“Walk Hard” – John C. Reilly
(Words/music: Judd Apatow, Marshall Crenshaw, Jake Kasdan, and John C. Reilly, available on Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, Columbia 2007) 

A large part of the appeal to Walk Hard, aside from goofy jokes, comes from the earnestness of the film’s music.  John C. Reilly’s Dewey Cox shifts musical styles with the wind, and the film’s songs captured the different musical styles surprisingly well.  Sure, the lyrics were generally dumb (this is a Judd Apatow film, for what that’s worth), but the performances could pass as artifacts from their respective eras, at least from a distance.

The title track, Dewey Cox’s signature song, best captures the film’s musical successes.  Reilly turns in a solid Johnny Cash impression (even though his vocal tone is stronger than Cash’s) backed by a convincing arrangement mimicking Cash’s early output.  Of course, it helps that Marshal Crenshaw wrote the music, giving the song its seamless transitions and, ultimately, making it more than a series of Cash-related puns.  It’s difficult to take the song seriously while listening to the words, and even without paying attention it wouldn’t’ pass for one of Cash’s original recordings.  Still, from another room, it sounds like a serious and professional recording, and it’s this earnestness that makes the film funny in the first place.  If nothing else, “Walk Hard” works well as a sort of “souvenir” from the movie – a reminder of an afternoon spent giggling at a grown man wearing ridiculous outfits singing ridiculous songs.

More on John C. Reilly: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm