By Ben Hoffman
Some theme songs shouldn’t have words attached to them. “Pass the Flame–The Official Torch Relay Theme” is one of them.
Unity, Athens 2004 is a confused compilation CD consisting of “Pass the Flame” and filler material. The newest Olympic theme, a powerful modern techno-esque song backed by primal rhythms is not the usual classical-inspired fanfare you’d expect. Diverse pace, rhythm and instrumentation give energy to an innovative theme song otherwise marred by English-language lyrics which add little value.
Composed by Trevor Horn, Yiannis Kotsiras and Tarken, “Pass the Flame” does not belong with the first fifteen accompanying unsuccessfully “inspirational” pop tracks. This unfortunate juxtaposition results in a compilation more confused and sappy than anything else.
The album weakly begins with Avril Lavigne’s rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” which does not befit a compilation about excellence. After the merciful end of that song come Destiny’s Child and Timbaland and which eventually leads into Moby, Alice Cooper, Herbert Groenemeyer and Brian Eno. However, tracks that aren’t quite “pop” in this part of the world, including Groenemyer’s “Everlasting” and Eno’s “Still Standing”, impart a certain novelty, saving the album from being a complete disaster.