Like the movie itself, the soundtrack to the belated Blues Brothers sequel, Blues Brothers 2000, simply doesn't work as well as its predecessor, despite good intentions all around. Part of the problem, of course, is the absence of
John Belushi, who provided a boisterous energy and undeniable charisma that made
the Blues Brothers' slick updates of classic blues and soul quite entertaining. This time around, the music just sounds a little too polished for its own good. Nevertheless, it's sort of fun to hear all the stars (
Aretha Franklin,
B.B. King, etc.) again, and they make missteps such as the blues reworking of
Donovan's "Season of the Witch" and the little kid
Blues Brother tolerable. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine