The L Word: The Second Season CD Review by Kace

The Season 2 CD was released in Februrary 2005 to coincide with the Premiere of Season 2 of The L Word on Showtime. Ilene Chakien and Rosie Lopez are YOUR Soundtrack Producers with Executive Producer Credits going to Chakien, Lopez, Elizabeth "EZGirl" Ziff and Natasha Duprey. While the Season 1 CD tends to get into the mellow and stay there most of the time, Season 2 mixes in the mellow stuff with kickin' dance tracks in the event you want to blast your Stereo System and upset your neighbors (not there's anything wrong with that...especially with some of these songs which are just better when loud). One thing's for certain though. You'll wind up with an opinion of the band, BETTY by the time you're done listening. Might be good, might be bad. But you'll have one, trust me. Anyway, ON TO THE TRACKS!

1- Dusty Springfield "Just A Little Lovin'"
Fun Fact about this song. It was released in 1968 as the B-Side to "Son Of A Preacher Man" which did well for itself as a hit song. So this is one of those familiar songs for old school Dusty fans. Personally, I think it's her best song and it's great to see it finally released on a CD you don't have to go out of your way to get. It's nice, slow, melodic and allows the listener to listen to Dusty's voice which was full of soul. Co-Written by 1-Hit Wonder Barry Mann.

2- The Organ "Brother"
This song brings back a nice 1988 Alternative Sound that's sorely lacking in radio today. The Organ sound like they may've had some influence from XTC and quite possibly the Tragically Hip. Good, upbeat number that answers the question, "What would the Cure sound like with Laura Branigan as lead singer?" Although that question's probably never been asked 'til now. One of the newer songs on the CD.

3- Ladytron "Playgirl"
This is the song you blast in your car stereo in the middle of the afternoon. For a similar sound, some of Kylie Minogue's Body Language stuff comes to mind as it captures a vibe similar to Kylie's "Sweet Music." Great Post-Disco Retro Sound.

4- Martina Topley-Bird "Ilya"
For some reason, the song sounds like it has a hard time starting, then proceeds to go into 2nd Gear and stays there. Probably a song a person would have to be in the right kinda mood to listen to, but not exactly terrible. I don't, however seeing this as the first choice for anyone to listen to if starting up a party or anything.

5- Heart "No Other Love"
My, we've come a long way from "Barracuda" haven't we Wilson Sisters? Ann & Nancy still rule a small sector of me from my childhood, so it's great to hear them release something new for L's 2nd Season. This sounds like something that would've fit in perfectly with the Season 1 Music CD. This is a real relaxin' number and if nothing else, Heart could do good for themselves just as Adult Contemporary style artists. Just for fun, try to mentally remove Ann's voice and replace with Jon Bon Jovi's.

6- Grandadbob "Mmmnn"
When I first saw the title of this song, I couldn't help but wonder if it was some sick counter to "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" by the Crash Test Dummies. Listening to the song however, it has more of an M People sound to it. Another good dance song with a moderate beat. Annoying song title though, but that's a minor point.

7- Shawn Colvin "Sunny Came Home"
One of my biggest complaints about the Season 1 CD was that "In The Sun" by Joseph Arthur was heavily edited for time. Apparently quite a few people made complaints, 'cause here we have the Full Length Version of "Sunny Came Home" in all its glory. This is a song that should be familiar as Adult Contemporary Radio Stations still have a need to play it from time to time. Not that I'm complaining since it's one of the better songs of 1997. You don't have to be a Colvin Fan to be a fan of the song, it's that good.

8- Le Tigre "On The Verge"
If Clueless ever made a sequel, this could be the song that's played in the closing credits of the movie. There's a subgenre of this sound for about 10 good years now, which combines the catchy pop sound with a nasty hard edge to it. It helps to be in a good mood if you're listening to this song or just cruisin' around in your car. If you like this song, I recommend checking Le Tigre's cover of the Pointer Sisters' "I'm So Excited" which just as fun to listen.

9- Iron & Wine "Naked As We Came"
Mellow Acoustics, baby. This by the way, is Sub Pop Records' contribution to the CD. Yes, the same Sub Pop that was once the Cornerstone for cutting edge alternative rock from Mudhoney to Nirvana to Soundgarden. So here we are in 2005 with Iron & Wine giving us something that's completely different. Short, mellow, unplugged.

10- Dirtmitts "Get On (DJ Lester Remix)"
Another good song to blast in your car stereo. One thing that perplexes me about this song is the fact that "Fuck" is censored out. That's rather inconsistent with the rest of the CD which has no problem with that word being used ("The L Word Theme" by BETTY for example). Nonetheless, DJ Lester takes a song and gives it a nice touch. This is the kind of song you make out to while in a night club.

11- BETTY "It Girl"
This is a band that's managed to grow on me in a short span of time, also known in Kace Speak as "Rapid Fungi Effect." All I can say about this song is if you like it, you'll pretty much like everything else that's available in their inventory. Kudos to the band here for mixing in great harmony along with rockin' sound.

12- Shirley Bassey & awayTEAM "Where Do I Begin"
I have the original version of this by Shirley which is fine on its own. This version however gives it a good beat, along with some killer bass. So if you have a SubWoofer, treat yourself with this song. It reminds me of "History Repeating" which Shirley provided vocals for a few years back for a group called the Propellerheads. On a minor note, couldn't they just called themselves, "Away Team" instead of, "awayTEAM?" Okay, so I'm a bit of a grammar freak when it comes to Artist and Song Titles. Maybe it's a radio thing, I dunno... In any event, it's always good to be reminded of Shirley's powerful voice. Shirley by the way's also known for "Goldfinger," which was one of those old James Bond 007 themes.

13- Jane Sibbery "Love Is Everything (Harmony Version)"
This song feels like it was thrown in just to slow things down a tad. And boy does it....quite a bit, actually. Not a great song, but not a bad one either.

14- Pam Grier & BETTY "Some Kind Of Wonderful"
Okay. This is a Soul Brothers Six song that's been covered quite a bit over the years, from Grand Funk Railroad to Little Milton & Delbert McClinton to the Coastline Band, back when Jonathan Layton was playing drums and getting to sing this particular song during concerts. This however slows it down in a very sultry manner with Pam teaming up with BETTY with a sound that's Part Rock, Part Funk And All Sexy.

15- BETTY "The L Word Theme"
This is what's used in the Season 2 opening credits and while it kinda threw me off at first, I've grown to like it. And yes, just like on TV the song is exactly a minute long. If BETTY's known for nothing else for the rest of eternity, they'll at least be known for this.

If you're looking for a CD that's mostly consistent then forget about buying this and just cherish your Season 1 CD. However, if you're like me and a firm believer in Variety in your Various Artist CD's then this is the CD for you. You've got Rock, Oldies, Dance, Contemporary and Pam Grier all rolled into one nice package. The CD Cover's pretty nice too for visuals, though if you're a "minor" then you may have a bit of a time explaining to your parents why you want to get a CD with "nudy girls" on it. With the worst material on this CD being stuff that in itself isn't exactly terrible and the rest ranging from nice to kickass, I can safely say that Overall, this CD is worth the money.

Overall: Highly Recommended

Season 1 Soundtrack Review