BATMAN - Power Records

YEAR: 1975

LABEL: Power

TRACK LISTING: Stacked Cards, The Scarecrow's Mirages, Challenge of the Catwoman, If Music Be the Food of Death

IMPRESSIONS: As a comic book reader from the age of nought, I thought I'd hit the jackpot when I first discovered Power Records in the mid-70's. I really don't know which I found first but I believe it was probably the 45 rpm records packaged inside an actual comic book of the story dramatized. It was, however, probably the Marvel Comics adaptation of the first issue of "THE MONSTER OF FRANKENSTEIN". This BATMAN album was the one and only Power Records 33 1/3 LP I ever owned as a kid and it was a treasured item. Apparently, it is also the most popular and sought after Power Record of them all if ebay prices are anything to go by. While some of the campiness of the 60s BATMAN TV show still clung to the album like fear gas from the Scarecrow's gun, I found it to be particularly "grown-up" sounding (to my 9 year old ears) with music and sound effects just like the old-time radio shows I would grow to love several years later. Now of course the acting is laughably stiff and melodramatic and some of the dialogue is MST3K-worthy; a particular favourite of everyone appears to be the Joker caterwauling: "Help me, Batman! I'm stuck in the mud down here!". -- although mine is probably when Robin says "Oops, I tripped. Batman, look! It's a body!" and Batman replies "Yeeeeees, a dead one!"

MY FAVOURITE TRACKS: All of 'em. This is getting monopollus!

FACT SHEET: BATMAN is a collection of four dramatized adventures by Power Records. The beautiful cover which was iconic from my childhood is drawn by comic great Neal Adams. The album was produced apparently by Cornel Tanassy for Power Records. "Stacked Cards" was written by Joey Lapidos, "If Music Be the Food of Death" was written by Joan Wile and both "The Scarecrow's Mirages" and "Challenge of the Catwoman" were written by long-time comic book scribe E. Nelson Bridwell.