Welcome to the Smoky Section

Or, as some of us have learned, you must take the dreary with the sweet.  For some reason, these performances don't give inspiration to me.

01. I'll Fly Away (3:00)

02. Send the Light (2:15)

03. Old Time Religion (2:17)

04. I Have Decided (2:04)

05. Church in the Wildwood (2:53)

06. Amazing Grace (2:44)

07. What a Friend (2:40)

08. Power in the Blood (2:10)

09. Lily of the Valley (2:42)

10. Mansion over the Hilltop (3:08)

11. The Old Rugged Cross (3:03)

12. Jesus Loves Me (2:24)

13. Unclouded Day (3:22)

14. I Saw the Light (2:29)

Don't blame the message!

Bee Line Records - 14 Instrumental Hymns of the Smoky Mountains

See you on Monday.

Get Out Your Instruments

It's a 1999 release.

1. Majesty

2. All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name

3. Be Thou My Vision

4. My Tribute

5. Be Exalted

6. Blessed Be the Lord God Almighty

7. Great and Mighty

8. How Great Thou Art

9. Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee

10. When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

11. Lamb of God

Majesty: Instrumental Praise

See you on Thursday.
  

Hell Is Other People with Penny Whistles

It's a 2001 cassette.

01. What a Friend We Have in Jesus (3:51)

02. Blessed Assurance (2:28)

03. Amazing Grace (3:50)

04. O Come and Sing Unto the Lord (3:26)

05. I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say (2:44)

06. O God, Thou Art the Father (5:04)

07. Morning Has Broken (3:03)

08. Be Thou My Vision (3:35)

09. Let All Things Now Living (2:47)

10. Take Me as I Am (3:04)

11. Come Thou Fount (4:09)

12. Let Us Break Bread Together (3:10)

13. Sweet Hour of Prayer (2:43)

What you think are record skips are actually knee-slapping or some such percussive technique.  Very competent but the penny whistle makes anything annoying!  Especially when it slurs or slides from note to note.

Of course these aren’t necessarily “Irish” Hymns, just done in an “Irish” style.

Irish Hymns

Go on, try to be Irish, I dare ya!  Until the shams rock and the lepers con, check back on Monday.

   

No Hadyn from This One

It's a 2003 release from the ever-lovin' Musical heritage Society.

01. Introduction: Maestoso ed Adagio (6:15)

02. Sonata I: Largo (6:20)

03. Sonata II: Grave e Cantabile (9:12)

04. Sonata III: Grave (11:46)

05. Sonata IV: Largo (9:06)

06. Sonata V: Adagio (9:49)

07. Sonata VI: Lento (8:33)

08. Sonata VII: Largo (7:54)

09. Finale: Presto e con tutta la forza (1:49)

The Seven Last Words Of Our Saviour On The Cross

See you on Thursday, St Paddy's Day!

  

Olde-Fashioned Hymnody

It tries to be old-fashioned. It's up to you to decide.

01. Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee (3:32)

02. Simple Gifts (3:51)

03. Be Thou My Vision / The King of Love My Shepherd Is (2:57)

04. Rejoice, the Lord Is King (2:31)

05. Sweet Hour of Prayer (2:31)

06. Come, Christians, Join to Sing (2:47)

07. This Is My Father's World (3:15)

08. All Things Bright and Beautiful / Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken (2:37)

09. Morning Has Broken (1:58)

10. O Lord of Life, to Thee We Lift (3:08)

11. Amazing Grace (3:15)

12. For the Beauty of the Earth / Jesus, Lover of My Soul (3:35)

Brentwood Music - Colonial Hymns

See you Monday, fellow listeners.
  

Harp Praise - Great or Grate?

It's a 1985 cassette.  It's really well played, but ... sad to say, the cheesy, easy-listening arrangements forestalled any feeling of worship for me.  So you may find this GREAT ... or cheesy and "grating."

01. His Name Is Wonderful (3:11)

02. Chariots of Fire (4:39)

03. Amazing Grace (4:46)

04. Morning Has Broken (3:28)

05. Amen (2:54)

06. Something About That Name (4:21)

07. Easter Song (3:16)

08. Blessed Assurance (3:49)

09. Put Your Hand in the Hand (4:08)

10. El Shaddai (4:05)

Greg Buchanan - Harp Praise

See you Thursday.

  

Lives Up to Its Oddball Name

I am thrilled that this is NOT “easy-listening”-type arrangements of hymns. Some are almost Liszt-paraphrase arrangements. Hooray for their complexity and intellectual approach!

01. The Spirit and the Bride (5:01)

02. Jesus Calls Us O'er the Tumult (4:59)

03. Like a River Glorious (4:48)

04. Jesus, Lover of My Soul (6:10)

05. Oh the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus (4:45)

06. It Is Well (5:51)

07. Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing (2:11)

08. Before and After (7:59)

09. Praise Sandwich (6:57)

10. Be Thou My Vision (4:17)

Beautiful Music

See you on Monday.  Hope this album helps you think, meditate, or even be thankful.

  

Watchmen Alternate Soundtrack

It's a file that came from somewhere many years ago.  All the hard work was done by the original assembler!  Just recently I cleaned up and regularized the files, added art, and so on.

