Various Artists, Rugrats in Paris: The Movie (Maverick)

** (2) stars

Mark Mothersbaugh, Joyeux Mutato, (Rhino)

**** (4) stars

By Julene Snyder

Modern-day renaissance man Mark Mothersbaugh has compiled a mighty impressive resume in the years since DEVO (mostly) disbanded in the mid-'80s. If you consume pop culture of a certain type, you've certainly heard plenty of Mothersbaugh's "post instrumental" work over the years: He composed the "PeeWee's Playhouse" theme, wrote most of the music for Nickelodeon's "Rugrats" TV cartoons, and has produced music for commercials for clients ranging from Coke to Toyota to Nestles. All this while setting up his Mutato Muzika recording studio in West Hollywood, showing his original art in galleries, writing a book of stories and illustrations ("What I Know, Vol. I") and occasionally reuniting DEVO for live shows. Let's face it: the man is a cottage industry unto himself.

The syrupy goo that makes up much of the soundtrack to "Rugrats in Paris" isn't Mothersbaugh's fault; he only wrote and co-produced two of the tracks here. While the music tends to work well in the context of the movie, the first two songs are R&B treacle of the first order. TLC's Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins opens the record with "My Getaway" -- billed as her debut solo single -- and calls us to "follow me, y'all." Given the context, her sultriness in delivering lines like, "Do you want to play outside? And play with me, it's such a lovely day?" is disconcerting in the extreme.

Immediately following that song up with the single-monikered Amanda's "You Don't Stand A Chance" gives the listener the mistaken impression that the album is going to be nothing but interchangeable females crooning in between come-hither sighs. What with Aaron Carter's insipid "Life is a Party" and Jessica Simpson's overwrought "Final Heartbreak" it would be easy to get discouraged at the parade of what the Rugrats themselves might charitably call "poop." (Things get so bad that when the Baha Men pop up with "Who Let the Dogs Out," it's very nearly a relief.)

But just when all hope is nearly lost, Sinead O'Connor makes an appearance with "When You Love," a lovely interlude that lets the singer's incomparable voice take the forefront. All too quickly, No Authority starts oozing syrupy harmonies with the utterly forgettable "I'm Telling You This," making Geri Halliwell's cover of "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" sound downright refreshing. When Mothersbaugh finally makes an appearance as writer and producer of "Chuckie Chan," brought to riotous fruition by Isaac Hayes, it's enough to bring tears of relief to your eyes.

"I Want A Mom That Will Last Forever," co-written by Mothersbaugh and Cyndi Lauper, who sings the song, is a simple ditty that lists the many things that Moms are good for: "to make it all better … read me stories … and if I have a bad dream, to hold me when I cry." It's a plaintive cry that manages to make you get all choked up about the plight of little Chuckie Finster, the perennial scaredy cat whose search for a Mommy is the theme of the "Rugrats in Paris." Of course, the Ruggies wouldn't be complete without bratty Angelica, who makes an appearance on the album's last track, a cover of "Bad Girls" that features the character's voice (as rendered by Cheryl Chase) trading verses with "The Sumos" (Tim Curry, Kevin Richardson and Billy West) in an intentionally annoying paean to naughtiness.

Truly devolved devotees won't be disappointed by "Joyeux Mutato," which we're told "began life as a series of compositions to accompany an art installation" before morphing into this incomparably twisted package of holiday weirdness. Bouncy instrumentals are piled atop one another like so many kittens snuggled up near the Yule log, with techno beats anchoring the songs into hyper-contemporary territory even as snippets of traditional carols creep into the mix.

While it takes a certain sort to put "Joyeux Mutato" on the stereo during anything but an adults-only spiked-eggnog party, there's a gleeful edge that's irresistible to those of us who are over-stuffed with standard holiday audio fare. The vaguely creepy "Happy Woodchopper" harkens back to DEVO's best less-is-more work, and "Only 12 Shopping Days Left" evokes an all too familiar feeling that time is running out and they won't like anything you give them anyway.

****

Song samples:

(Rugrats) When You Love

(Rugrats) I Want a Mom That Will Last Forever

(Joyeux Mutato) Happy Woodchopper