4Play

Oct. 24, 2007

Andrew Gold - Halloween Howls - MLP
A gloriously wacky mix of original music (by Gold) and covers laced with eclectic guest appearances, this set is a perfect mix of the predictable and the unpredictable, kinda like Halloween itself. Among the original song highlights are Gold’s own “Trick or Treat,” “Spooky Scary Skeletons,” and the surprisingly retro “It Must Be Halloween.” And among the best cover songs are Boris Karloff’s “Monster Mash,” the theme song from the TV show “The Addams Family,” and, of course, the “Ghostbusters” theme. The songs themselves make for a fun listen, as does trying to pick out which songs feature the vocals of those aforementioned guests, among them Linda Ronstadt, Stephen Bishop, and David Cassidy.


Mannheim Steamroller - Halloween - American Gramaphone
Another mixture of originals and covers - although this time the covers are classical - Mannheim Steamroller does their usual justice to this set of instrumental pieces, and sprinkles them with a little spookiness this time around. There are several familiar works here, including “Sorcerer’s Apprentice” and “Night on Bald Mountain,” all rendered in MS’ also familiar mix of classical instruments and synths; in addition, you’ll get Chip Davis’ arrangements of such original tracks as “Harvest Dance” and “All Hallow’s Eve.” As a bonus, you’ll also receive Davis’ “world-class” sound effects disc, which sets several different Halloween moods, including “Ghost Voices,” “Alien Spaceship,” the two-part “Enchanted Forest,” and “Mountain King.”


Mannheim Steamroller - Halloween 2: Creatures Collection
American Gramaphone
If the first Mannheim Halloween collection is a little too classical for you, you might try this one, which features that same classical/synth mix, but with a quite different approach to the Halloween-themed songs within. This one’s not a two, but a three-disc set, which includes all kinds of Halloween treats. The first disc is a collection of mostly covers, including another rendition of “The Addams Family,” the “X-Files” theme, and a Davis original, “Creatures of the Night.” The second disc offers up some pretty interesting Halloween-themed sound effects collages, plus, strangely, several dance remixes of “Creatures...,” while the third disc is a DVD of three music videos (best suited for kids) and a video on how to do the “Creatures of the Night” dance.

Various Artists - Halloween Hootenanny - Geffen
Who better to helm a CD called Halloween Hootenanny than Rob Zombie? Get it? Zombie? Ahem - anyway - Zombie and pals take a surprisingly goofy tone on this collection, which is mostly rockabilly and surf-rock takes on unfamiliar Halloween-themed songs, plus a little spoken word (by melodramatically forboding ‘50s TV horror show host Zacherie) and some lounge music thrown in for good measure. Songs here include Legendary Invisible Men’s “Spooks’ Night Out,” the Reverend Horton Heat’s “The Halloween Dance,” Los Straitjackets’ take on “The Munsters Theme,” The Born Losers’ “Werewolves on Wheels,” and Dead Elvi’s “Creature Stole My Surfboard” Surf’s up! It’s a peppy choice for any Halloween gathering.