Music From the Showtime Series Californication Season 6
Various Artists
(Intersound)

Music From the Showtime Series Californication Season 6 is a ragtag album of 14 tunes (covers and originals) played under, over and through the often time troubling, sometimes sexy, always entertaining T.V. series life of David Duchovny’s writer/bad boy character, Hank Moody.

Of the tunes here, we get a previously unreleased track from Australian musician/actor/comedian and guest star on Californication, Tim Minchin, the Springsteen-ish (and sweet) “So Long (As We Are Together). There’s also the loud growl vocal from Steve Jones on his cover of “Suffragette City” as well as  Marilyn Manson’s spot-on take of Depeche Mode’s “Personal Jesus” and the always-perfect Ryan Adams covering Iron Maiden’s “Wasted Years” in a soft, whispering way.

Dearly departed Warren Zevon, his music featured a bit during the five seasons of the series, presents what by then was his failing vocal ability, singing a nearly perfect lyric on “For My Next Trick, I’ll Need a Volunteer.” Joe Walsh gives us “Funk 50” from his latest Analog Man album (a near note-for-note rhythm read on “Funk 49”). Mark Lanegan weighs in with some soft blues on “Strange Religion” and Beth Hart’s “My California,” which may be the best song here, ends the album with its pulsating, electronic, swishing backbeat and soaring vocal.
As a stand-alone album, these tunes are top. As a soundtrack to a top, fun Showtime series, the tunes on the album fit perfectly.