Musichound Lounge: The Essential Album Guide to Martini Music & Easy Listening

Rating:
Summary: Pretentious, but informative...
Review: Despite the years-old bust in the lounge music boom, this is a fun and informative volume. My instincts tell me to check all critical thinking at the door, but I just can't help myself. Written by many of the same folks who valiantly strove to make easy listening a "thing," this book is pretty footloose and fancy free with what it chooses to call lounge ("... whatever sounds good when you're drinking a martini...") Latin dance music is sampled (Perez Prado, Desi Arnez, Mario Bauza) as are some relatively haphazard additions from the world of soul music (Isaac Hayes? sure, I guess... but Erykah Badu??). Of course, anything croony or well-known from the big band era is up for grabs (but why no Glen Gray, Ruth Etting or Paul Whiteman, if you're going to include all those other old-timers?)... There are all sorts of questionable entries form the world of rock ("... but why Morrissey, the Beautiful South, Pizzicato Five and the Beach Boys and not so-and-so... ???") -- and practically *nothing* by John Zorn or the Boredoms (what's up with that???). Despite the perversity of presentation, this book is pretty groovy: who else is going to steer you towards Blossom Dearie or Dinah Washington these days? The companion CD is one of the better freebies in the MusicHound series, a sampler of the last six volumes in Capitol's exhaustive Ultra-Lounge series, and one of the very few such MusicHound discs to include an adequate number of tracks. Recommended for the kitsch-conscious reader.

Rating:
Summary: Pretentious, but informative...
Review: Despite the years-old bust in the lounge music boom, this is a fun and informative volume. My instincts tell me to check all critical thinking at the door, but I just can't help myself. Written by many of the same folks who valiantly strove to make easy listening a "thing," this book is pretty footloose and fancy free with what it chooses to call lounge ("... whatever sounds good when you're drinking a martini...") Latin dance music is sampled (Perez Prado, Desi Arnez, Mario Bauza) as are some relatively haphazard additions from the world of soul music (Isaac Hayes? sure, I guess... but Erykah Badu??). Of course, anything croony or well-known from the big band era is up for grabs (but why no Glen Gray, Ruth Etting or Paul Whiteman, if you're going to include all those other old-timers?)... There are all sorts of questionable entries form the world of rock ("... but why Morrissey, the Beautiful South, Pizzicato Five and the Beach Boys and not so-and-so... ???") -- and practically *nothing* by John Zorn or the Boredoms (what's up with that???). Despite the perversity of presentation, this book is pretty groovy: who else is going to steer you towards Blossom Dearie or Dinah Washington these days? The companion CD is one of the better freebies in the MusicHound series, a sampler of the last six volumes in Capitol's exhaustive Ultra-Lounge series, and one of the very few such MusicHound discs to include an adequate number of tracks. Recommended for the kitsch-conscious reader.

Rating:
Summary: A Hodge Podge collection at best
Review: Eventhough it includes a lot of acts that most people wouldn't consider 'lounge,' this is a great reference. If you're just beginning to appreciate this kind of music, or if you are a more seasoned lounge fan, this is a must-have. It has quick musical bios on each of the acts and advice on which CD's and albums to buy and which ones to stay away from. It doesn't have a lot of indepth information, and it doesn't get as detailed as to discuss specific songs - but it has just about every act under the sun tossed in. It's worth the cost of the book to avoid buying anymore bum CD's.

Rating:
Summary: A great reference for a novice lounge lover
Review: Eventhough it includes a lot of acts that most people wouldn't consider 'lounge,' this is a great reference. If you're just beginning to appreciate this kind of music, or if you are a more seasoned lounge fan, this is a must-have. It has quick musical bios on each of the acts and advice on which CD's and albums to buy and which ones to stay away from. It doesn't have a lot of indepth information, and it doesn't get as detailed as to discuss specific songs - but it has just about every act under the sun tossed in. It's worth the cost of the book to avoid buying anymore bum CD's.

Rating:
Summary: A Hodge Podge collection at best
Review: While I enjoyed renewing my memory of several of the albums and artists listed here, the criteria for inclusion is insanely schizophrenic. How do Ellington, Goodman, Prima and Woody Herman all make the grade while Count Basie does not? Morrissey over Van Morrison? Al Jarreau over Mark Murphey? ABBA and the Carpenters but no Turtles?

Stil, if this volume points anyone in the direction of Julie London it can't be a bad thing.