Wedding Singer 2 (CD - 1998)

Personnel: Madonna (vocals).

Photographers: E.J. Camp; Kimberly Wright.

Once the soundtrack to the Adam Sandler/Drew Barrymore romantic comedy The Wedding Singer climbed into the Top Ten, the appearance of Wedding Singer 2 was nearly a sure thing. After all, Grosse Pointe Blank and Romy & Michele's High School Reunion, two other '80s-themed films with predominantly new wave soundtracks, spun off two hit albums apiece, and none of those four albums sold as well as The Wedding Singer. If you overlook the fact that Wedding Singer 2 is a cash-in, just like any other soundtrack sequel, you may find that the album is quite an enjoyable new wave compilation. Of course, there are a number of familiar items here, including "Too Shy," "Private Idaho," and "Money," plus "True" and "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)," two items showcased in the film itself, so their absence from the first album was puzzling. Nevertheless, what makes this fun is the appearance of songs that usually don't make new wave comps -- not only is Depeche Mode's "Just Can't Get Enough" here (it provided the title for Rhino's exhaustive new wave series, but never appeared on any of the 15 discs), but so is the forgotten Flock of Seagulls' tune "Space Age Love Song" and Madonna's "Holiday," which rarely appears on comps. Also, it's nice to hear the Cars' "It's All I Can Do" instead of "My Best Friend's Girl," and it's cool to have the J. Geils Band's "Love Stinks" and Hall & Oates' timeless "You Make My Dreams" thrown into the mix. It's all entertaining enough to make Adam Sandler's album closer "Grow Old with You" tolerable for those who don't git wit his style of humor. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

This Adam Sandler/Drew Barrymore comedy, like several other late-'90s films, played on the '80s nostalgia factor, a process impossible without the right music. The initial WEDDING SINGER soundtrack album proved to be so popular that this collection, featuring yet more music from the film, was trotted out. Eighties-hungry pop fans should certainly get their fill here.

There's a little bit of everything on this disc, from radio giants like Madonna and Hall & Oates to more obscure acts like Flying Lizards (whose desecration of the '60s tune "Money" is one of the highlights of this album). Hairspray and eyeliner abound as one classic after another leaps out at the listener, including a couple of oddly poignant tunes (Flock of Seagulls' "Space Age Love Song" and Spandau Ballet's "True.") And while the original Dead or Alive version of "You Spin Me Round" is all well and good, we long to hear Adam Sandler's uproarious wedding-band version of the song as featured in the film. minimize