The contents:

01 - The Sounds of Silence - Atrocity - 2000 

02 - Jocko Homo - Devo - 1977 

03 - The Times They Are a-Changin' (live) - Eddie Vedder - 2010 

04 - The Comedians - Elvis Costello - 1984 

05 - Desolation Row (live) - Grateful Dead - 1990 

06 - Neighborhood Threat - Iggy Pop - 1979 

07 - People Who Died - Jim Carroll Band - 1980 

08 - Sanities - John Cale - 1982 

09 - The Times They Are a-Changin' - Me First and the Gimme Gimmes - 2001 

10 - Take a Bow - Muse - 2006 

11 - First We Take Manhattan - R.E.M. - 1992 

12 - The Beginning Is the End Is the Beginning - Smashing Pumpkins - 1997 

13 - Walking on the Moon - The Police - 1979 

14 - The End Is the Beginning Is the End - Smashing Pumpkins - 1997 

15 - Teaser 01 - Warner Bros - 2009 

16 - Teaser 02 - Warner Bros - 2009 

 WATCHMEN

Fan Alternate soundtrack

 This is the end of our unofficial Month o' Soundtracks.  See you Thursday.

  

Not Just Monkeyin' Around!

This is a 1970 LP.

Do YOU remember the silliness of Lancelot Link -- Secret Chimp?

What inspired wackiness!  Here's someone else's blog post about the show.

01. Sha-La Love You (2:31)

02. Teaser (2:09)

03. Wild Dreams (Jelly Beans) (2:11)

04. Kissin' Doll (2:30)

05. Magic Feeling (2:24)

06. Live (2:21)

07. Rollin' in the Clover (2:08)

08. Yummy Love (2:04)

09. Vibrations (2:08)

10. Daydreams (2:23)

11. Blind Date (2:04)

12. The Evolution Revolution (2:12)

Performed by studio musicians, this is typical bubble-gum pop of its time.

Have YOU heard the Lancelot Link gospel, my brothers and sisters?  If not ...

I urge you to (first) investigate on YouTube.  Secondly, buy-buy-buy the series on DVD!

Ka-BLAMMIE baby!

See you Monday.

   

Come Exploring!

I saw the film Explorers when it came out in 1985.  I loved its silly story, and its fun score by Jerry Goldsmith even more so.

This is a dub of the original 1985 soundtrack, as released on cassette.

01. The Construction (2:32)

02. Sticks and Stones (2:23)

03. No Air (2:25)

04. Less Than Perfect  (4:06) - performed by Red 7  

05. The Bubble (1:45)

06. First Flight (2:51)

07. This Boy Needs to Rock  (3:58) - performed by Night Ranger  

08. All Around the World  (2:17) - performed by Robert Palmer  

09. Free Ride (3:42)

10. Fast Getaway (4:55)

11. She Likes Me (2:38)

12. Have a Nice Trip (7:55)

I don't recall where in the film the three pop songs appear, but they're on the cassette.

Have fun exploring!

See ya Thursday.
  

Wear Your Seatbelt!

Our you might get whiplash ... WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE!

The tracks:

01. Main Title - Film Version (1:11)

02. The Meteor (1:23)

03. Interlude (1:52)

04. The Martian Heat Wave (3:01)

05. Heat-Ray Aftermath (1:12)

06. The Morning After the Attack (3:11)

07. Escape from the Farm House (2:43)

08. Exodus from Los Angeles /  Finale (4:09)

09. Prelude - Headlines (2:09)

10. The Building of the Ship Begins (2:48)

11. The Building Continues (1:10)

12. "Work Faster" (0:50)

13. "Save the Ship" (2:25)

14. The Eve of Destruction (1:10)

15. Finale (9:44)

16. War of the Worlds (Alternate Version) (1:10)

As you can figure out, Tracks 1-8 are from When Worlds Collide, and the balance are from War of the Worlds.  This is a 1996 release on Tsunami Records -- company seems out of business.

WHEN WARS COLLIDE IN WORLDS!

See you Monday, fellow spaced invaders!
  

My Valentine to You!

This is Gerald Fried's fun score to the 1983 The Man from U.N.C.L.E. reunion movie.  I've cleaned up the audio and added an opening track (a CBS promo) and the video release's end credits.

1. CBS - Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E. Promo (0:29)

02. Somewhere in Libya (0:13)

03. Caesars Palace 1 (3:53)

04. Caesars Palace 2 (1:00)

05. Caesars Palace 3 (2:16)

06. Fashion Show (2:42)

07. Russian Cafe (1:31)

08. Illya Reinstated (0:27)

09. Flirty Weapons Girl at U.N.C.L.E. (0:26)

10. Illya's Telephone Repairman (0:58)

11. Solo in Libya (0:16)

12. Kowalski's Clue (0:32)

13. Arming Bomb (2:35)

14. Drumming Cue (0:50)

15. Illya Finds Bomb (0:57)

16. Solo Plants Bug (0:10)

17. Solo and Kowalski (0:11)

18. Unused Bridge (0:10)

19. Hanging Over Nuclear Reactor (0:07)

20. Solo Sneaks Into Cavern, Illya Escapes (1:46)

21. Solo Steals Golf Cart (2:01)

22. Illya Confronts Janus (2:01)

23. Rescues Girl and Father (0:55)

24. Defusing Bomb (0:50)

25. Sepheran Detonates (0:40)

26. Sepheran Escapes (0:12)

27. Russian Cafe Finale (2:12)

28. Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E. End Titles (1:19)

I've heard that the producers didn't realize, when they hired Fried, that he was a veteran composer for the original series.

CORRECTION TO THE ABOVE:  According to whiz Bob Short, "The Executive Producer Michael Sloan definitely knew Fried was one of the original composers on UNCLE because he was considering Mike Post to compose the score but I brought in samples of Fried's work to convince him to consider Fried instead."

