In my effort to
play at least 200 records for my son before his 1st birthday, I have
mostly focused on mellow albums. For
obvious reasons, these seem to go over much better. Early on I did attempt to play him “Axis: Bold
as Love” and “Rocket to Russia,” however neither went well. As a result, my record shopping has leaned
more towards the Exotic/Lounge/Hawaiian/Easy Listening genres as of late. I didn’t really know what to make of this
record, but the song titles looked good and I always like it when there is a
layout of the instrument placement used for the recording inside the
gatefold.
“Jungle Concerto”
kicks off this record, and much to my surprise, it’s straight up Exotica! The horns are blaring, the flutes are
fluttering and a phalanx of percussion is moving at quite a fast clip. Judging by the cover, I thought this would be
more of a Latin record, and there is a large element of that, but Exotica seems
more pervasive. What I really like about
this is how the Latin and exotic elements mix together. Nothing seems forced, and it makes for an
original sounding record. Also, the
strings are not too syrupy, which can sometimes make these albums real
sleepers.
Speaking of
strings, I cannot neglect to mention “Island of Capri.” Holy Moly.
This one will tear your heart out.
The way the strings play that same pattern over and over just gets
me. You have to wonder if the string
guys knew they were playing on something special. I pretty much always listen to side one and
give this one an extra spin.
Tones: One thing I love about
these Mercury: Perfect Presence Sound Series records is their clarity. They are easily on par with Command Records. I love how the percussion sounds like it was
recorded with a microphone placed far away.
It’s a nice touch that lets you really hear and feel the studio they were
in. It’s so beautiful and gives you so much presence. What
the heck ever happened to this? What is
with people miking things so closely nowadays?
I also like the Spaghetti Western sound the guitar has. It’s not that style, but it is that
sound.
Cover Note: Like I said, it’s
very Latin. Bongos, Congas, Maracas, and
Scratchers are all over the place. It
may not be the best cover ever, but the jacket is high quality and has
extensive song notation. It also has a
cute little cartoon sketch of Xavier Cugat on the inside.
Price paid: Mine has a $.99
sticker on it, but I seem to remember paying $5.00. I got it from one of my local record sale guys
who sets up in his back yard every few months.
I think $5.00 was fair, but I wouldn't pay more than that.
Bottom Line: Not an all time classic,
but a very good record and worth it for “Island of Capri.” I have also seen it at other sales, so I wouldn't pay more than $5.00 if you find it. You
should be able to find it at a good price if someone isn't trying to gouge
you.
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