By Various Artists, 2002

The boys will be so pleased. Radio-friendly stadium rock is back in a big way, and Music from and Inspired by Spider-Man makes capital use of the trend. Like the blockbuster film itself, there's an attempt to provide something enjoyably disposable for everyone--resulting in "anthemic" songs you nod along to, and then forget the second they're done.

Bands and artists you probably don't know (Bleu, Black Lab, Greenwheel) add the Everyman feel Spider-Man's character is said to approximate, while heroes Aerosmith provide an appropriately cartoonish cover of the original "Spider-Man Theme" (but nice to hear them hammily rocking, rather than wringing it ballad style). And if Kid Rock shouted the chorus on a Beastie Boys joint, and their studio guitarist stole the riff from "Devil Went down to Georgia" and used it for an intro, you'd have Sum 41's latest effort ("What We're All About"). Throw in Danny Elfman, some buzz from the Hives ("Hate to Say I Told You So") and the Strokes ("When It Started"), add the token Mary Jane (Macy Gray's "My Nutmeg Phantasy"), and the soundtrack does what it should--provides rock-solid support for the film, and then fades out.

--Laura Etling

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