Thanks Bob!

U.N.C.L.E. returns!

He did a fun job, don't you think?

See you Thursday.  Hope you find something to love in this release!

  

I Left My Heart with County, Brisco (Jr)

And I was happy to do it!

I watched this fun adventure show from its beginning until untimely demise.  It premiered at 7.00 on a Friday night, and I stayed tuned afterwards for the first episode of another small show (can you name it?).

These are the all-too-brief contents:

01. Main Theme (1:03)

02. Pilot Main Title (1:00)

03. Brisco and Dixie (0:30)

04. Falling Down the Hill (0:29)

05. Happy Ending (0:51)

06. The Battle (0:54)

07. Ambush (1:04)

08. The Picnic (1:22)

09. Brisco and Dixie on the Train (0:47)

10. Brisco on the Roof (1:29)

11. Science (1:22)

12. Pilot End Credits (0:55)

13. End Credits (0:42)

Go Brisco!

There are rumors of a full-length album out there in the interwebs.  See you Monday!

  

In Suspense!

The name of this release is Batman hält die Welt in Atem, which is coincidently the title given to the 1966 film based on the TV series.

I redid the liner insert, cleaned up the audio, and such.  The tracks are:

01 - The Batman Theme - Jan and Dean - 1966

02 - The Riddler - Frank Gorshin - 1966

03 - Batman - Jon & Lee & and the Checkmates - 1966

04 - The Riddler - The Marketts - 1966

05 - The Batman Theme - The Ventures - 1966

06 - Batman - Jan and Dean - 1966

07 - Batman - The Standells - 1966

08 - The Penguin - The Marketts - 1966

09 - Batman - Les Hou-Lops - 1966

10 - Batman & Robin - The Spotlights - 1966

11 - The Cape - The Ventures - 1966

12 - Take That – You Fiend! - The Villains - 1966

13 - L'invincible Batman - Batman - 1966

14 - Joker Is Wild - Sun Ra and the Blues Project - 1966

15 - The Joker - The Milestones - 1966

16 - Joker's Wild - The Ventures - 1966

17 - Batman - The Dynamic Batmen - 1966

18 - The Joker - The Marketts - 1966

19 - Batman - The Plunderers - 1966

20 - Batman a Go Go - The Combo Kings - 1966

21 - The Cat Woman - The Marketts - 1966

22 - Batman Theme - The Sharp Five - 1966

23 - Batman - Rocky and the Riddlers - 1966

24 - Batman Theme - De Maskers - 1966

25 - Batman Rides Again - Invisible Burgundy Bullfrog - 1969

26 - The Bat Dance (Zelda) - The Marketts - 1966

27 - Batman - Melvis and His Gentlemen - 1966

28 - Flight of the Batmobile - Jan and Dean - 1966

29 - Batman Theme - Neal Hefti, Davie Allan & the Arrows - 1967

30 - To the Batmobile! - Nelson Riddle - 1966

Batman hält die Welt in Atem

See you on Thursday!

  

Hope You Love Soundtracks!

... Because this February will be nothing but!  Our first offering is an album of songs supposedly from the 1990 crummy film Dick Tracy.

01 - Ridin' the Rails - k.d. lang with Take 6

02 - Pep, Vim and Verve - Jeff Vincent and Andy Paley

03 - It Was the Whiskey Talkin' (Not Me) - Jerry Lee Lewis

04 - You're in the Doghouse Now - Brenda Lee

05 - Some Lucky Day - Andy Paley

06 - Blue Nights - Tommy Page

07 - Wicked Woman, Foolish Man - August Darnell

08 - The Confidence Man - Patti Austin

09 - Looking Glass Sea - Erasure

10 - Dick Tracy - Ice-T

11 - Slow Rollin' Mama - LaVern Baker

12 - Rompin' & Stompin' - Al Jarreau

13 - Mr. Fix-It (1930s Version) - Darlene Love

14 - Mr. Fix-It - Darlene Love

15 - It Was the Whiskey Talkin' (Not Me) - rock and roll version - Jerry Lee Lewis

16 - Dick Tracy (90s Mix) - Ice-T

Some of this stuff is frightfully dates, like the Ice-T or "modern" mixes of some songs.  But overall, these evoke a nice 1390s-40s vibe, even if newly written as "source" music.  Anything with Jerry Lee Lewis can't be ALL dreary!

VA - Dick Tracy

See you on Monday!

  

Now It's Monday Morning

... but you can still enjoy the dulcimer stylings of Ned Spurlock.

The tunes this time are:

01. In the Garden (3:28)

02. Sunday Morning Sunrise (3:48)

03. Victory in Jesus / What a Friend We Have in Jesus (3:36)

04. And Can It Be (Amazing Love) (3:55)

05. Poor Wayfaring Stranger (4:00)

06. How Great Thou Art (4:23)

07. Church in the Wildwood (3:07)

08. This Is My Father's World (3:53)

09. I Saw the Light / Send the Light (4:07)

10. Fairest Lord Jesus (Beautiful Savior) (3:49)

Rise and Shine!

  

See you on Thursday.
  

Percussion Awaits!

And in case you didn't know, "Nihon Daiko" is the name of the ensemble, not a single person.

