Various Artists: Tough Enough

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VARIOUS ARTISTS

"Music From the Hit Series Tough Enough" (Dreamworks)

Sampler CDs are cool because they're usually cheaper and you get to hear a whole bunch of bands you might not normally have heard and - better yet - you might actually find a couple that you really like. Then, of course, you'll run out and buy their CDs and the record company that issued the sampler will see some real money from you and make up for the inexpensive sampler they manufactured just to get you hooked. That's the nature of the Sampler Beast.

Although this CD isn't a specific label sampler, and, according to a couple of websites I visited, isn't any cheaper than other non-sampler CDs, "Tough Enough" offers enough of the best of a lot of new bands to make it worth checking out - especially if you've fallen behind in knowing who the latest batch of hard rockers might be.

There are 13 tracks on "Tough Enough" and all of them are worth a listen. Rather than go through a track-by-track analysis, suffice to say that there's enough great music on this CD by enough great bands to make it worth picking up just to wade through the hordes out there and narrow your CD purchases to the few (or many) bands you really like. The tracks on "Tough Enough" are fine representations of the music performed by the individual bands represented hereon. In other words, if you like what you hear here, you'll probably like other works by the same artists.

And, surprisingly, the whole thing works as a pretty effective soundtrack to the television series and/or a standalone album of multi-artist hits. It's not just a chance for you to get to know new bands; it's a damn fine listen as well.

Following is the track-listing of "Tough Enough":
1) Drowning Pool "Bodies"
2) Alien Ant Farm "Smooth Criminal"
3) Godsmack "Awake"
4) Powerman 5000 "Bombshell"
5) Pressure 4-5 "Beat the World"
6) Papa Roach "Dead Cell (Live)"
Tough Enough Theme
7) Deftones "Digital Bath"
8) Buckcherry "Slamin"
9) Big Mother Thruster "Dogtooth Violet"
10) Saliva "Superstar"
11) Halfcocked "Drive Away"
12) Disturbed "Stupify" (Live From the Palladium)

Rating Guide:

A classic. This record will kick your ass.

Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.

So-so. You've heard better.

Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.

Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.

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