If the soundtrack is any indication of the film to come, Man on the Moon, based on the life of comedian Andy Kaufman (Taxi), is going to be a very interesting, eccentric ride. The album has everything from the original Mighty Mouse theme (a favorite of Kaufman's) to a bizarre Jim Carrey/R.E.M. duet to the film's score, also composed by R.E.M. Some of the numbers are absolutely baffling, especially a whacked-out version of disco standard "I Will Survive," sung by Jim Carrey as one of Kaufman's alter-egos, Tony Clifton.

"Man on the Moon," R.E.M.'s 1992 song about Kaufman and the source of the film's title, is here in two forms--the original version appears along with a lovely orchestral arrangement that sounds almost completely different. This is R.E.M.'s first film score, and it's pretty good--some of their most delicate, beautiful work is here, though the sadder bits get a little melodramatic. The highlight of the album is "This Friendly World," with Michael Stipe and Jim Carrey trading off on vocals and at one point singing every other word; it will be interesting, to say the least, to see how this kooky number fits into the film. Man on the Moon is a must-have for die-hard R.E.M. fans; overall, it's a pleasant little hodge-podge with a few standout songs. B