Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (frustrating editors everywhere by defiantly ignoring its own apostraphe) debuted on American television on August 28th, 1993. The show began in Japan as Kyoryu Sentai Zyranger, the 16th iteration of a long-running tokusatsu show, and came to America with new dubbing, and new American segments filmed using American actors. It followed the exploits of six superhero teenagers who could “morph” into weaponized kung-fu fighters, and who could summon giant dinosaur-shaped robots.
The show was energetic, dumb, and baffling, and proceeded to accumulate a passionate following of children. Nostalgia has now dictated that the Power Rangers be granted a lasting place in the pop culture firmament. The show went through numerous cast changes over the years, and continues to survive to this very day. Its current iteration is called Power Rangers: Dino Charge.
Watch: Katee Sackhoff & James Van Der Beek in the Ultimate Power Rangers Fan Film
In 1995, the Power Rangers were also the subject of their own feature film, constructed of entirely original material. The films was well-attended by fans, but poorly-reviewed by critics. Ask anyone who was about 8 or 9 in 1993, and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie is perhaps the greatest thing imaginable. Ask someone my age, and they’ll sadly describe a shrill and perplexing kiddie-fied actioner lacking in cogency or clarity.
But, as it came out in the 1990s, it was assured that Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (as with most any film of the era) would be granted a nice hefty soundtrack record to bolster its personality and up its sales. SoundTreks is here to ask the following question: Does the soundtrack hold up over time? Indeed, is it any good at all?
Track 1. “Go Go Power Rangers” – The Power Rangers Orchestra
The Power Rangers Orchestra was a supergroup made up of, according to Wikipedia, Eric Martin of Mr. Big, studio musician Tim Pierce, John Pierce of Pablo Cruise, singer-pianist Kim Bullard, and Matt Sorum of Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver. This track is a beefed-up reworking of the TV show theme song with new lyrics and longer guitar solos.
I love a good shred as much as the next would-be metalhead, and I always appreciate a soundtrack full of pulsing, pounding guitars, but this track rests somewhere between the incredulous largeness of DragonForce and a really obnoxious video game theme song. The lyrics are silly and childish, natch, and I wish some wit had been applied. It should be noted that this type of heavy metal was already way passé in 1995, making it toothless. There is virtuosity on display, but it’s in service of such a goofy song, I can’t imagine the track holding up on its own.
But it’s the best way to start a soundtrack record, and I’m often surprised at how few modern superhero films bother with a hummable theme anymore. This one may be silly, but it sticks in your mind like taffy.
Track 2. “Higher Ground” – Red Hot Chili Peppers
I feel like including Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground” on a soundtrack record is the OST equivalent of an old man saying “Hey kids, you wanna hear some real music?” Red Hot Chili Peppers are a surprisingly hip selection for this movie, and this track has the group’s well-regarded testicles on full display. The energy will remain high for the rest of the record.
It should be noted that most of the songs on this soundtrack are only used to punctuate fight scenes, training montages, or randomly inserted action sequences like skydiving.
Track 3. “Trouble” – Shampoo
Here’s a story. In 1995, I was working at the now-defunct Criterion movie theater in Santa Monica, CA as an usher. At the Criterion, the lobby and all the theaters were never quiet, being constantly bombarded by the corporate-select MovieTunes in-theater programming, narrated by the the all-too-chipper Kris Erik Stevens, a voice actor we all grew to despise. MovieTunes featured songs from recent movie soundtracks, with the occasional new pop song thrown in for good measure. The CDs ran about 45 minutes, which meant, over the course of a single 8-hour shift, we would have heard a single song about 12 times in a day. Some weeks, we were treated to repeated performances of songs we liked: Elvis Presely’s “Hound Dog” and The B-52s’ “Debbie” were notable. For the most part, however, we were repeatedly assaulted by these MovieTunes CDs, and came to memorize songs we loathed.
Shampoo were a British girl group that, objectively, I have nothing against personally. I’m sure a rundown of their entire discography would reveal a fun, pop-punk kid group that would easily have lived on without my notice. Were it not for “Trouble,” a song that, through repetition, became one of the most evil things in the history of mankind.
So I cannot comment on “Trouble” without gritting my teeth. I think, had I heard the song for the first time today, I might think it’s kind of fun. But it’s not. It’s just as ire-inducing 20 years later as it was back then.
Track 4. “Are You Ready?!” – Devo
This was an original Devo song composed for Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie. Devo is a beautiful conundrum in the history of pop music, persistently putting out upbeat and danceable songs with culturally critical lyrics. Kids can listen to Devo, but they’ve often been allied with the punk movement for their anti-establishment views, and belief in cultural de-evolution.
I would love to say that their inclusion here is some sort of ironic comment on the Power Rangers, or at least how the Power Rangers perhaps represent something subversive, but I suspect the music supervisors only asked for something fun, and Mark Mothersbaugh responded accordingly. Devo fans often consider the 1990s to be the a lower period for Devo. I still like it.
