Various Artists

DR. SEUSS' HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS

(Interscope)

The soundtrack to this holiday season's runaway hit movie features all-new songs from a who's who of Top 40 luminaries, with Titanic composer James Horner's original score tacked on at the end. Jim Carrey does "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" twice: a hip-hop version with Busta Rhymes and a more traditional solo version. Busta dodges craftily in and out of Teddy Riley's stutter-stepping beats on the first; Carrey gives his rapping buddy a run for his money in the vocal-gymnastics competition on the second. When the Grinch goes into his "Maybe Christmas means a little bit more" speech, it turns out he's talking about 'N Sync, who instantly chime in with one of their David-from-90210 keyboard ballads. Faith Hill does the pop version of Horner's classical theme, à la Celine Dion, but it's the rock guys who get hit hardest by the Grinch. Barenaked Ladies suffer through a green Christmas (in Canada?), Ben Folds eats cream of wheat on a lonely Christmas Eve, and the Eels, as always, are happy to sit there and pout about how "Christmas Is Going to the Dogs."

-- Sean Richardson