Buffy The Vampire Slayer (The Album;Original Soundtrack)

When speaking of the Zeitgeist of late '90s teen television and culture, it would not be fair to merely call "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" simply a tolerable element for people past the age of 20. "Buffy" stands on its own as one of the more intelligent, unique, and lively shows of the past decade. The commitment to quality carries over to the show's soundtrack, a blend of appealing alterna-rock--about half new and half previously issued--based on the show's occult themes. Guided By Voices' "Teenage FBI" from DO THE COLLAPSE is quite possibly Robert Pollard's most appetizing concoction to date. Bif Naked surprises with the enticingly ethereal ballad "Lucky" as does Black Lab, with the nugget "Virgin State of Mind." The soundtrack abounds with simple, indisposable pop tunes from virtual unknowns like Hepburn, with its jangle-pop gem "I Quit" and Superfine, with its country-tinged punk rabble-rouser "Already Met You." Finally, on any soundtrack worth its salt there is that one selection from a few years back that shoulda, woulda, coulda been a hit in a more perfect world. They choose the Sundays' Rolling Stones cover "Wild Horses." Perfect.