The thought of a remix album tends to cause more excitement than the remixes themselves, and that is definitely the case with the new Limp Bizkit album, “New Old Songs.”

With only a handful of cool mixes done by such people as Timbaland, Bosko, the Neptunes and Garbage’s Butch Vig, the record is more like a competition to see who can make Fred Durst even more annoying.

The first major downfall of this album is that “My Way,” one of Limp’s worst songs, is remixed five times. And actual good songs like “Faith” and “Counterfeit” fall way short of bringing any new and exciting flavor.

P. Diddy and his cheesy “Bad Boy” commentary pollute one of the versions of “My Way.” He had his heyday producing for and working with Notorious B.I.G., but as soon as he dropped the Puff and added the Diddy things have gone downhill for him, and it shows.

And there is definitely a reason producers such as Timbaland and the Neptunes are so highly acclaimed, as they provide what few highlights this album has.

Remixes of “Nookie” and “N 2gether Now” by the Neptunes and Timbaland’s “Rearranged” featuring Bubba Sparxxx both meet the requirements of a cool remix – catchy beats and a clever arrangement.

Bosko provides a solid version of “Crushed,” a great Limp song found on the “End of Days” soundtrack.

And a surprise appearance from Butch Vig brings an unorthodox yet refreshing version of “Nookie.”

However, songs that are otherwise good, such as “Getcha Groove On,” remixed by DJ Premier, and “Rollin’,” remixed by DJ Monk vs. The Track Mack, fail completely on the remix side of things.

If anything, “New Old Songs” teaches lessons to bands such as Linkin Park that are planning remix albums for the future.

Don’t remix your worst song numerous times just because it was a single.

And keep P. Diddy or anything Bad Boy-related far away from the remix board.

-Kyle Moss

Although it’s not the new album fans have been anticipating since The Get Up Kids released 1999’s “Something to Write Home About,” “Eudora” succeeds as a collection of mainly previously released rarities and B-sides.

The strongest part of the album comes in the first few songs; rip-roaring covers of the Cure’s “Close to Me,” David Bowie’s “Suffragette City,” the Replacements’ “Beer for Breakfast” and New Order’s “Regret.”

There’s just something about guitarist/vocalist Jim Suptic belting out “All I want to do is drink beer for breakfast” with perhaps even more punk fervor than is apparent in the original.

It’s obvious that the Get Up Kids are having fun on their covers, taking a break from frowning and crying about girls.

They don’t ditch their emo influences for the entire album, however.

“New Found Mass 2000,” with its somber piano line is one of the most beautiful TGUK songs to date.

The only drawback to “Eudora,” and to all B-side and rarities albums in general, is the majority of tracks are already released. “Eudora” provides alternate versions of solid tracks from “Something to Write Home About,” including “Ten Minutes” and “I’m a Loner Dottie, a Rebel.,” that aren’t really necessary but don’t detract from the album overall.

– Jon Dahlager

In 1992 it was the grungy “Singles” soundtrack. Last year it was the ’70s-soaked “Almost Famous” album. Both soundtracks, like the films they accompanied, were nostalgic chronologies of era-specific jewels that defined both a lifestyle and a generation.

And rock industry veteran Cameron Crowe, along with fellow producer Danny Bramson, has constructed yet another nearly impeccable compilation of tunes for the upcoming film “Vanilla Sky.”

This album differs from “Singles” and “Almost Famous,” however. The songs are less thematic; they don’t follow a prescription like the previous two. For example, R.E.M.’s “Sweetness Follows” is sandwiched between selections by Nancy Wilson and The Chemical Brothers.

Other grab-bag tracks come from The Monkees, Red House Painters and Peter Gabriel.

Almost all of the songs are sure bets – many, like Radiohead, Jeff Buckley and Bob Dylan, have mainstream name recognition, as well as the respect of more critical music connoisseurs.

Crowe has developed a knack for designing relevant and appropriate soundtracks, and “Vanilla Sky” is no exception. But what else can you expect from a guy who was a contributing editor for Rolling Stone at age 16?

– Bethany Kohoutek