is a really good track.
Stacy Kiebler’s song is a dancy, fast paced track, which is a bit techno with special effects in it. The song brightens up the CD as there’s no other song like it but she’s not the best singer but gives it a good go. It is not noticeably worse than any of the others.
John Cena’s song is his ring entrance music. It confirms that he’s a really good rapper and that he could make it in the music world and I think he has or is bringing out an album. It also shows the character you see in the ring is the real John Cena. It is good to see WWE has allowed someone to essentially be themselves and I for one am glad. When Cena made his debut on Smackdown against Kurt Angle, Cena was just another wrestler but now he is a special talent both in and out of the ring.
Overall Cena, Jericho and Lillian Garcia are the best singers and if they wanted or had to could leave wrestling and do well in the music world. The others recognise that they’re better wrestlers than singers but have contributed to making this a great CD. I hope they’ll bring out more WWE Original CD’s as I think they’ll stay popular and it will be good to continue to see another side of the people who get in the WWE ring.
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Jul 16th, 2004
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