STRANGE ANIMAL  -  GOWAN

YEAR:  1985
LABEL:  Columbia
TRACK LISTING:  Cosmetics,  Desperate,  City of the Angels,  Walking On Air,  Burning Torches of Hope,  Keep the Tension On,  Guerilla Soldier,  (You're A) Strange Animal,  A Criminal Mind
IMPRESSIONS:  Boy, listening to this album all these years later is cause for embarrassment.  It's not that the songs aren't good; they are.  But it's the hopelessly eighties song arrangements which almost totter the album into the land of cringe.  But I must admit this is a definite guilty pleasure.  The production and arrangements by David Tickle are much too poppy and seem to be aimed at 12 year old girls.  Which it probably was back then.  I even remember at the time hearing the follow-up album "GREAT DIRTY WORLD" and thinking what a more "grown-up" adult contemporary sound had been achieved.  The songs "Moonlight Desires" and especially the anthemic "Dedication" can be listened to today without the slightest cringing.  But back to STRANGE ANIMAL.  What a gloriously over-the-top eighties bubble gum hair mousse and lipstick mascara circus of an album this is.  Fittingly the first track is called "Cosmetics" because this is one glammed-up sounding MTV generation album.  The only song that made it onto MTV was the video for "A Criminal Mind" which is still a fantastic operatic tour de force in the style of the video for Tom Petty's "Don't Come Around Here No More"; all strange masks and straight jackets.  I seem to have purchased this record (yes, on vinyl) right before I had four impacted wisdom teeth out in 1985.  Actually, I bought the LP at Sam Goody at the Moorestown Mall!  I remember taping it and playing it over and over on my Walkman while I was recuperating.  Coming out as it did smack dab in the middle of the 80s, STRANGE ANIMAL always slams me right back to that time when I was working at Rustler and the eighties were at their height.  So I'm naturally extremely forgiving of the perhaps cheesy overly-theatrical production on this nostalgic guilty pleasure.  And the best song on the album -- A Criminal Mind -- can be listened to today with no apologies. 
MY FAVOURITE TRACKS:  Cosmetics,  Desperate,  Burning Torches of Hope,  Keep the Tension On,  Guerilla Soldier,  A Criminal Mind
FACT SHEET:  STRANGE ANIMAL is Gowan's second album. Larry Gowan is a Scottish-born Canadian artist who is a classically-trained pianist.  He was in the band Rhinegold before going solo under the name Gowan.  STRANGE ANIMAL features Peter Gabriel's rhythm section of Jerry Marotta and Tony Levin.  The album was heavily honoured by the Juno Awards winning a "Best Video" Juno for "A Criminal Mind" and "Best Album Graphics" by designers Rob MacIntyre and Dimo Safari as well as being nominated for "Male Vocalist of the Year", "Album of the Year", "Best Selling Single" for "A Criminal Mind" and "Best Video" for both "(You're A) Strange Animal" and "Cosmetics".  Since 1999, Larry Gowan has been the lead singer for the band Styx.     

SONGS IN THE KEY OF X  -  VARIOUS ARTISTS

YEAR:  1996
LABEL:  Warner Bros.
TRACK LISTING:  X-Files Theme (Main Title)  -  Mark Snow,  Unmarked Helicopters - Soul Coughing,  On the Outside - Sheryl Crow,  Down In the Park - Foo Fighters,  Star Me Kitten - William S. Burroughs & R.E.M.,  Red Right Hand - Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds,  Thanks Bro - Filter,  Man of Steel - Frank Black,  Unexplained - Meat Puppets,  Deep - Danzig,  Frenzy - Screamin' Jay Hawkins,  My Dark Life - Elvis Costello with Brian Eno,  Hands of Death (Burn Baby Burn) - Rob Zombie & Alice Cooper,  If You Never Say Goodbye - P.M. Dawn,  X-Files Theme (P.M. Dawn Remix)  -  P.M. Dawn
IMPRESSIONS:  This is not a soundtrack album; despite the fact that a couple songs did actually appear on the X-FILES TV show.  This is a compilation album of songs "inspired" by THE X-FILES during the height of its popularity.  I watched the show from its beginning (when no one else was watching, I hasten to add) and slowly lost interest after a few years just as the rest of the world was getting into the show.  Ah, I've never been a follower.  However, I always liked the conspiracy/paranoia atmosphere evoked by the show and this album (along with David Baerwald's TRIAGE album) perfectly conjure it up.  I think my favourite songs on the album are the Soul Coughing and Nick Cave songs because they REALLY strike the right mood.  I am far from a Sheryl Crow fan but "On the Outside" is the best thing she's ever done and the only thing by the artist I can listen to.  The Foo Fighters' Gary Numan cover is also a winner.
MY FAVOURITE TRACKS:  Unmarked Helicopters - Soul Coughing,  On the Outside - Sheryl Crow,  Down In the Park - Foo Fighters,  Red Right Hand - Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds,  Man of Steel - Frank Black,  Unexplained - Meat Puppets
FACT SHEET:  SONGS IN THE KEY OF X is a compilation album inspired by the Fox TV series THE X-FILES.  The album was originally supposed to feature songs by Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen and Seal but these plans fell through.  "Star Me Kitten" is a new version of a song found on R.E.M.'s 1992 album AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE.  "Down In the Park" is a cover version of a song by Gary Numan.  "Hands of Death (Burn Baby Burn) was nominated for the 1997 Best Metal Performance.   

