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Title: Great soundtrack to a horrible movie
Review: Even by liberal-schmaltz eighties standards, the film "Xanadu" was unbelievably bad. I suspect the powers that be at Paramount knew this, and made sure the soundtrack would be killer. Fortunately, it is. The combination of Olivia Newton-John and ELO may sound weird, but it actually works quite well. John Farrar, Olivia's long-time producer, outdoes himself on the hypnotic "Magic," while Jeff Lynne and his cohorts kick in the rousing "I'm Alive" and "All Over The World." The Tubes make an appearance on "Dancin'", a strange juxtaposition between '40's swing and power pop (again, a combination that works well), and the obligatory duet, "Suddenly," between Olivia and Cliff Richard, is a lovely ballad with surprisingly intelligent lyrics. Things come to a climax with the Olivia/ELO title track, where Olivia lets as loose as she can ("Physical" aside, she's never been a belter). Watch the movie only if someone bets you, but the soundtrack is definitely worth your time.
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