Disappointing is the theme for both The Wild Life's film and soundtrack, the one project Cameron Crowe would like to forget but also may still wonder what went awry. Expectations after the epochal Fast Times at Ridgemont High were stratospheric, and ultimately Chris Penn was unable to dodge legitimate comparisons to the sacred Jeff Spicolli. Arguably at his creative peak, Edward Van Halen lent early demos and jape for the movie score consisting of guitar and keyboard instrumental experiments, much of which would later appear as polished hits on Hagar-era Van Halen albums. However, it's bewildering that only the four-minute song "Donut City" made the soundtrack release without the accompanying compositions interspersed in the film. "I Go Wild" by the Three O' Clock is a concise power pop nugget with nice grooving guitar work and soft vocals, and "Metal of the Night" by Hanover Fist is a leather-clad metal screamer conjuring the films dark essence of Southern California's hazy teenage future. The remaining songs are a jumbled array of '80s footnotes and obscurities lacking any real cohesion. "Mind My Still Have I," performed by What Is This, sounds like a frantic Oingo Boingo throw-off, notable only for guitarist Hillel Slovak and drummer Jack Irons' later contributions with the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Sadly, even respected artists Andy Summers, Peter Case, and Charlie Sexton are unable to provide vital reasons to own this musical albatross damned to Van Halen vinyl collections and dusty video shelves. ~ Craig Curtice, All Music Guide