I bought this one at Great Escape in Madison, TN. It sounds very good for being nearly as old as me. Very slight warble mid-way through Breadline Blues; otherwise perfect. Dolby HX PRO tapes seem to last.
Jazz always makes me want tea, so I put the kettle on. This has tracks from all your favorite Peanuts cartoons, along w/ some original compositions and new arrangements:
Linus and Lucy - The main Peanuts theme. This is a great rendition though. Pink Floyd has a song called Echoes, and on the album version their drummer sounds like he’s about to explode but never does. Then on “Live at Pompeii” he goes HAM. Fucking shreds it. This is like Pompeii Linus and Lucy.
Joe Cool - From “You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown”. I LOVE the way B.B. King says “He says ‘Hey baby!’”.
History Lesson - A new composition from Dave Grusin. This one sounds like a news report is about to start, which is a genre I’ve not explored much.
The Great Pumpkin Waltz - From “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”. This one is so calming with a new bounce. Makes you want to jump in the leaves while your tea is steeping.
Little Birdie - From “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving”. A cute little ditty about doing your best. It has a little riff that reminds me of “Candy Girl” by New Edition. https://youtu.be/YtbFPLK-JWI
Rain, Rain, Go Away - A new arrangement by Gerry Mulligan. This will make you remember that tea you made earlier.
Breadline Blues - A new Dave Grusin song. Kenny G on this one.
Red Baron - Probably my least favorite. Kinda keyboard heavy. I would’ve liked some real wind.
Christmas Time is Here - From “A Charlie Brown Christmas”. Patti Austin does great, but the lyrics are such empty calories that it really only works w/ a choir (a la St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in the original).
Charlie Brown Theme - From the unaired 1963 documentary “A Boy Named Charlie Brown”, not to be confused w/ the 1969 animated film of the same name.
Benjamin - The main theme of the “This Is America, Charlie Brown” episode, “The NASA Space Station”. Very fun and bouncy.
Linus and Lucy (Reprise) - Gets a little funky in parts, but never makes it to Pompeii.
Gothic and poppy in spots, hardly cheery but occasionally hopeful. Sonically complex. My tape has a bit of warble around track 10. I bought it new from Grimey’s around a month ago.
Highlights:
Unholy Affliction (Track 3) - Dark and eerie. “Industrial mindset” indeed. It sounds like it wants to slow down, but the drums won’t let it relax until the end.
Shotgun (Track 4) - “I’m a bullet in a shotgun waiting to sound”. Shotguns don’t use bullets. This is a banger anyway. The bassline is straight Halloween.
Feel It All The Time (Track 10) - Bouncy, indie-as-fuck, with a little twang. Feels like vasovagal syncope.
