 Vince Guaraldi The producers of the "Peanuts" TV specials couldn't have picked a better performer to provide the music for Charlie Brown and friends' semi-retarded lifestyles, as Vince Guaraldi's laid-back, melodic simplicity perfectly suits the underdog quality of Charles Schultz's creations. These kids are average on an epic scale, full of idiosyncratic obsessiveness and painful neuroses that don't amount to much in the end. Led by a balding kid whose chicken-heartedness is as defining as his generosity, this group of friends is full of "characters": a grade-schooler who still sucks his thumb and carries a security blanket, and his deeply sadistic, greedy sister; a weasly tomboy and her smart but robotic friend (unconsummated lesbians); a poor kid with a body odor problem; an autistic child prodigy on the piano; the token black kid; and of course, the talking dog (obsessed with writing novels and becoming a pilot) and bird (who speaks, as I recall, in Braille). If there were ever a bigger bunch of underdogs, I'd like to see 'em, and I've already seen both the Bad News Bears and the Mighty Ducks. Guaraldi, nowhere near as dysfunctional a musician, lends the appropriate blend of compassion, bemusement, detached retrospect, and celebrativeness that makes you root for Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Peppermint Patty, Schroeder, Pig Pen, Leroy (was that his name? I doubt it), Snoopy and Woodstock. Without this cool music, it'd be sort of morbid to watch a "Peanuts" special. Imagine Rodd Keith doing the score, or Phil Ochs. I'm hard pressed to find anyone else who could have done the job. Maybe that's because Guaraldi did it so well. Virtually everyone knows the awesome "Linus & Lucy" theme, which is the hands-down standout on this CD, but the rest of the tunes are equally full of child-like wonder. While only "Freda (With the Naturally Culry Hair)" and "Charlie Brown Theme" are as instantly memorable as "Linus & Lucy," the other songs are still very enjoyable, not out of any real nostalgia value, but simply because they're good, solid jazz. A nine-minute "Fly Me to the Moon" from the same sessions has been added to the CD, a nice closer to the album, although somewhat deeper (more "adult"?) than the "Peanuts" songs. A Boy Named Charlie Brown is the best of the Guaraldi "Peanuts" discs, without a doubt. Almost makes you wish he were still around to provide the awkward music for an increasingly-more-senile Charles Schultz's return to the TV special format. Lots of undeveloped musical themes, jarring stabs at the upper keys on the piano, and confusing tracks where the trio would play different songs simultaneously. Couldn't be any worse than "Peanuts" itself, which nowadays is more likely to center around Charlie Brown exploring a kitchen drawer than any noticeable childhood theme. Can't blame the artist, though I'm sure nursing homes don't provide the best inspiration for comic strips.
Review by Paul Po |