Sunday, October 2, 2011

HALLOWEEN HOWLS - Andrew Gold

YEAR: 1996

LABEL: Music For Little People

TRACK LISTING: It Must Be Halloween, The Monster Mash, Spooky Scary Skeletons, Trick Or Treat, The Addams Family, Ghostbusters, Gimme A Smile (The Pumpkin Song), Don't Scream (It's Only Halloween), The Creature From the Tub, Halloween Party, Witches Witches Witches, In Our Haunted House

IMPRESSIONS: This album is adorable; one of the sweetest yet not saccharine children's albums for Halloween. Being Andrew Gold, the songwriting is very catchy and holds up to the adult ear providing a great listen that actually IS enjoyable for the whole family. Ever since I first stumbled across this cd in the late, lamented Tower Records next to the Cherry Hill Mall, I've found several songs becoming perennial listens for the Halloween season; especially the fun "Halloween Party" and "Witches, Witches, Witches" featuring a chorus sung by children which is just too cute for words. Dr. Demento has called this one of the two greatest Halloween albums of all-time and I'm inclined to agree with him.

MY FAVOURITE TRACKS: It Must Be Halloween, The Monster Mash, Spooky Scary Skeletons, Don't Scream (It's Only Halloween), Halloween Party, Witches Witches Witches, In Our Haunted House

GUEST ARTISTS: Linda Ronstadt (vocals on "The Monster Mash"), Karla Bonoff (vocals on "The Monster Mash"), Stephen Bishop (lead vocal on "The Monster Mash"), David Cassidy (lead vocal on "Halloween Party"), Nicolette Larson (vocals on "The Creature From the Tub")
FACT SHEET: HALLOWEEN HOWLS is Andrew Gold's 8th album. He is best known for his hit single "Lonely Boy" as well as composing the theme song to "THE GOLDEN GIRLS" entitled "Thank You For Being A Friend". Gold comes from a heavyweight musical family; his father the Academy Award-winning composer of the score for the film "EXODUS" and his mother is Marni Nixon who dubbed the singing voices of Natalie Wood in "WEST SIDE STORY", Audrey Hepburn in "MY FAIR LADY" and many more. Andrew Gold died in 2011.

No comments:

Post a Comment