LOUNGE-A-PALOOZA  -  VARIOUS ARTISTS

YEAR:  1997
LABEL:  Hollywood Records
TRACK LISTING:  Miniskirt - Combustible Edison and Esquivel,  This Guy's In Love With You - Fastball,  She Don't Use Jelly - Ben Folds Five,  A Rose Is A Rose - Poe,  Black Hole Sun - Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gorme,  The Girl From Ipanema - Pizzicato Five,  Zaz Turned Blue - Polly Jean Harvey & Eric Drew Feldman,  I'm Not In Love - Fun Lovin' Criminals,  Wichita Lineman - Glen Campbell & Michelle Shocked with Texas Tornados,  Witchcraft - Edwyn Collins,  Love Will Keep Us Together - Jimmy Scott & Flea,  Music To Watch Girls By - The James Taylor Quartet,  The Good Life - Cassandra Wilson,  Robert Goulet (On the River Nile) - Chris Ballew (of the Presidents of the United States of America)
IMPRESSIONS:  During the mid-90s, there was an explosion of interest in lounge music aka space-age bachelor pad music aka exotica aka whatever other moniker slapped on this genre of music.  This was also the heyday of so-called "alternative music" and the Lollapalooza concerts.  So naturally somebody thought of combining the two.  This album is the very definition of a "mixed bag".  There are some absolutely top-notch songs here and there are some extremely forgettable kitsch.  The album kicks off appropriately with the master of space-age bachelor pad music Esquivel and his classic tune "Miniskirt" performed with Combustible Edison.  Although, no one's gonna convince me that it isn't simply the original Esquivel recording with Combustible Edison playing over it.  Still, it's good fun and a nice way to start the album.  The album continues in an even stronger fashion with the Burt Bacharach/Hal David classic "This Guy's In Love With You" nicely covered by Fastball.  Next is a classic version of the Flaming Lips' "She Don't Use Jelly" by Ben Folds Five, Poe's cover of her brother's "A Rose Is A Rose", Steve & Eydie's hilarious cover of Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun", Pizzicato Five's quirky cover of Jobim's "The Girl From Ipanema" and an absolutely fabulous cover of Mel Torme's "Zaz Turned Blue" by PJ Harvey & Eric Drew Feldman.  Next there's the rather uninspired Fun Lovin' Criminals cover of 10cc's "I'm Not In Love" followed by a truly terrific version of Glen Campbell's Wichita Lineman by the man himself teamed with Michelle Shocked and Freddy Fender's Texas Tornados.  From here on out, the album peters out.  But up to this point, for the most part, we have a nicely idiosyncratic listen and a snapshot of the mid-90's music scene.
MY FAVOURITE TRACKS:  This Guy's In Love With You - Fastball,  She Don't Use Jelly - Ben Folds Five,  A Rose Is A Rose - Poe,  Black Hole Sun - Steve & Eydie,  Zaz Turned Blue - Polly Jean Harvey & Eric Drew Feldman,  Wichita Lineman - Glen Campbell & Michelle Shocked with Texas Tornados
FACT SHEET:  LOUNGE-A-PALOOZA is a compilation of lounge music mashed up with alternative music.  Or something.