LIONHEART  -  KATE BUSH

YEAR:  1978
LABEL:  EMI
TRACK LISTING:  Symphony In Blue,  In Search of Peter Pan,  Wow,  Don't Push Your Foot on the Heartbrake,  Oh England My Lionheart,  Fullhouse,  In the Warm Room,  Kashka From Baghdad,  Coffee Homeground,  Hammer Horror
IMPRESSIONS:  Usually knocked as Kate Bush's worst album . . . and it is.  However, that doesn't make it a bad album.  Kate Bush's worst of all her albums is still better than a great deal of artists' best albums.  Yes, LIONHEART was rushed out by the studio to capitalise on the great success of Kate's first album THE KICK INSIDE.  Yes, Kate's singing is probably more mannered here than it ever was and yes the songwriting is rather weak in places.  Yet, this album still has some gold nuggets amongst the naff.  The single "Wow" may seem ridiculous at first hearing (and indeed it was mercilessly parodied on NOT THE NINE O'CLOCK NEWS) but the song is actually quite good; it's only the rather (deliberately, I suspect) silly chorus of "Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow unbelievable" that raises a snicker from those not listening closely enough.  There are great Kate Bush moments on this album -- the superb "Hammer Horror" for one.  Kate's tribute to "The Studio That Dripped Blood" stands amongst the best of her early work.  Then there's Kate's love letter to her home "Oh England, My Lionheart"; granted the album version is not as good as the live performance found on her one and only concert film "LIVE AT HAMMERSMITH ODEON" but it's still a wonderful song.  Finally, the deliriously spiralling "Coffee Homeground" stands as a cracked murder ballad either emanating from the Folies Bergere or the Grand Guignol.  And its very hard to dislike an album which features a cover shot of Kate wearing a fuzzy lion costume in her attic studio.  Even the least of Kate Bush's albums offers quite a lot.
MY FAVOURITE TRACKS:  Symphony In Blue,  Wow,  Don't Push Your Foot on the Heartbrake,  Oh England My Lionheart,  Coffee Homeground,  Hammer Horror
GUEST ARTISTS:  David Paton (bass)
FACT SHEET:  LIONHEART is Kate Bush's second album.  The album was recorded in Nice making it her only album recorded outside of the U.K.  It was produced by Andrew Powell (with Kate's assistance).  LIONHEART peaked at #6 on the UK charts; making it her only album not to enter the top five.  LIONHEART is the first album to feature long-time band member Del Palmer on bass; he has played on all of her albums since up to 2011's Penguin Award-winning 50 WORDS FOR SNOW. 

THE STORY OF STAR WARS  -  Original Cast

YEAR:  1977
LABEL:  20th Century Fox Records
TRACK LISTING:  The Story of Star Wars Part One,  The Story of Star Wars Part Two
IMPRESSIONS:  I saw STAR WARS the opening week it came out in May 1977; before anyone had heard of the film (including myself).  My parents, aunt, uncle and cousins were all going to go out to the movies and I was asked if I wanted to see this new film STAR WARS.  "Yeah, I guess" I said distractedly.  Never heard of it but why not.  Well, I would fall in love with it (I was 11) and see it 14 times in the movie theatre before the days of VCRs.  Fast forward a few months when my friend Mike Baronowski and I were hanging around Two Guys department store when suddenly we heard dimly in the distance the sounds of our current favourite film:  STAR WARS.  We heard the familiar John Williams music, the familiar laser blasts and the familiar voices of Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and James Earl Jones!  The sounds were coming from the record department.  What the hell was going on?!?!?  We edged our way over and low and behold we could hear the final attack on the Death Star from the movie.  We were at this point losing our fucking minds!  We soon discovered that there was this record newly released called THE STORY OF STAR WARS which featured an abridged version of the entire movie.  The album was narrated by Roscoe Lee Browne who gave the proceedings the weight of Shakespeare!  Remember, there were no VCRs so this was the one and only way we could revisit the film without heading out to the movie theatre.  Needless to say, we both plonked down our shekels and took a copy home.  And played it to death!  Now, I wouldn't want to listen to it for more than momentary nostalgic reasons.  I mean, I've got the movies on DVD so there's really no need.  And far from my favourite film now, the STAR WARS movies have lost a lot of their bloom for me.  But back in the day, this was something new and exciting and I loved every minute of it.  Its really not possible to convey the importance of this record in the days before VCRs.  Especially if you were 11 years old. 
MY FAVOURITE TRACKS:  All of it.  It's only Side One and Side Two and cannot be separated into "tracks". 
GUEST ARTISTS:  Roscoe Lee Browne (Narrator)
FACT SHEET:  THE STORY OF STAR WARS is an abridged version of the film STAR WARS on vinyl.  The audio is taken directly from the film featuring original cast, music and sound effects.  The story is narrated for the album by actor Roscoe Lee Browne (who replaced Benson on SOAP).  The record was produced by George Lucas and Alan Livingston and the script was adapted by E. Jack Kaplan and Cheryl Gard.  The album was released on LP, cassette tape, 8-track tape and even reel-to-reel tape and went gold.  

