"Grand Theft Auto" junkies salivated on Oct. 26th with the release of "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas." With all the car stealing and gun-slinging about to begin, who could forget the infamous soundtracks from its predecessors?
Rockstar Games, Inc. and Interscope Records teamed up to release a two-disc compilation of songs for the new Playstation 2 adventure. Valuable information for fans of the last installment: the protagonist has changed from Miami's Tommy Vercetti to Carl Johnson on the West Coast.
With most of the music taken from the early '90s West Coast, the theme in the music varies much differently from the previous games. "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City" fans will certainly miss the plethora of '80s rock that no one admits to enjoying except within the comfort of their room. However, the new soundtrack does feature a few songs that mimic that style, such as Eddie Money's "Two Tickets to Paradise," and Heart's "Barracuda."
The soundtrack is perfect for the context of the game. Composed of 10 different radio stations, it highlights everything from Rage Against the Machine's "Killing In The Name," to James Brown's "Payback."
The songs chosen however seemed to perfectly represent the game's style, in that there are a good number of songs to go along with the drive-bys, cruising, gang wars, as well as stealing cop cars and wreaking havoc on an entire city.
The album's better tracks include the "Theme From San Andreas," by Michael Hunter, which is a marvelous hip-hop beat. Other artists include 2Pac, Faith No More and Cypress Hill. Slick Rick's "Children's Story," is perfect for the game as is Rick James's "Cold Blooded." And who could forget Bel Biv Devoe's early-'90s favorite "Poison?"
There are a few songs that don't really catch the listener's ear, such as Raze's "Break For Love," and the Ohio Players' " Funky Worm," one of the strangest songs on the album. Another song that doesn't fit anywhere within the genre chosen for the game would be "Crazy" by Willie Nelson, but after listening to the song, you realize the comedic value adds to the sight of cruising along in a stolen motorcycle or Hummer and listening to it.
The best song by far on the album besides "Poison" would have to be "West Coast Poplock," by Ronnie Hudson. This song wouldn't fit better with any game than it does with "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas."
On the whole, the soundtrack perfectly illustrates the time period and climate the game represents. Included with the discs is an introduction DVD that gives eager "GTA" fans a preview of the game's mayhem.
