'Rise Above 1' Single: Review

The Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark musical has been a critical failure (though a financial success) from its first previews. One can blame the convoluted story line or the heavy amount of injuries different actors have sustained even before the official opening, but the most damning thing for Turn Off the Dark is that it's a musical that has bad music. Not every song on Broadway can be “We Are What We Are” or “I Am What I Am” from La Cage Aux Folles, but how could music composed by U2’s Bono sound so…ordinary?

To be fair, “Rise Above 1,” the newest released single from the TOTD official soundtrack, tries to sound good and somewhat succeeds. It opens with soft piano and orchestral sounds, and the music swells accordingly at the chorus. The drum and guitar sounds are palatable enough for alternative-rock fans, and the lyrics have a few good metaphors, but a single from a best-selling Broadway show with Bono and the Edge on it should be more than just decent, right?

Arguably the worst part of this song is that it doesn’t convey Spider-Man’s personality. Spider-Man does suffer a lot in his comic series, but what his lesser writers forget is that he’s meant to be smart and "adorkable," to deflect his problems with perseverance and humor. The best Spider-Man authors manage to convey his brains and wit without belittling the trials he has to go through, but this song just shows his "angsty" side. There is no indication of a personality lying behind the mask.

This is not to say that music should always be funny or always be dark, but there are songs that are funny, moving, and dark at the same time. Haven’t the writers of “Rise Above 1” ever watched Dr. Horrible, or “Once More with Feeling” from Buffy the Vampire Slayer? Quick, somebody call Joss Whedon!