RADIO DINNER  -  NATIONAL LAMPOON

YEAR:  1972
LABEL:  MCA
TRACK LISTING:  Deteriorata,  Phono Phunnies,  Teenyrap,  It's Obvious,  Catch It and You Keep It,  'Quinas 'n' 'Rasmus,  All Kidding Aside (PSA),  Phono Phunnies (2),  Teenyrap (2),  Magical Misery Tour,  Those Fabulous Sixties,  Profiles In Chrome,  Teenyrap (3),  Phono Phunnies (3),  Pigeons,  Support Your Locol Polece (PSA),  Pull the Tregros,  Teenyrap (4),  ng Asi,  Phono Phunnies (4),  Concert In Bangladesh,  The Voice of the Future
IMPRESSIONS:  They don't make comedy albums anymore.  I don't mean stand-up comedy albums, of course, but I mean comedy albums like this that they used to make back in the 70s (and before).  These were comedy albums done basically like old radio shows with acting, sound effects and music.  Groups like National Lampoon were joined in the 70s by Monty Python's Flying Circus, Cheech & Chong, The Firesign Theater and many others in making comedy albums like this.  So there's something particularly 70s about listening to them once again.  And this one I've been listening to for a long time (despite it's being perpetually unavailable on cd).  RADIO DINNER is particularly of its era 1972 with savage comedic attacks on the post-60s hippy (in the "Teenyrap" tracks) and topical references to Nixon, George Harrison's recent "Concert for Bangladesh" or Philadelphia's Frank Rizzo ("Support Your Locol Polece").  There are also devastatingly sharp and hilarious lampoons on John Lennon ("Magical Misery Tour") and "Her Nibs" Joan Baez ("Pull the Tregros") which deflate the rich, white pop star artistic pretensions of the former and the equally rich bleeding heart championing of the oppressed (as long as it's convenient) of the latter.  All through the album are repeated parodies of Paul McCartney's "Give Ireland Back to the Irish" song which are particularly funny.  Add to this the classic opening track satire of the perennial high school graduate greeting card "Desiderata" and you have the perfect comedic artifact of 1972.
MY FAVOURITE TRACKS:  Deteriorata,  Catch It and You Keep It,  'Quinas 'n' 'Rasmus,  Magical Misery Tour,  Phono Phunnies (3),  Pull the Tregros,  Phono Phunnies (4),  Concert In Bangladesh,  The Voice of the Future
GUEST ARTISTS:  Norman Rose (narrator on "Deteriorata"),  Melissa Manchester (vocals & keyboards on "Deteriorata", as "Yoko" on "Magical Misery Tour"),  Jackson Beck (announcer on "Catch It and You Keep It" and "Profiles in Chrome"),  Diana Reed (vocals on "Pull the Tregros")
FACT SHEET:  RADIO DINNER is National Lampoon's first album.  The majority of the album is the work of Tony Hendra, Michael O'Donoghue and Christopher Guest.  The cover art is by Charles White III.  "Deteriorata" is a parody of Les Crane's "Desiderata".  The lyrics of "Magical Misery Tour" are taken directly from a 1970 John Lennon interview in Rolling Stone magazine.  Jackson Beck was the original announcer on the old time radio show "THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN" as well as on the Fleischer Brothers' 1940s Superman cartoons. 

SONGS OF FAITH AND DEVOTION  -  DEPECHE MODE

YEAR:  1993
LABEL:  Sire/Reprise
TRACK LISTING:  I Feel You,  Walking In My Shoes,  Condemnation,  Mercy In You,  Judas,  In Your Room,  Get Right With Me,  Rush, One Caress,  Higher Love
BONUS TRACKS:  My Joy (7" Mix),  Condemnation (Paris Mix),  Death's Door (Jazz Mix),  In Your Room (Zephyr Mix),  I Feel You (Life's Too Short Mix),  Walking In My Shoes (Grungy Gonads Mix),  My Joy (Slowslide Mix),  In Your Room (Apex Mix)
IMPRESSIONS:  Following after the monolithic "VIOLATOR", "SONGS OF FAITH AND DEVOTION" was more problematic; not only in the fact that it had to follow a monster hit album but also because lead singer Dave Gahan was battling addiction and Alan Wilder was preparing to leave the group after so many years.  This album did kick off one of my favourite concerts of all time:  the "DEVOTIONAL" tour.  However, it doesn't even contain my favourite Depeche Mode song.  Or does it?  I waver between declaring "Never Let Me Down Again" as my fave and then changing it to this album's "Walking In My Shoes".  Either way, this album contains some of my all-time fave Depeche Mode songs from the aforementioned "Walking In My Shoes" to the toweringly relentless "In Your Room".  The album has more of a guitar presence and the "real live drums" that Alan Wilder fought so hard for.  It may not be the megalithic "VIOLATOR" with its monumental hits "Enjoy the Silence" or "Personal Jesus" but it's still one hell of a terrific album.
MY FAVOURITE TRACKS:  I Feel You,  Walking in My Shoes,  Mercy In You,  In Your Room,  One Caress
FACT SHEET:  SONGS OF FAITH AND DEVOTION is Depeche Mode's eighth album. It reached number one on both the US and UK album charts.  This is the last album featuring the "classic" line-up of Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Alan Wilder and Andy Fletcher as Wilder departed the group soon after it's release.   