01. Hokkai-Bayashi (4:34)

02. Tancho-Bayashi (3:42)

03. Dai-Genyo (5:39)

04. Ten-Chi (4:38)

05. O-Daiko (9:44)

06. Shiretoko-Yamanami Daiko (5:09)

07. Hokkai-Bayashi (Serious Version) (4:36)

08. Hokkai-Bayashi (Festival Version) (4:21)

09. Dzauku (6:48)

You may be awed, you may be thrilled, you may be unimpressed by this 1998 release.  But it is interesting at least ONCE through!  For the life of me, I dno't know what makes Track 7 "serious" and Track 8 "festival."

Can you clue me in?

The Japanese Drums

See you on Monday.  I think we may have a month of soundtracks, if I can scrape enough together.

  

It Ain't Music ...

But you've heard it near music!  This is another of those files from someplace that don't exist no more.

Alan Howarth worked on the STTMP.  Memory Alpha article.

01. USS Reliant Bridge (7:09)

02. Exterior Starship Rumble (2:19)

03. Enterprise Bridge (3:23)

04. Enterprise into Warp (0:17)

05. Various Computer Beeps (3:24)

06. Wormhole (2:44)

07. Transporter (1:04)

08. Turbolift (0:22)

09. Phaser (0:14)

10. Motion Tracker (0:47)

11. Red Alert (4:10)

12. Blaster Fire (1:15)

13. Food Processor (0:04)

14. Various Scanners (2:21)

15. Enterprise Exterior Rumble (4:07)

16. Enterprise Bridge 2 (7:42)

17. Various Starship Rumbles (0:53)

18. Reliant Bridge 2 (1:25)

19. V'ger Rumble (1:46)

20. V'ger Lightning Strikes (2:19)

21. Starship into Warp (0:23)

22. Space Station Regula 1 Rumble (0:39)

23. Shuttlecraft Crash (0:40)

24. Battle Sequence (2:39)

25. Enterprise Bridge Speed-up and Slow-down (1:36)

26. Transporter 2 (0:31)

27. Klingon Ship Cloaks (0:20)

28. Klingon Ship Decloaks (0:26)

29. Malfunctioning Phaser (0:19)

30. Ceti Alpha Eeels (0:41)

31. Whale Probe Atmosphere (1:36)

32. Krug's Pet (0:37)

33. V'ger Atmosphere (2:44)

34. Vulcan Torches (1:00)

35. Star Trek II Bridge (10:06)

STAR TREK The Movies Sound Effects

You may not be able to listen straight through, but if you're a Trek listener, you'll get a lot of memory flashbacks.  Track #35 might be considered a bonus track since you will see it isn't listed on the CD rear (I left the CD rear art that way).

See you Thursday!

  

Take a Walkabout, If You Dare

It's another filk cassette.  This one was recorded live, and there's some hiss present in the tape, which I could not mitigate very much.  The contents:

01. Born Again Trek (2:57)

02. With the Trees (3:11)

03. Tin Soldier (3:21)

04. The Miracle Worker (5:00)

05. He's Dead Jim (2:29)

06. Daddy's Little Girl (5:23)

07. Terminus Est (3:42)

08. Songbird (4:19)

09. I Hate Little Firelizards (1:34)

10. Walkabout (3:49)

11. The Phoenix (3:56)

12. God Lives on Terra (5:49)

Walkabout

See you on Monday!

  

Bonus Tracks!

 

I was tuned onto this movie's amazingly eclectic soundtrack by TREK maven and ThunderChief Larry Nemecek, back in the days of cassettes.

A year or two later, I found the LP in a Salvation Army thrift store, and went up from there.  When I dubbed to digital I added a few extra songs and a soundbite from the movie.  The final tally is:

01. The Golden Gate Quartet - Atom and Evil (3:17)

02. T Ferebee - Karl and Harty - Successfully Delivered - When the A-Bomb Fell (3:24)

03. H Truman - K Beehan - Sonny Boy Williamson - Tragic Significance - My Greatest Thrill - Win the War Blues (3:30)

04. D Lilienthal - The Buchanan Brothers - Beneficial to Humankind - Atomic Power (3:04)

05. W Churchill - Lowell Blanchard and the Valley Trio - The Deterrence - Jesus Hits Like an Atomic Bomb (3:30)

06. J Van Zandt - Jackie Doll and His Pickled Peppers - Destroy 'em and Contaminate Them - When They Drop the Atomic Bomb (3:26)

07. Billy Hughes and his Rhythm Buckaroos - The Atomic Sermon (2:55)

08. Sons of the Pioneers - Old Man Atom (3:11)

09. Bill Haley and His Comets - Thirteen Women (2:56)

10. Bert the Turtle - Duck and Cover (0:57)

11. The Commodores - Uranium (2:17)

12. Sonny Russell - Fifty Megatons (2:20)

13. The Five Stars - Atom Bomb Baby (2:17)

14. Skip Stanley - Satellite Baby (2:32)

15. Ray Anderson and the Homefolks - Sputnicks and Mutnicks (2:10)

16. Slim Gaillard Quartette - Atomic Cocktail (2:41)

17. Little Caesar with the Red Callendar Sextette - Atomic Love (3:00)

18. Spirit of Memphis Quartet - Atomic Telephone (2:43)

19. Louisiana Red - Red's Dream (2:47)

20. Barry McGuire - Eve of Destruction (3:35)

21. Civil Air Defense - You'll Be Okay (0:44)

22. Wanda Jackson - Fujiyama Mama (2:13)

23. Conelrad - Nuclear Attack Siren (0:35)

24. Gary Moore - Nuclear Attack (5:09)

25. Tuff Darts - Your Love Is Like Nuclear Waste (2:46)

26. Larry Norman - If the Bombs Fall (3:37)

Also included is a PDF containing the text of the LP's original liner notes.

