4Play: Various Artists, Peppermint Trolley Company, Swing Out Sister, The Triffids

Oct. 11, 2009

4Play: Various Artists, Peppermint Trolley Company, Swing Out Sister, The Triffids
Kristi Kates 10/12/09

Various Artists - Summertime: Beautiful Arias and Classic Songs - Decca
We start this “Too Beautiful for Words” set of CD reviews with one that’s not traditional radio pop - but this airy, pretty collection certainly is the poppier side of opera and stage show music. It’s a nice collection, perhaps unexpected for the pop fan, and perfect for a dinner party for which you want a more sophisticated feel. Classic “O Sole Mio” sung by Pavarotti opens the set, which includes plenty of other compositions you’ll recognize, if not by title, then by sound; highlights include Renee Fleming’s version of “Porgy and Bess - Act 1,” Maria Vittorio Grigolo’s take on “West Side Story,” Russell Watson’s delivery of “That’s Amore,” and Jose Carreras’ “Granada.”


Peppermint Trolley Company - Beautiful Sun - 101
Who the heck are the Peppermint Trolley Company? Well, if you’ve heard the theme for The Brady Bunch, then you’ve heard the band - that’s who sings the Brady Bunch ditty as the show opens (“Here’s the story/of a lovely lady...”) The California band’s 1968 debut set, much in demand by stylistically-focused “bubblegum” music collectors, has now been digitally remastered and given sixteen bonus tracks, including several mono mixes and some rare cuts recorded under the band’s many earlier band names. Included here are their biggest hit, “Baby You Come Rollin’ ‘Cross My Mind,” as well as the flute n’ guitar track “Trust” and the poppy single “I’ve Got To Be Going.”


Swing Out Sister - Beautiful Mess - Shanachie
You might remember Swing Out Sister from their one big hit, “Breakout,” which is still played with glee on Lite radio stations due to its splashy hook and jazzy melody line. This U.S. pressing of their album includes two bonus tracks and more similar jazz-inflected pop songs. “I’d Be Happy” recollects Dusty Springfield with a jazzy-meets Motown refrain, while “My State of Mind” is more ‘70s disco-pop; the title track sounds a little different than the original mix, but is nonetheless a melody-filled piece of pop; and the extended appeal of “All I Say, All I Do” brings Swing Out Sister into today’s chill-lounge sound with barely a noticeable gap.



The Triffids - Beautiful Waste and Other Songs - Domino
Late ‘70s Aussie indie rock band the Triffids have had this set of their tracks restored, repackaged, and just generally feted by Domino Records, who have also thoughtfully included the original artwork for this unusual collection. These songs were released between 1983 and 1985, but not in album form; for whatever reason, they were left off of full-length sets, and so were aggregated here. The Triffids’ psychedelic rock side shows through in top form on the heavy “Field of Glass,” while the title track, “Beautiful Waste,” adds in dense strings and horns; nineteen tunes in all are included for a great overview of an overlooked band.