FINIAN'S RAINBOW  -  Original Broadway Cast

YEAR:  1947
LABEL:  Columbia
TRACK LISTING:  Overture,  This Time of Year,  How Are Things in Glocca Morra?,  Look To the Rainbow,  Old Devil Moon,  Something Sort of Grandish,  If This Isn't Love,  Necessity,  That Great Come-and-Get-It Day,  When the Idle Poor Become the Idle Rich,  The Begat,  When I'm Not Near the Girl I Love,  Finale - That Great Come-and-Get-It Day
BONUS TRACKS:  How Are Things in Glocca Morra? - E.Y. Harburg,  When I'm Not Near the Girl I Love - E.Y. Harburg,  Don't Pass Me By - E.Y. Harburg
IMPRESSIONS:  I am not Irish and I am not a fan of "Broadway musicals".  At least not those from the modern era in the heyday of Rodgers & Hammerstein.  However, this one is old enough to be of interest to me.  Broadway musicals of the early part of the 20th century (the 1920s and 1930s) were the greatest source of those perfect set of songs we call "standards" now or else assign the title of "The Great American Songbook".  These are the Broadway shows which produced songs by Cole Porter, Rodgers & Hart, George & Ira Gershwin, Irving Berlin and scores of other masterful songsmiths.  These are the Broadway shows which provided jazz singers from Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan to Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra.  And "FINIAN'S RAINBOW" just gets in on the tail end of that before things went all "high as an elephant's eye" and I largely lose interest.  There is also a strong aura of pathos to this album as it was a particular favourite of John F. Kennedy and his sister "Kick" and JFK was listening to it when he received a phone call telling him of Kick's death in a plane crash.  Besides all this, "FINIAN'S RAINBOW" just has some great songs written by E.Y. Harburg and Burton Lane; who both have quite a large number of "standards" between them.  There is just something about the album's mid-century feel that greatly appeals to me.  Ella Logan's voice is so distinctive and no-nonsense I never tire of listening to it (neither did JFK) and a song like "How Are Things In Glocca Morra?" - which I always dismissed as Broadway fluff - acquires a startling resonance when emerging from Logan's pipes!  The album's bonus tracks also offer an interesting example of songwriter "Yip" Harburg singing a couple songs from the show as well as discussing their writing.      
MY FAVOURITE TRACKS:  This Time of Year,  How Are Things In Glocca Morra?,  Look to the Rainbow,  Old Devil Moon,  Something Sort of Grandish,  If This Isn't Love,  Necessity
FACT SHEET:  FINIAN'S RAINBOW is the first recording of a Broadway musical that Columbia Records ever did.  Originally released in an album of six 78 rpm records in 1947, the album was released on the new LP format a year later.  The original Broadway production of the show ran for 725 performances beginning January 10, 1947.  The show's story summarised by wikipedia is as follows:  "Finian moves to the southern United States (the fictional state of Missitucky is a humorous combination of Mississippi and Kentucky) from Ireland with his daughter Sharon, to bury a stolen pot of gold near Fort Knox, in the mistaken belief that it will grow. A leprechaun named Og follows them, desperate to recover his treasure before the loss of it turns him permanently human. Complications arise when a bigoted and corrupt U.S. Senator gets involved, and when wishes are made inadvertently over the hidden crock. All ends happily." The show starred Ella Logan as Sharon, Donald Richards as Woody, Albert Sharpe as Finian, and Tony Award winner David Wayne as Og.  The show has been revived many times (most recently in 2010) as well as having been filmed by Francis Ford Coppola in 1968.   

