Where the Heart Is Various Artists RCA Nashville, 2000 Buy it online Tracks 1: Shake My Soul by Beth Nielsen Chapman 2: Few and Far Between by Shannon Curfman 3: There You Are by Martina McBride 4: So Young by The Corrs 5: What'd I Say by Lyle Lovett 6: Beyond the Blue by Emmylou Harris and Patty Griffin 7: Completely by Jennifer Day 8: Grow Young With You by Coley McCabe 9: Rowdy Booty Time by Joan Osborne and Andy Griggs 10: Only You (And You Alone) by Lonestar 11: Let it Slip Away by John Hiatt 12: Just Might Change Your Life by 3 of Hearts 13: That's the Beat of a Heart by The Warren Brothers featuring Sara Evans   Reviewed by Lincoln Cho	It only makes sense that the soundtrack album for a movie that is essentially a feel-good chick flick would be fairly long on tunes that might be best categorized in the feel-good chick tune category. In her first role as an almost grown up (she plays a pregnant teenager, after all), Natalie Portman (think Phantom Menace and The Professional) is teamed with chick flick goddesses Sally Field, Stockard Channing and Ashley Judd. The tagline, for both the film and the album, is toothachingly sweet, but sets the tone for the film: Laughter is harder... Friendship is stronger... Trust is deeper... When it comes from the heart. The film, whose cast includes John Cusack, threatens to set of all the bells that Steel Magnolias did just over a decade ago. With notable exceptions, the soundtrack album is appropriately country-flavored to reflect the feel, content and rural Oklahoma location of the film. In a very limited way -- there are only 13 tracks on the album, after all -- the Where the Heart Is CD is a fairly good sampling of what's happening in modern country. Neophytes to the genre brought to the music through the film could have a much worse introduction to today's country music. "Beyond the Blue," co-written by Beth Nielsen Chapman -- who also performs a track on the album -- is performed by Emmylou Harris and Patty Griffin and is achingly sweet. The harmonies here define a perfect blend between old country and new: not surprising considering the personnel involved. Lyle Lovett's cover of a Ray Charles standard, "What'd I Say," is both a worthy recreation of the song and a loving tribute. Not so, in this reviewer's opinion, Lonestar's twangy rendition of the Buck Ram, Ande Rand-written classic "Only You (And You Alone)". Some songs just should not be covered: especially by some bands. Coley McCabe is luminous on "Grow Young With You," and 3 of Hearts (think Country Spice) are represented by a song from their self-titled album. Other country artists include Martina McBride, Jennifer Day, Sara Evans, The Warren Brothers, Andy Griggs and John Hiatt who, to be honest, I'm never sure if I should call Country or not. "Rowdy Booty Time," performed by Joan Osborne and Tommy Sims provides a nice urban counterpoint to an album otherwise largely composed of material with a definite twang. The Corrs' very poppy "So Young," and teenaged blues prodigy Shannon Curfman's "Few and Far Between," from her album Loud Guitars, Big Suspicions round out the citified portion of the album. As you can see, however, it's a fairly small portion. For all intents and purposes, Where the Heart Is is a country album with a couple of urban tracks thrown in to pacifiy the movie critics with a strong dislike of steel guitars. Overall, the Where the Heart Is soundtrack is exactly what it should be: feel good music reflecting a feel good movie that folks might be talking about for a long time. | May 2000 Lincoln Cho is a musician and freelance writer.	In a very limited way -- there are only 13 tracks on the album, after all -- the Where the Heart Is CD is a fairly good sampling of what's happening in modern country. Neophytes to the genre brought to the music through the film could have a much worse introduction to today's country music.