Scooby Doo & The Alien Invaders [CASSETTE]

Whether you're from the old school or among today's swell of whippersnapping cartoon mystery mongers, if Scooby-Doo's your thing, you'll want to check out Scooby-Doo and the Alien Invaders, the soundtrack to the crime-fighting gang's first direct-to-video feature. For one thing, there is no shortage of Scooby- and Shaggy-sung numbers--seven of this CD's 13 tracks feature the loveable duo of voracious scaredy-cats, as voiced by the spot-on Scott Innes, who took over Casey Kasem's former roles--and for another, the music's more than just tolerable. "Alien Invaders" culls a genre-spanning collection that should sit right with just about anyone who appreciates a popular tune. There is a psychedelic rendition of "Purple People Eater" reminiscent of the original series' groovy era; the rockin' and kind of creepy "We Come From Space"; "Destination Moon," a loungy affair; "The Lost Word," whose soaring guitars are clearly Santana-inspired; the jumpin', jivin' "Blast Off"; "Vacuum Cleaner Hoses", sung by an over-the-top Elvis soundalike; and, of course, the series' signature "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?" performed here by the occasionally screechy Innes (in the video it's impressively poppified by the actress Jennifer Love Hewitt). Also, fans of the new film need not fret nor exclaim "jinkies" in disappointment: both original songs from the movie--the uncharacteristically syrupy "How Groovy" and the appropriately spooky "Alien Invasion"--make the cut. --Tammy La Gorce