Track 5. “The Power” – Snap!
Way too obvious. Shame on you.
Track 6. “Kung Fu Dancing” – Fun Thomas feat. Carl Douglas
Yes, it’s a techno reworking of Carl Douglas’ famed novelty hit “Kung Fu Fighting.” I’m beginning to get the feeling of this soundtrack record. It’s a mix tape made by an enthused 12-year-old. No real flow or reason to it. No one unifying sound. Just a bizarre sneeze of various musical forms, all easily consumed by a young person who may not be listening closely.
What’s more obvious? Including the original, or this remix?
Track 7. “Dreams” – Van Halen
This song was written in 1986. I mentioned that the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie soundtrack sounded like something constructed by a 12-year-old, but the inclusion of a Van Halen track reveals a new layer. This is a mix tape made by an old man making assumptions about what a 12-year-old might listen to, with a few suggestions from an actual 12-year-old shouted in from the other room.
Track 8. “Free Ride” – Dan Hartman
See above. This song is from 1979, and is not included for the kids. “Free Ride” is one of those obnoxiously upbeat numbers that annoys the listener in the same fashion as”Celebrate” or “Walking on Sunshine.” And the track goes on and on for over seven minutes. I can’t imagine a ten-year-old fan of the Power Rangers possibly sitting through this whole track.
Track 9. “SenSurround” – They Might Be Giants
This was around the time they expanded into a full band, to the chagrin of their fans. This is, like the Devo track, one of the few songs on this OST that has some quirkiness to it. It’s the suggestion shouted by the actual 12-year-old. I won’t detail here my long and complicated relationship with They Might Be Giants, but I will say this was a song that made me happy. This is a song not included on any of their albums, and TMBG are too smart to write a song about power and beating people up with kung fu. “SenSurround” is a catchy and slightly off-center tune that adds a welcome note of personality to this record.
Track 10. “Ayeyaiyai (Alpha Song)” – Power Jet
Die in a fire.
The band Power Jet evidently only existed for this one song. The two members haven’t done much individually otherwise. Luke Tierney evidently wrote a song that appears on the Hotel for Dogs soundtrack, and Tim Cullen put out a record in 2004.
This song is grating, dated, and catchy. It’s written about the Power Rangers’ robot sidekick Alpha, who is the Scrappy Doo of the Power Rangers franchise; so obnoxious as to be unholy. I suppose it’s fitting that such a horrid character should be granted such a horrid song.
Track 11. “Firebird” – Graeme Revell
This is a sample of the film’s score, and I actually kind of like the sound. It takes the shred from the opening theme song, but folds it into a much more solid and listenable piece. I fell like this is the only time on the soundtrack where the music supervisors tried to capture something cool about the fabric of the film itself. There is a groove, a thump, and coolness here that the song selections don’t capture. Composer Graeme Revell gave just the right tone to the soundtrack, and it’s about time.
The guitar solos on this track were played by Buckethead.
Track 12. “Cross My Line” – Aaron Waters, a.k.a. The Mighty RAW, a.k.a. Ron Wasserman
I guess this was intended to be the “moody” portion of the soundtrack. It’s the only song on the soundtrack (TMBG notwithstanding) that is not about fighting, being energized about stuff, or having power. From today’s perspective, this may sound a bit dated and a bit bland, but it’s one of the only real songs on the soundtrack, so I cling to it more than I should.
Which is Better? The Soundtrack or the Movie?
I would say that, for however harsh I’ve been to it, the soundtrack record still trumps the film. I can listen to this record a few times, and have a good time dissecting the inclusion of Devo, enjoying Buckethead’s shreds, and trying to memorize the one-shot They Might Be Giants track. I can roll my eyes to Snap!, but still enjoy listening to it; it’s a great hip-hop hit at any rate. I hate “Trouble,” of course, and a few others as well, but, thanks to ’90s eclecticism, I at least have a bizarre blend of various moods and styles to explore. It doesn’t cohere as a whole soundtrack, of course, but it has a few merciful high points.
The movie, by contrast, is not something I can watch several times. I have seen it once all the way through, and it was a difficult experience. The Power Rangers are after my time, and while I can see the base-level visceral appeal from a little-boy perspective (Action! Robots! Kung fu! Cool weapons! Color-coded heroes! Scary monsters!), I see nothing appealing about it from a storytelling or character perspective. The characters are defined by the colors they wear, and the bad guy has no motivation other than he is made of slime and is evil. It’s bland, dumb kiddie entertainment without any imagination. To quote Roger Ebert’s 1/2-star review of the film: “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie is about as close as you can get to absolute nothing and still have a product to project on the screen.”
I understand that there are many adults who still feel an abiding affection for the Rangers. If there’s anything you take from your early fandom, maybe make it a few choice tracks from this record.
Witney Seibold is a contributor to the CraveOnline Film Channel, and co-host of The B-Movies Podcast. You can follow him on “Twitter” at @WitneySeibold, where he is slowly losing his mind.