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

THE BLACK AND ORANGE ALBUM  -  VARIOUS ARTISTS

YEAR:  2010
LABEL:  Wonderful Wonderblog
TRACK LISTING:  Welcome to Horror Hotel  -  Daniel Roebuck,  The Gourd's Prayer  -  Cult of the Great Pumpkin,  Batman Wolfman Frankenstein or Dracula  -  The Diamonds,  Chamber of Horrors  -  Radio Spot,  Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde  -  The Who,  Dracula's Lament  -  Jason Segel,  The Devil's Rain & the Virgin Witch  -  Radio Spot,  Ghostbusters  -  Run-DMC,  Goosebumps Theme  -  TVToons,  Grim Grinning Ghosts  -  Barenaked Ladies,  Halloween  -  Betty Grable,  Halloween  -  Radio Spot,  Happy Halloween  -  The Fuzztones,  Haunted House  -  Flexi-Disc,  King Kong vs. Godzilla  -  WAKY Radio Spot,  Keepin' Halloween Alive  -  Alice Cooper,  Magic  -  Radio Spot,  Monster Movie Ball  -  Spike Jones,  Monsters Lead Such Interesting Lives  -  Mel Torme,  To Cause A Witch To Die  -  Vincent Price,  Mr. Monster's Movie Marathon  -  Peter Pan Singers,  Dawn of the Dead  -  Radio Spot,  Dry Bones  -  Fred Gwynne,  Punky Punkin (The Happy Pumpkin)  -  Rosemary Clooney,  Purple People Eater  -  Judy Garland,  Ghost Whisperer  -  TVToons,  Scarecrow  -  The Wellingtons,  Secrets of the Crypt Keeper's Haunted House  -  John Kassir,  The Blob  -  Wolfman Jack,  The Headless Horseman  -  Pickwick Records,  The Headless Horseman  -  Thurl Ravenscroft,  The Island of Dr. Moreau  -  Radio Spot,  Monster Hop  -  Bert Convy,  The Night Before Halloween  -  Bill Buchanan,  Trick or Treat  -  Elvira,  Vampires Quote  -  Boris Karloff,  Zombie Jamboree  -  Rockapella,  Fairly Lame Ending Track  -  Daniel Roebuck
IMPRESSIONS:  Once again we have a non-commercial release like the previous post.  This is one of many compilations originating from the great blog called "Wonderful Wonderblog".  The first thing that strikes you is the lovely spoof on Metallica's "Black Album" cover; what could be more fitting for Halloween than a "Black and Orange" album cover?  After that laugh, we get a nicely-chosen selection of Halloween tracks  -  most of which I admittedly already possessed in my vaults  -  but once again it's always great to hear someone's selection of a playlist.  And this is a good'n.  I kinda like the inclusion of radio spots and movie trailers in between the songs; it gives things a nice Halloween party air.  There are several old favourites of mine appearing here:  The Who's rare "Jekyll & Hyde" song showing John Entwhistle's abiding love of the horror genre, the Spike Jones track (originally credited to "The Fiend-ager") from that beloved "SPIKE JONES IN STEREO" album I played to death in my youth (and which is discussed in depth on this very blog), and the tracks by Mel Torme, Vincent Price, The Diamonds, Rosemary Clooney, Judy Garland, The Wellingtons, Thurl Ravenscroft, Bert Convy, Bill Buchanan, Elvira, and Rockapella have long featured in my Halloween listening.  However, it was only with this "BLACK & ORANGE ALBUM" that I first encountered Run-DMC's terrific cover of "Ghostbusters", the Cult of the Great Pumpkin's "The Gourd's Prayer", and Alice Cooper's "Keepin' Halloween Alive" tracks.  There are many, many Halloween compilations all over the internet and I love all of them; it's a wonderful practice and albums like this one are a great example of how to do it right. 
MY FAVOURITE TRACKS:  The Gourd's Prayer  -  Cult of the Great Pumpkin,  Chamber of Horrors  -  Radio Spot,  Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde  -  The Who,  Ghostbusters  -  Run-DMC,  Halloween  -  Betty Grable,  Haunted House  -  Flexi-disc,  Keepin' Halloween Alive  -  Alice Cooper,  Monster Movie Ball  -  Spike Jones,  Monsters Lead Such Interesting Lives  -  Mel Torme,  To Cause A Witch To Die  -  Vincent Price,  Mr. Monster's Movie Marathon  -  Peter Pan Singers,  Dawn of the Dead  -  Radio Spot,  Punky Punkin (The Happy Pumpkin)  -  Rosemary Clooney,  Purple People Eater  -  Judy Garland,  Scarecrow  -  The Wellingtons,  The Headless Horseman  -  Pickwick Records,  The Headless Horseman  -  Thurl Ravenscroft,  Monster Hop  -  Bert Convy,  The Night Before Halloween  -  Bill Buchanan
FACT SHEET:  "THE BLACK AND ORANGE ALBUM" is a compilation of Halloween tracks produced by the "Wonderful Wonderblog" website.  The 2 Daniel Roebuck tracks are taken from Dr. Lady's "HORROR HOTEL" album.  "Dracula's Lament" is taken from the film "FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL".  "Grim Grinning Ghosts" is a cover version of the Thurl Ravenscroft song and appears on the soundtrack to the "HAUNTED MANSION" movie starring Eddie Murphy.  The "Halloween" track by Betty Grable is taken from an old radio broadcast.  The Fuzztones' "Happy Halloween" is a cover version of a Zacherley song.  "Monster Movie Ball" is taken from the 1959 "SPIKE JONES IN STEREO" album.  Mel Torme's "Monsters Lead Such Interesting Lives" appears in the short film "DAFFY DUCK'S QUACKBUSTERS".  "Dry Bones" is taken from an episode of "THE MUNSTERS" with Fred Gwynne as Herman Munster.  "Scarecrow" by the Wellington's is taken from the Disney TV show "THE SCARECROW OF ROMNEY MARSH" starring Patrick McGoohan.  "Secrets of the Crypt Keeper's Haunted House" is taken from a 1997 episode of HBO's "TALES FROM THE CRYPT".  Thurl Ravenscroft's "The Headless Horseman" is a cover version of the original song sung by Bing Crosby in Disney's 1949 film "THE ADVENTURES OF ICHABOD & MR. TOAD".  The Bert Convy who sing "Monster Hop" is the same actor/TV host who appeared as a regular on "THE SNOOP SISTERS" as well as hosting the TV game show "TATTLETALES" and others.  Bill Buchanan is one half of the duo of Buchanan & Goodman who brought us the classic original "break-in" record "The Flying Saucer". 

