The Haunted Mansion: Haunted Hits (Music From & Inspired by the Film)

by Heather PharesNot so much a soundtrack as a collection of "spooky" pop songs, The Haunted Mansion: Haunted Hits ranges from an overwrought remake of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" by Raven to Oingo Boingo's "Dead Man's Party." "Dead Man's Party" is one of the few original songs included on the soundtrack, along with the Atomic Fireballs' "Man with the Hex," Suzanne Vega's "Tombstone," and the Jackson 5's "Boogie Man." Most of the album features fair to middling covers, including Morris Day's cover of "Somebody's Watching Me"; even though Day has been responsible for many great funk-pop moments, his performance -- which is the album's best cover -- still isn't on par with Rockwell's original. The Conti Bros.' version of "Spooky" and Brian O'Neal & the Bus Boys' covers of "Right Place, Wrong Time" and "Monster Mash" are decent enough, but just aren't as charming as the original material. One cover that does work well is the Barenaked Ladies' spin on "Grim, Grinning Ghosts," aka the theme song from Disney's Haunted Mansion ride; it's also reprised by the movie's Singing Busts. Mark Mancina's sparkly, "spooky" score gets short shrift, appearing only once on the soundtrack. While the album isn't bad, it could've been funnier, scarier, or more creative, and it's hard not to look at the soundtrack as a missed opportunity.