Duets: Music from the Motion Picture

Don't be misled. The name of the film may be Duets, but the soundtrack only features three actual duets. The film centers around wacky characters at a karaoke bar, and the soundtrack follows suit, featuring actors singing! Gwyneth Paltrow joins Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds for a cover of "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" and Huey Lewis for a go at Smokey Robinson's "Cruisin'." "Try a Little Tenderness" is run through by Paul Giamatti and Arnold McCuller. Paltrow has a sweet whine in her voice, but it's no match for the husky drawl of Kim Carnes for "Bette Davis Eyes." Huey Lewis is no Joe Cocker with "Feelin' Alright," but it's a valiant rendition. On the other hand, Arnold McCuller's soulful reading of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird" recasts the song as a spiritual. Duets is a perfect album for parties where "singing" "Copacabana" is a prerequisite. --Rob O'Connor