GHOULS WITH ATTITUDE VOL. 1  -  VARIOUS ARTISTS

YEAR:  2004
LABEL:  Oddio Overplay
TRACK LISTING:  Graveyard Rock - Tarantula Ghoul & the Gravediggers,  Riboflavin-Flavored Non-Carbonated Poly-Unsaturated Blood - Don Hinson & the Rigamorticians,  Vampire Playgirls - Movie Trailer,  Vampira - Bobby Bare,  Rockin' Zombie - The Crewnecks,  Jam at the Mortuary - Griz Green,  Monsters Crash the Pajama Party - Movie Trailer,  Monster Man - The MSR Singers,  Monster Surfer - The Abominable Surfmen,  Surfer Smash - Bobby Boris Jones,  The Spook Spoke - Jupiter Jones,  I Dig You Baby - Bob McFadden & Dor,  The Mind of Mr. Soames - Movie Trailer,  Strangler in the Night - Albert DeSalvo,  House on Haunted Hill - Kenny & the Fiends,  Hear the Monsters (Spooky Sounds & A Spooky Tale) - Winchell's Donut House Halloween Record,  The Raven - Buddy Morrow & His Orchestra,  The Rockin' Ghost - The Modernaires,  Satan Takes a Holiday - Rosengarden and Kraus,  Ha-Ha-Ha The Bride of Frankenstein - Boris Karloff,  Brain Eaters - Movie Trailer,  Goolie Garden - Groovie Goolies,  Haunted House - Hap Palmer,  The Witch's Vacation - Bruce Haack & Norman Bridwel,  Burned at the Stake - Sounds of Terror,  Intro: Orgies (A Tool of Witchcraft) - Louise Huebner,  Night On Bald Mountain - Marty Manning & His Orchestra,  Someone Walked Over My Grave - Criswell
IMPRESSIONS:  As it's once again the Halloween season, I thought I'd feature a Halloween compilation I came across this summer.  Unfortunately for you boils & ghouls, this isn't actually a cd made by a record label but appears to be an amateur-compiled collection (and there's also a great Volume Two, folks) which is no longer available where it was first posted in 2004.  However, it's floating around out there in the vorld vide veb so you should be able to find it without to much ado.  It's apparently something of a legendary (or at least fabled) cd collection which fans of horror-themed music have long known about.  Now, there's a lot of stuff on here I already owned on other cd collections such as the Don Hinson track from his "MONSTER DANCE PARTY" album, "The Raven" from Buddy Morrow's "POE FOR MODERNS", "I Dig You Baby" from Bob McFadden & Dor's "SONGS OUR MUMMY TAUGHT US", the Bride of Frankenstein track from the truly legendary "AN EVENING WITH BORIS KARLOFF & HIS FRIENDS" LP or the real-life witch Louise Huebner track from her "SEDUCTION THROUGH WITCHCRAFT" album.  However, the songs (and movie trailers) which a horror compiler picks and chooses are always interesting and worthwhile and this is such a fun collection of songs (many from the late 50s-early 60s horror boom when it seems like EVERYONE was releasing a spooky song to jump on the "MONSTER MASH" bandwagon) and the cover artwork is simple but really eye-catching and pleasing to my eyes.  This compilation has a nice cohesion to it.  And any compilation which includes one of my favourites - The Modernaires' "Rockin' Ghost" - is OK by me! 
MY FAVOURITE TRACKS:  Graveyard Rock - Tarantula Ghoul & the Gravediggers,  Vampira - Bobby Bare,  Rockin' Zombie - The Crewnecks,  Jam at the Mortuary - Griz Green,  Monster Man - The MSR Singers,  Monster Surfer - The Abominable Surfmen,  I Dig You Baby - Bob McFadden & Dor,  House on Haunted Hill - Kenny & the Fiends,  Hear the Monsters - Winchell's Donut House,  The Raven - Buddy Morrow,  The Rockin' Ghost - The Modernaires,  Goolie Garden - Groovie Goolies,  Intro: Orgies (A Tool of Witchcraft) - Louise Huebner,  Night on Bald Mountain - Marty Manning,  Someone Walked Over My Grave - Criswell
FACT SHEET:  GHOULS WITH ATTITUDE VOL. 1 is an online compilation by Otis Fodder.com with production by Oddio Overplay.  The cover art is by Suzanne Baumann at Fridge Mag.  The singing style in both the songs "Jam at the Mortuary" and "I Dig You Baby" are meant to be imitations of the character of "Digger" O'Dell the undertaker on "THE LIFE OF RILEY" radio show as voiced by actor John Brown.  "Hear the Monsters" was a promo record given away by Winchell's Donut House.  The Groovie Goolies was an early 1970s Saturday morning cartoon by Filmation which featured song performances by unnamed studio musicians a la the Archies.  Louise Huebner is the official witch of Los Angeles, California.  Criswell was a TV fortune teller who is best known for having appeared in Ed Wood's masterpiece "PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE".           