The Atomic Cafe OST + more

See you on Thursday!

  

It's a Miracle!

Frank was a swell guy, the cousin of a beautiful gal I know.

01. A Miracle (4:25)

02. Wichita Lineman (6:01)

03. Guaruja (9:00)

04. Three Little Words (7:17)

05. Beyond the Sea (7:47)

06. One for Monterey (3:36)

07. Dreamsville (5:39)

08. Thou Swell (6:09)

09. I'll Never Stop Loving You (4:41)

10. Limehouse Blues (4:50)

Frank Mantooth Jazz Orchestra - A Miracle

This is a great example of his musicianship.

See you Monday!

  

It's a Rough House Tonight!

According to this 1953 album, anyway.

01. Somebody Stole My Gal (2:09)

02. The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady (2:07)

03. Dardanella (2:44)

04. Twelfth Street Rag (2:17)

05. Boogie Woogie Rag (2:13)

06. Rattlesnake Rag (2:41)

07. Lou's Blues (2:26)

08. Minute Waltz Boogie (2:23)

09. Narcissus (2:37)

10. The Darktown Strutters' Ball (2:23)

11. Kitten on the Keys (1:59)

12. Hors d'Oeuvre (1:59)

You'll remember some of these tunes from old Warner Bros cartoons or other places.  It's a fast half-hour you won't count as wasted!

Rough-House Piano

More rough stuff on Thursday!

  

Am I Late for the Party?

Yup, it's a cash-in compilation which was marketed for the turn of the century.

   1. Y.M.C.A. - Village People 3:44

   2. Everybody Have Fun Tonight - Wang Chung 4:48

   3. Born To Be Wild - Steppenwolf 3:31

   4. Addicted To Love - Robert Palmer 3:53

   5. Wild Thing - The Troggs 2:37

   6. Mony Mony - Billy Idol 5:03

   7. Joy To The World - Three Dog Night 3:42

   8. Brick House - Commodores 3:33

   9. All Night Long - Lionel Richie 4:14

 10. U Can't Touch This - MC Hammer 4:17

 11. Celebration - Kool & The Gang 4:59

 12. Shout - Otis Day & The Knights 4:22 

Of course, it was sold in 1999 for the big year 2000.  Not for the beginning of the 21st Century on January 1, 2001.

Have a Millennium Party!

I bet you never expected to encounter the Village People or MC Hammer on this music blog!  See you on Monday.
  

Welcome Noyse

This 1996 album is especially fun if you know who the heck Ernst III was, I guess.  For me, it's still bemusing.

01. Paduana IX/ Galliard IX (5:04)

02. Der erste Mascharada des Pfalzgraffen (0:54)

03. Der ander Mascharada (0:54)

04. Der dritte Mascharada (1:46)

05. Der Pilligrienen Tanz (2:00)

06. Der Satyrn Tanz (1:23)

07. Canzon XVI (3:54)

08. Paduana XII/ Galliard XII (4:32)

09. Paduana II/ Galliard IX/ Allmand II (6:18)

10. Mascharada der Edel Frawen (2:25)

11. Male Content (1:29)

12. Paduana XI/ Galliard XI (5:06)

13. Canzon XIV/ Galliard XIV (3:19)

14. Mascharada (1:27)

15. Satyr's Dance (2:27)

16. Ahi, misera mia vita (3:13)

17. Paduan (6:11)

18. Aria - Mistresse Nichols Almand (1:15)

19. Canzon (2:57)

20. Volta I/ Volta II (2:09)

21. Paduana XVIII (3:50)

22. Allemande (2:06)

23. Canzon (3:46)

24. Courant I/ Courant II (1:46)

Get Noysy!

See you on Thursday.  Who knows what era we'll visit!

Be Gloria-Fied!

Here's the Discogs page for this well-done 1995 release. The contents:

01. Gloria Overture (1:29)

02. O Come All Ye Faithful (3:37)

03. Lo How a Rose E'er Blooming (3:01)

04. Christ the Messiah (4:22)

05. Silent Night (4:09)

06. Infant Holy (2:40)

07. No Eye Had Seen (2:36)

08. How Great Our Joy (1:59)

09. Shepherd's Pipe Carol (3:04)

10. All Is Well (3:45)

11. Gloria (2:48)

12. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (4:06)

13. We Three Kings (4:44)

14. Christmas Hymn (2:37)

15. Come Let Us Worship the King (3:33)

16. Joy to the World (2:41)

17. Gloria Reprise (5:21)

Gloria: The Sounds of Christmas

This appears to be a recorded concert –-- but I cut out the applause. My feeling is, it's reverent but a bit overblown.

See you Monday, in a New Year!  It's a date!

  

Lose Your Soul Straightway!

That statement may be a little harsh, but these arrangements do seem a little lifeless.

01. O Come, O Come Emmanuel (2:53)

02. While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks (3:11)

03. I Wonder as I Wander (3:32)

04. Angels We Have Heard on High (2:57)

05. Breath Of Heaven (4:50)

06. Silent Night (4:30)

07. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (3:14)

08. What Child Is This? (3:42)

09. Away in a Manger (2:44)

10. No Eye Has Seen (3:06)

Heart of Worship Classics - A Cappella Christmas

See you on Thursday with something a bit more stirring.  Keep your Christmastime merry, despite robo-carols!

  

I Want a Ball-Washer for Christmas!

 

Or maybe Rex Fowler does.

