Customer Reviews:
 CD January 10, 2010
Mrs. G. E. Swann (Essex, England)
My Grandson loves WWE and anyting that goes with it. He requested this CD on his christmas list as he just loves the music (he's 11)
 Good but not great. April 29, 2010
Mr. Christopher Frior (Norfolk, United Kingdom.)
I'm a huge WWE fan and have been for nearly 20 years. I've bought many of the music CD's over the years, the latest being this volume 9 compilation. The first 13 tracks are either original or remixed tracks of various superstars, and the last 3 are bonus legends tracks( Stone Cold, Undertaker, and The Rock ). I enjoyed the Jack Swagger, R-Truth, Kane, and Dibiase tracks, but the majority of the rest are uninspired and average. The exception is the opening track 'Voices', the theme for Randy Orton. This is not only a really good song, but it suits Randy's 'Viper' character perfectly. It is by far the best entrance theme in WWE at the moment. Without the 3 legends tracks this would have been a 3 star offering, so despite the fact they've been on numerous other CD's, they do make the overall compilation much better. For a really good WWE CD, check out the awesome 'Anthology' CD from 2002. Hope you enjoyed my review, I'm out peeps!.
I hear voices in my head...and I'm loving it! April 18, 2009
R. Wood
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
Wow, we're on the NINTH volume of WWE Music? (Not counting things like Anthology, Wreckless Intent, Forceable Entry etc). That says a lot about the brilliance of wrestler's entrance themes, their variety, the classic and unforgettable appeal, the characters that are captured perfectly in the music and of course, the calibre of the composer, WWE's Jim Johnston.
There's a reason why these soundtracks have been going so long. It's because Johnston is a creative genius and takes pride in what he does. He shows that he understands wrestlers and their characters and thus writes music that compliments them in every way. As a result, the listener/wrestling fan cares too, and appreciates Johnston's work wholeheartedly. It's brilliant work, full of emotion and there's a market for it.
Sadly, the last two volumes of WWE music weren't quite as revered. Volume 7 was only available on iTunes and Volume 8 didn't have that great a selection of outstanding music. Both collections were okay but nowhere near as classic as Johnston's earlier work. Thankfully, Volume 9/Voices signifies a return to the more consistent level of high-quality that these albums are renowned for.
There are sixteen tracks here. Thirteen of them are allocated to the superstars of today, whereas the final three are bonus tracks; the theme music of WWE Legends Stone Cold Steve Austin, Undertaker and The Rock.
Right away, the album kicks off with an absolutely awesome song. Randy Orton's new "Voices" theme is staggering. Aside from being a great composition, it's spine-chilling and reflects perfectly the development in Orton's character. Johnston is clearly on form with this piece, and the collaboration with Rev Theory's Rich Luzzi is inspired. Luzzi's vocals are perfect and add everything to what is (hands-down) the best song on the album.
Other really notable songs are Vladimir Kozlov's "Pain", which is full of menace and impending doom, making it a cracking piece. Kelly Kelly's "Holla" remix is more fast-paced and captivating than her original theme and ergo, better than ever. Jack Swagger's "Get On Your Knees" is a great song, too. And Maryse's "Pourquoi?" is one of the best Diva themes that Johnston has ever produced. Seriously, it's the second-best track on the album and you'll get a great deal of pleasure listening to this one over and over.
As for the rest, Eve's "She Looks Good" is a sweet song that'll soothe your ears. R-Truth's "What's Up?" is packed with emotion and is even more special given that R-Truth (a renowned, legitimate rapper in his own right) actually composed and performed this one himself. Others like the Great Khali's "Land of Five Rivers", Kane's "Man on Fire", Umaga's "Tribal Trouble" and Legacy's "Priceless" are high-quality also. Although I do prefer all their original entrance themes, these are nevertheless very good and rather acceptable. Unlike the replacement themes for various superstars on WWE: The Music Vol. 8.
Although Voices is a great album, take note that it isn't perfect. The first reason why not is Kung Fu Naki's "Kung Fu San". Personally...I found this song cringingly bad. And it makes me wonder even more why WWE changed Funaki's gimmick, when his `Smackdown Number One Announcer' gimmick was way cooler and more popular. Opinions may vary but personally, I'd stay well away from this song.
Now, as for the bonus tracks...why exactly are they here on the album? The Legend Themes are perfect, don't get me wrong. They rank among Johnston's greatest pieces of work, all three (Austin, Taker and Rocky). It's just that these aren't really necessary. They've already been released on Anthology, Raw Greatest Hits: The Music and other WWF/E volumes. Plus, in America's "Best Buy" stores, there's a special two-disc version of this album available, containing a complete CD full of tracks allocated to Legends of WWE, including themes we REALLY want to listen to, like Sgt. Slaughter, Mr Perfect and Rowdy Roddy Piper. Why didn't they just release that special two-disc edition over here in Britain? Or replace the Legend themes here on this disc with ones that haven't EVER been released on CD before? It doesn't make sense.
But despite all that, Voices: WWE The Music Volume 9 is an album that's much more like it. Although flawed, this is a soundtrack that's much more closer to form than previous music releases. Fans of Jim Johnston and WWE in general will be pleased.
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