BLACK COFFEE  -  PEGGY LEE

YEAR:  1956
LABEL:  Decca
TRACK LISTING:  Black Coffee,  I've Got You Under My Skin,  Easy Living,  My Heart Belongs To Daddy,  It Ain't Necessarily So,  Gee Baby (Ain't I Good To You),  A Woman Alone With the Blues,  I Didn't Know What Time It Was,  (Ah the Apple Tree) When th World Was Young,  Love Me or Leave Me,  You're My Thrill,  There's a Small Hotel
IMPRESSIONS:  Torch songs, torchy torchy songs.  Peggy Lee is uniquely qualified to sing those as well as the gently swinging selections paired with them on this album.  Not too shabby a way to launch her first solo album.  Also, this is one of Joni Mitchell's favourite albums; not surprisingly Joni opened her 2000 album of torch songs "BOTH SIDES NOW" with "You're My Thrill" which appears on this LP.  Lee's version of this song is breath-takingly noirish and the singer fearlessly refuses to hurry her delivery of the song.  A completely different delivery is found in the waltzing "There's a Small Hotel" which features an arrangement that perhaps has a little too much sugar in the coffee; however, such an approach is appropriate to the song and any cloying sweetness is dispelled when the combo occasionally breaks out into a jazzy, swinging tempo.  Will Friedwald names this album as one of his "desert island discs" in his book "JAZZ SINGING" and one can easily see why.       
MY FAVOURITE TRACKS:  Black Coffee,  I've Got You Under My Skin,  My Heart Belongs To Daddy,  It Ain't Necessarily So,  Gee Baby (Ain't I Good To You),  A Woman Alone With the Blues,  I Didn't Know What Time It Was,  You're My Thrill     
FACT SHEET:  BLACK COFFEE is Peggy Lee's first album released in 1953 as a ten-inch containing only the first 8 songs.  In 1956, Decca requested Lee record 4 more songs in order to release the album again in the 12 inch LP format.  Lee had been featured on recordings since 1941 as singer with the Benny Goodman Orchestra and also on various 78s and 45s.  The original 1953 sessions were recorded on April 30, May 1 and May 4 at Decca's New York City studio on West 57th Street featuring Pete Candoli on trumpet, Jimmy Rowles on piano, Max Wayne on bass and Ed Shaughessy on drums.  The 4-song additions were recorded on April 3, 1956 at Decca's Hollywood studios with different musicians:  Lou Levy on piano, Buddy Clark on bass, Larry Bunker on drums and percussion, Stella Castelluci on harp and Bill Pitman on guitar.   
   

COMMENTARY! THE MUSICAL  -  Various Artists

YEAR:  2010
LABEL:  Dr. Horrible
TRACK LISTING:  Commentary - Ensemble,  Where Did It Come From (Dialogue) - Ensemble,  Strike! - The Writers,  And You Are? (Dialogue) - Ensemble,  Ten Dollar Solo - Stacy Shirk & Neil Patrick Harris,  Was It Something I Said? (Dialogue) - Ensemble,  Better Than Neil - Nathan Fillion,  What Are You Trying To Say There? - Ensemble,  The Art - Felicia Day,  The Rap - Zack Whedon,  How's It Goin'? (Dialogue) - Ensemble,  Moist - Simon Helberg,  Can't We All Just Hug? (Dialogue) - Ensemble,  Ninja Ropes - Jed Whedon, Nathan Fillion & Neil Patrick Harris,  Aren't You Guys Forgetting Something? (Dialogue) - Ensemble,  All About Me - The Bit Players,  What Do You Mean? (Dialogue) - Ensemble,  Nobody's Asian in the Movies - Maurissa Tancharoen,  Isn't Your Dad a Transpo Guy? (Dialogue) - Ensemble,  Heart Broken - Joss Whedon,  Guys? (Dialogue) - Ensemble,  Neil's Turn - Neil Patrick Harris,  Commentary (Reprise) - Ensemble,  Steve's Song - Steve Berg
IMPRESSIONS:  DR. HORRIBLE'S SING-ALONG BLOG is a tremendous amount of fun.  If it's possible, the commentary track may be even MORE fun!  After the movie itself became a hit online and it was time for the DVD to come out, the writers and cast got together to make a commentary track -- but no ordinary commentary.  This one was a musical in itself with an entirely new group of songs taking the place of the normal commentary track.  I just may even like the commentary musical a little bit more than the movie musical itself.  How is this possible?  Well, the razor-sharp wit and catchy song-writing is all here in spades.  As a matter of fact, in probably one of the most improbable events, the commentary track itself was also released as an album called COMMENTARY! THE MUSICAL.  Incredible!  A strong piece of musical theatre in its own right.  Who'da thunk it?!?
MY FAVOURITE TRACKS:  Commentary - Ensemble,  Ten Dollar Solo - Stacy Shirk & Neil Patrick Harris,  Better Than Neil - Nathan Fillion,  The Rap - Zack Whedon,  Ninja Ropes - Jed Whedon, Nathan Fillion & Neil Patrick Harris,  All About Me - The Bit Players,  Nobody's Asian in the Movies - Maurissa Tancharoen,  Neil's Turn - Neil Patrick Harris,  Commentary (Reprise) - Ensemble,  Steve's Song - Steve Berg
FACT SHEET:  COMMENTARY! THE MUSICAL is the album release of the actual commentary track of the DVD release DR. HORRIBLE'S SING-ALONG BLOG.  Literally. 

