The Country Bears

The Country Bears

The movie may not have bared its teeth at the box office, but that's no reason for the soundtrack to slip into early hibernation, especially considering the musical talent lining <I>The Country Bears</I>' den. Singer-songwriter John Hiatt owns this disc--cover him in fur, blacken his nose, and fiddle with his incisors a bit and it might as well be him peering back at you from the cover art. In addition to performing four of 14 tracks, the live "Straight to the Heart of Love" with Don Henley and Bonnie Raitt included, Hiatt wrote eight of these tunes. On a couple, you'd never guess it: Krystal Marie Harris's "The Kid in You" matches Stevie Wonder-like funk with stylish new-school R&B, and Jennifer Paige grinds out pop power on "Kick It into Gear." Hiatt contributions aside, Béla Fleck brilliantly plucks his way to "Bear Mountain Top," while the Byrds classic "So You Want to be a Rock 'n' Roll Star" and Elton John's sincerity-drenched "Friends" round out the offerings. Few soundtracks are as solidly built, track for track, especially in the G-rated sector. <I>--Tammy La Gorce</I>