01. Mulligans (Jingle Bells) (1:36)

02. We Wish You Would Take Some Lessons (We Wish You A Merry Christmas) (2:00)

03. Up On The Elevated Tee (Up On The House Top) (1:24)

04. O’ 19th Hole (O’ Christmas Tree) (1:37)

05. Check The Balls (Deck The Halls) (2:02)

06. So Blame It On My Mid Life, Dear (It Came Upon A Midnight Clear) (1:36)

07. The Twelve Days Of Christmas (1:38)

08. The Gals Of Old Lang Syne (Auld Lang Syne) (2:18)

09. Colorful Christmas (2:32)

It’s kind of cute.  Strangely, most tunes make slight but obvious changes of a note here or there—I assume so as to not “infringe” on a copyrighted tune, or perhaps so as to copyright these particular arrangements?  Who knows?

The last song, however, is an original.

A Golfer’s Christmas Carols

Make a drive down your Yuletide fairway to a Merry Christmas!  Don't brain any shepherds with your chip shot.

Merry Christmas, campers!

  

A CORNY NEW CHRISTMAS!

It's super-duper cheesy because of over-the-top pseudo-sincerity.  The Caroling Party is more processed than Velveeta!

01. Sleigh Ride (2:05)

02. 50's Christmas (4:17)

03. The Christmas Song (3:47)

04. Hark The Herald Angels Sing (2:54)

05. Let It Snow, Let It Snow (2:22)

06. This Is Christmas (2:10)

07. The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (2:45)

08. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (3:57)

09. Rudolph Bells Frosty Town (2:16)

10. Carol of the Bells (1:36)

11. White Christmas (3:12)

12. The Christmas Waltz/Silver Bells (2:30)

13. O Holy Night (2:24)

14. Caroling, Caroling (1:30)

15. I Wish It Could Be Christmas Forever (1:53)

A Shiny New Christmas

Get your sunglasses out for this one!  See you Thursday.

  

Somebody Explain It to Me!

The title of this compilation, I mean.

Seriously.  There are more than 12 days in December, last time I looked.

DISC 1:

01 - O Come All Ye Faithful - Herb Avery

02 - Carol of the Bells - Robert Strickland

03 - O Little Town of Bethlehem - Robert Strickland

04 - Good King Wenceslas - Herb Avery

05 - Green Sleeves - Herb Avery

06 - O Tannenbaum - Herb Avery

07 - Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring - Herb Avery

08 - The First Noel - Robert Strickland

09 - When Christ Was Born of Mary Free - Robert Strickland

10 - O How Joyfully-Deck the Halls - Robert Strickland

11 - Go Tell It on the Mountain - Robert Strickland

12 - In the Manger - Herb Avery

13 - Whence Is that Goodly Fragrance - Herb Avery

14 - Born on Earth the Divine Christ Child - Herb Avery

DISC 2:

01 - Hark, the Herald Angels Sing - Herb Avery

02 - O Come, O Come, Emmanuel - Herb Avery

03 - March of the Three Kings - Robert Strickland

04 - Silent Night - Herb Avery

05 - Jingle Bells-Jolly Old Saint Nick - Robert Strickland

06 - Rocking Toyland - Robert Strickland

07 - Here Is Joy for Every Age - Herb Avery

08 - Sans Day Carol - Herb Avery

09 - Here We Come a Caroling - Robert Strickland

10 - Away in a Manger - Robert Strickland

11 - Angels We Have Heard on High - Robert Strickland

12 - Coventry Carol - Herb Avery

It’s got the same performances from Avery as his New Age Noel  https://www.discogs.com/Herb-Avery-New-Age-Noel/release/15330875   -- (except for “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen”; Bach’s “Prelude in C”; and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”)

And it may contain performances from Strickland’s album 12 Days in December https://www.discogs.com/Robert-Strickland-12-Days-In-December/release/14724322 – I haven’t heard Strickland so I cannot say for sure. 

This cassette may be a shortened version of:  https://www.discogs.com/Robert-Strickland-Herb-Avery-Silent-Night-Carols-For-Solo-Piano/master/1747103 – but for example the cassette’s final listed track is “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” which isn’t present in the CD set.

Track 3 of Disc Two is called “March of the Three Kings” – it is really an arrangement of the Farandole from Bizet’s L'Arlesienne Suite No 2.

Track 4 of Disc Two, Herb Avery’s “Silent Night,” also interweaves the second movement of Beethoven’s “Pathétique” piano sonata.

It's all in one file.

The 12 Days in December

Happy whatever-day-this-is.  See you on Monday.
  

Smooth, Baby!

The arrangements on this 1998 disc are so smooth and creamy, you'll think you're in an alternate dimension in which the century-old Jackie Gleason is still laying down tracks.

01. White Christmas (3:32)

02. The Holly & the Ivy (2:04)

03. Away in a Manger (2:22)

04. Deck the Halls (1:17)

05. O Holy Night (3:11)

06. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (2:20)

07. Hark the Harold Angels Sing (3:26)

08. We Three Kings (3:28)

09. The First Noel (2:41)

10. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear (3:03)

11. Ave Maria (5:16)

12. The Little Drummer Boy (2:39)

White Christmas and Other Yuletide Favorites

Let me know if you're soothed and smoothed.  See you Thursday!

   

Have Some Merry Weihnachtslieder

(That's "Christmas Songs," in case you weren't sure.)

As the cover says (in so many words), lyrics are included for singing together.