DR. HORRIBLE'S SING-ALONG BLOG  -  Various Artists

YEAR:  2008
LABEL:  Dr. Horrible
TRACK LISTING:  Horrible Theme - Instrumental,  My Freeze Ray - Neil Patrick Harris,  Bad Horse Chorus - Jed Whedon, Joss Whedon & Zack Whedon,  Caring Hands - Felicia Day,  A Man's Gotta Do  -  Neil Patrick Harris, Felicia Day & Nathan Fillion,  My Eyes -  Felicia Day & Neil Patrick Harris,  Bad Horse Chorus (Reprise) - Jed Whedon, Joss Whedon & Zack Whedon,  Penny's Song - Felicia Day,  Brand New Day - Neil Patrick Harris,  So They Say - Ensemble,  Everyone's a Hero - Nathan Fillion,  Slipping - Neil Patrick Harris,  Everything You Ever - Neil Patrick Harris,  Horrible Credits - Instrumental
IMPRESSIONS:  Devoted viewers of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER (of which I wasn't) are quite familiar with Joss Whedon's ability for writing musicals via the celebrated "ONCE MORE, WITH FEELING" episode which I thought was terrific.  However, DR. HORRIBLE's all-out free-for-all is even more fun.  The show itself is laugh-out-loud funny while the songs are silly and witty.
MY FAVOURITE TRACKS:  Horrible Theme - Instrumental,  My Freeze Ray - Neil Patrick Harris,  Bad Horse Chorus - Jed Whedon, Joss Whedon & Zack Whedon,  My Eyes - Felicia Day & Neil Patrick Harris,  Brand New Day - Neil Patrick Harris,  So They Say - Ensemble,  Slipping - Neil Patrick Harris,  Everything You Ever - Neil Patrick Harris
FACT SHEET:  DR. HORRIBLE'S SING-ALONG BLOG is the soundtrack album of the 3-part made-for-the-internet series by Joss Whedon made during the writers' strike of 2008.  The show was co-written by Joss Whedon, his brothers Jed & Zack and writer/actress Maurissa Tancharoen (who plays "Groupie #1" in the film).  Joss Whedon self-financed the project for approximately $200,000.  The soundtrack album reached the top 40 despite being available only as an online download at the time of release. 

FIRST RUSH   -   Chris Rush

YEAR:  1973
LABEL:  Atlantic
TRACK LISTING:  Even Nice People Get T.V.,  Ca-Ca-Ah-Ah-Doody-Poo-Poo,  Grass,  Science Fiction,  Jesus In a Dope Bust,  Sister John Damian's Virgin School,  Golden Zits of the Fifties,  Mind Farts,  Naked Ape,  Blacula / Tar Baby,  Abie's Magic Hat
IMPRESSIONS:  This is one of those "naughty" comedy records you find deep in your parents' record collection when you're about 13.  I'll always remember doing so, drawn firstly to the fantastic cover art.  Not knowing what it was, I dropped the needle in the outer groove and encountered something truly hilarious.  Sounding totally transgressive at the time with its naughty language and talk of drugs, now it seems more like a nostalgic trip back to the past I can envelope myself in like a snug blanket.  While a comedy record from 1973 must needs be a tad dated, it actually remains very, very funny and the listener does run the risk of developing "laugh face":  the hurting of the face and jaw caused by excessive laughter which an audience member actually experiences on the album itself.  Long, long out of print, the album has finally become available on itunes and elsewhere.   
MY FAVOURITE TRACKS:  All of 'em . . . it's really one big stand-up routine, after all, and should be listened to in its entirety.
FACT SHEET:  FIRST RUSH is Chris Rush's first album.  Rush is one of the first comedians Ahmet Ertegun signed to Atlantic Records and was called "one of the true comedy greats" by his mentor George Carlin; who was financing Rush's one-man show before he died in 2008.  Rush was a writer for NATIONAL LAMPOON starting in 1970.  FIRST RUSH was certified gold.  Two more comedy albums followed:  in 1981 "BEAMING IN" and more recently "THERE ARE NO BONES IN ICE CREAM".  Rush is the author of the book "MILKING THE RHINO" (with foreword by George Carlin) and has appeared on TV shows ranging from his mid-90's "FOOD FOR THOUGHT" comedy shorts on Comedy Central's "SMALL DOSES" to legendary late-night programme "NIGHT FLIGHT".