 Mark Wirtz Falling somewhere between The Sound Gallery and Austin Powers is this collection of late 60s background music by Mark Wirtz. Culled from the albums Wirtz & Music, Latin a Go-Go, Mood Mosaic, and of course Come Back & Shake Me – Teenage Dancing Made in England, this is grade-A cheese that won't fail to make you smile. Mostly originals with titles like "If Illusion Met Fantasy," "A Thimble Full of Puzzles," "Chinese Chequers," and "There's No Business Like Monkey Business," there are also dorky covers of "Monday, Monday," "I Can Hear Music," and "Dizzy" to keep things rollin'. Whatever the intent was behind this music, it's great fun to listen to now. Some of the cheese makes one lactose intolerant (a cover of "You Didn't Have to Be So Nice" that is simply put, too nice) but the great majority of the tunes are funny and fun. "Yeh Yeh" can't decide whether it wants to be a spy movie theme or a beach movie theme, so settles on both to great effect. The chorus sings "doo-doo-doo" or "ba-da-da" through most of the songs, making this go-go-rific. Other high points: "The Real Mr. Smith," a frantic "Little Spanish Flea" sort of song with horns and female voices playing footsie all over the place. "Watching a Matchstick-Fight" sounds like Flintstones incidental music played by the Motown house band, "Fantastic Fair" is like the Osmonds trying to sing like the Fifth Dimension. Wonderful fun, all this. I'm sort of glad this branch of the lounge music trend never really took off, so stuff like this and the two volumes of The Sound Gallery haven't become as lame as the Ultra Lounge series. It is unfortunate that the mainstream picked up on the hidden pleasure world of cheesy music, but the time is almost near when they will tire of it and it will be ours again.
Review by Gretchen Poopstain |