01. Stille Nacht (3:11)

02. Leise rieselt der Schnee (1:26)

03. O Tannenbaum (3:13)

04. Ihr Kinderlein kommet (3:14)

05. Kommet, ihr Hirten (2:30)

06. Süßer die Glocken nie klingen (3:17)

07. Morgen kommt der Weihnachtsmann (2:21)

08. Kling, Glöckchen, klingelingeling (2:41)

09. Laßt uns froh und munter sein (3:22)

10. O du fröhliche (2:37)

11. Alle Jahre wieder (2:15)

12. Es ist ein Ros' entsprungen (2:02)

You might expect "oom-pah-pah," but these are cheesy, obviously synth arrangements.  Try singing them in Deutsch anyway -- I dare ya!

An interesting listing for this disc may be found here.  What makes it interesting is when you try auto-translate.  I suppose in this case, "Lowdown" means "details."  The original Deutsch label is "Infos."

Die Schönsten Weihnachtslieder

See you on Monday ... maybe even in English!

  

Olde World, Synth Style

It's an interesting idea, trying to evoke olden times while using synths to replicate traditional instruments. It ain't necessarily a bad idea, but it's a widespread one.

01. En El Portal Abelen (In Bethlehem's Cradle) (2:29)

02. The Coventry Carol (2:17)

03. Celebrons La Naissance (We Sing in Celebration) (2:09)

04. Cantique De Noel (O Holy Night) (3:05)

05. I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day (2:16)

06. Les Anges Dans Nos Campagnes (Angels We Have Heard on High) (2:37)

07. El Noi De La Mare (The Son of Mary) (2:46)

08. Joy to the World (2:05)

09. Still Nacht, Heilige Nacht (Silent Night) (2:26)

10. Det Kimer Nu Til Julefest (The Happy Christmas Comes Once More) (2:34)

11. Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (3:05)

12. Veni, Emmanuel (O Come Emmanuel) (2:35)

13. O Tannenbaum (O Christmas Tree) (2:26)

14. Nuar Det Juligen (Yuletide Is Here Again) (2:00)

15. Adeste Fideles (O Come all Ye Faithful) (2:49)

16. Weigen Lied Der Hirten (Shepherd's Cradle Song) (2:22)

Olde World

See you Thursday!

  

Get Ready for Some Hope!

Welcome to 2021's Spocky Christmas!

As we get ready to celebrate the greatest gift of all -- hope for everybody -- here's a new compilation of Christmas music.  Here are the tracks:

01 - Joy to the World - Cathedral Brass - 1998  (1:23)

02 - The First Nowell - The Elizabethan Singers - 1965  (4:09)

03 - I Wonder as I Wander - Radhika Miller - 1990  (3:17)

04 - Away in a Manger - John Edwards-Rondal Wallace - 2003  (3:19)

05 - Lullabies for the Baby Jesus - Mitzie Collins, Glennda Dove & Roxanne Ziegler - 1986  (3:14)

06 - Gloria! To God Sing Gloria! - arr Lloyd Larson - 2008  (3:40)

07 - What Child Is This - Jill Justice - 1990  (4:48)

08 - Santa Claus Is Coming to Town - The Fab Four - 2002  (2:07)

09 - Hark! The Herald Angels Sing - London Festival Choir & London Symphony Brass Ensemble - 1987  (2:19)

10 - Lux Hodie...Orientis Partibus - Joel Cohen - 1975  (3:00)

11 - Concert Variations on “Adeste Fidelis” - Anna Maria Mendieta - 1993  (4:37)

12 - Bring a Torch, Jeannette, Isabella - John Edwards-Rondal Wallace - 2003  (2:41)

13 - Sweet Child of Glory - Mary O'Hara - 1962  (2:03)

14 - Children, Run Joyfully - St. Louis Jesuits - 1977  (2:36)

15 - Fantasy on “O Come, Little Children” - Joseph Martin - 1997  (4:21)

16 - Hallelujah to the New Born King - His Love, Reaching - 1975  (1:38)

17 - Ding Dong! Merrily on High - London Festival Choir & London Symphony Brass Ensemble - 1987  (2:06)

18 - Zither Carol - James Galway Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Singers, Chapel Choir Of King's School Canterbury - 1986  (2:54)

19 - Silent Night - The Elizabethan Singers - 1965  (3:07)

20 - I Wonder as I Wander - Kathleen Battle - 1986  (2:57)

21 - Twelve Days of Christmas - The Swingle Singers - 1987  (2:56)

22 - Go Tell It on the Mountain - Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia - 1993  (3:13)

23 - Sound Over All Waters - Theresa Thomason and Paul Halley - 1998  (4:12)

24 - Hark! - The Fab Four - 2008  (1:44)

25 - For All Eternity - Classic Fox Records - 2006  (1:48)

26 - All Is Well - Michael W Smith et al - 2010  (4:09)

Don't forget that things don't have to end dark and lonely.  Check out the light of the world, he's pretty cool!

https://www.filefactory.com/file/6rh6zylbegrs/MA-154.rar

See you on Thursday!

  

Brahms Wasn't ALWAYS Refined!

... As you'll see when you listen to his sometimes romantic, sometimes dizzy Hungarian Dances!

