CDVS

The only contest the Fab Five (otherwise known as the stars of Bravo's "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy") might ever win over the Fab Four is throwing the more fabulous party. Otherwise, John, Paul, George and Ringo have Carson, Kyan, Ted, Thom and Jai beat in any category you can imagine. Fashion? We'll take the Beatles' duds over wardrobe "savant" Carson's any day. In the songwriting department, we don't have to wait for the release of "culture vulture" Jai's album to know it'll be trumped by Ringo's worst experiments. And as funny as the Fab Five are, they've yet to match the Beatles' wit in the film version of A Hard Day's Night.

If there's any other area the American dandies might have an edge over the Brit boys in, it might be television. Sure, the Beatles stormed our country thanks to four consecutive nights of "The Ed Sullivan Show" performances, but when it came to their own television special in 1967--called "Magical Mystery Tour"--they famously flopped. The happenin' homos, however, shattered Bravo's ratings records when they debuted last year, which is mostly why they have their own soundtrack album.

You'd be wise to approach such a compilation with caution, though, as the past couple of "Queer As Folk" song collections have revealed, gay-themed soundtracks aren't all diva fests, and neither is Music from QE4SG. In fact, fewer than half of its 14 tracks are sung by women, or might ever be heard at a circuit party. Recent remix inclusions by '80s faves Duran Duran and Sting, as well as inspiring, ebullient fare from newer acts Fischerspooner (mashed with Billy Squire) and Basement Jaxx, make for one of the stronger soundtracks you'll hear all year. One might argue it's one of the more diverse, too, but the alt.rock inclusions, from OK Go and Liz Phair, seem out of place--except that their label, Capitol, is the same as QE4SG's.

Despite the Beatles' television failure, its recorded spinoff of the same name--also manufactured by Capitol!--is one of the Fab Four's most enjoyable. Mostly a singles collection, Magical Mystery Tour is more tuneful than its predecessor, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and more consistent than either of the band's most popular soundtracks, A Hard Day's Night and Help! This, despite only the first six tracks comprising the actual soundtrack part; the last five are technically album padding. But who's going to complain about fill-outs like "Hello Goodbye" and "Strawberry Fields Forever"? Furthermore, two of the most memorable Beatles songs--"The Fool on the Hill" and "I Am the Walrus"--make their debut here.

While the Fab Five get snaps for their TV savvy, the soundtrack sweepstakes clearly belongs with the original Fab crew.--Mike Prevatt