01. Ungarischer Tanz No. 1 in G minor: Allegro molto (3:28)

02. Ungarischer Tanz No. 2 in D minor: Allegro non assai. Vivace (2:50)

03. Ungarischer Tanz No. 3 in F major: Allegretto (2:15)

04. Ungarischer Tanz No. 4 in F-sharp minor: Poco sostenuto. Vivace (5:06)

05. Ungarischer Tanz No. 5 in G minor: Allegro. Vivace (2:23)

06. Ungarischer Tanz No. 6 in D major: Vivace (3:27)

07. Ungarischer Tanz No. 7 in A major: Allegretto. Vivo (1:50)

08. Ungarischer Tanz No. 8 in A minor: Presto (3:01)

09. Ungarischer Tanz No. 9 in E minor: Allegro ma non troppo (2:11)

10. Ungarischer Tanz No. 10 in F major: Presto (1:56)

11. Ungarischer Tanz No. 11 in C major: Poco andante (4:07)

12. Ungarischer Tanz No. 12 in D minor: Presto (2:31)

13. Ungarischer Tanz No. 13 in D major: Andantino grazioso. Vivace (1:33)

14. Ungarischer Tanz No. 14 in D minor: Un poco andante (2:27)

15. Ungarischer Tanz No. 15 in B major: Allegretto grazioso (2:17)

16. Ungarischer Tanz No. 16 in F minor: Con moto (2:59)

17. Ungarischer Tanz No. 17 in F-sharp minor: Andantino. Vivace (3:12)

18. Ungarischer Tanz No. 18 in D major: Molto vivace (1:31)

19. Ungarischer Tanz No. 19 in B-flat minor: Allegretto (2:02)

20. Ungarischer Tanz No. 20 in E minor: Poco allegretto. Vivace (2:51)

21. Ungarischer Tanz No. 21 in E minor: Vivace (1:29)

Yup, that there is a little Germanic-type of sprechen!

London Festival Orchestra - Brahms - Hungarian Dances

Don't get so dizzy that you fall down and get hurt!

See you on Thursday with the commencement of this year's SPOCKY CHRISTMAS.  It's a date!

  

Whisk Me to Wiscandia!

It's a 1990 cassette.

The interestingly titled selections are:

01. Reinlender Melody (3:20)

02. Morgan Anderson’s “Skver Dans” & Clarence Reierson’s Two-step (2:48)

03. Morgan Anderson’s Firetur & Clarence Reierson’s Waltz (3:10)

04. Vals efter Edwin Johnson (“High E Vals”) (2:30)

05. Polka ette Hans Fredrik Jacobsen (2:19)

06. Valse efter Roligs Per, Leksand (3:46)

07. Schottis från Bingsjö (1:50)

08. Vals etter Ola Kampen (2:50)

09. Lindengaardens Brudemarch (3:41)

10. Masurka etter Olav Rise (2:49)

11. Polska efter Salmon Jönsson (2:29)

12. Polska efter John Erickson (2:34)

13. Brudemarch fra Risör (4:44)

14. Polka efter Edvard Pettersson (2:33)

15. Härjedalingen, Pols fra Røros (3:18)

Scandanavia!

The Scandinavians most be very domesticated folks, if their folk music is so mild.

See you Monday.  And don't forget that SPOCKY CHRISTMAS will commence one week from today -- on Thursday, December 2!

  

Come to the Monotonous Far East!

This 2000 release is competent and the absolute equivalent of calming wallpaper or the kind of mush you feed to invalids.  It's two tracks of mystical-sounding nonsense.

Chapman - Journey to the East

Onward to Thursday!

  

You May Be Moved

 

This is a 2001 compilation of just what you think it is.

Disc 1:
01. 2nd Chapter Of Acts - Which Way the Wind Blows (5:04)
02. Pat Terry - What Good's It Gonna Do Ya (3:53)
03. Kelly Willard - Silver & Gold (3:56)
04. Dallas Holm - Here We Are (4:38)
05. Matthew Ward - Psalm 61 (2:34)
06. Honeytree - Rattle Me, Shake Me (3:40)
07. Barry McGuire - Happy Road (3:31)
08. Petra - Get Back to the Bible (2:23)
09. Michael Omartian - White Horse (7:10)
10. Don Francisco - He's Alive (4:59)

Disc 2:
01. Petra - I'm Not Ashamed (3:04)
02. Michael Omartian - Aren't You Glad (2:55)
03. Phil Keaggy - Love Broke Thru' (3:32)
04. 2nd Chapter of Acts - Easter Song (2:27)
05. Randy Stonehill - Turning Thirty (3:50)
06. Honeytree - I Believe in Heaven (3:32)
07. Pat Terry Group - Home Where I Belong (3:22)
08. Kelly Willard - Willing Heart (3:39)
09. Randy Matthews - Time to Pray (3:23)

Not a very good sampling of "Jesus Music," in my opinion.  Conspicuous absences include Larry Norman and Andraé Crouch.  And, if the releasing company cared about the listeners' economics, this would have all fit onto ONE CD!

Decide for yourself -- it's all in one file.

Late or Great?

See you on Monday.

  

... And You Can Roar with Them!

 

It's a 1956 LP.  The Discogs page.

01. Bedelia (2:49)
02. Ma, He's Making Eyes at Me (2:06)
03. The Sheik of Araby (2:58)
04. Goody, Goody (2:20)
05. The Bowery (2:48)
06. Deep River (1:36)
07. Varsity Drag (1:39)
08. Ballin' the Jack (2:50)
09. Give My Regards to Broadway (2:03)
10. Rings on Her Fingers (2:20)
11. Dixie (2:54)
12. East Side, West Side (4:06)

It's kind of funny to me that they've got a tiger on the cover, but this record doesn't contain "Tiger Rag."

The Chicago High Lights - The Roaring 20s
 

See you Thursday, cats!