Mannheim Steamroller’s music has been something that I always associated with Christmas so when I came across this CD when I was poking around Ebay, I couldn’t pass up bidding on it. I guess no one else wanted to indulge in this and I was the sole bidder and subsequent winner of the auction. When it arrived I couldn’t wait to check it out - having a pretty healthy, but not all that entertaining, collection of Halloween music to start with, I hoped that this would be something that would get played more than once … I’m pretty happy to say that this is one of the best Halloween CD purchases I’ve made this season. Perfect for all ages, it is an entertaining and enchanting two disc set that is sure to provide hours of listening enjoyment this spooky season. If you aren’t familiar with Mannheim Steamroller you might want to check out this CD before you purchase it so you don’t get stuck with something that you don’t like. The rich synthesized sounds on the first disc are exhilarating and enchanting but at the same time, a little creepy and scary. This creates the prefect blend for playing at parties, when handing out treats or just general entertaining.


The Music

Toccata In Demole
Hall Of The Mountain King
Harvest Dance
Flying Dutchman
Z-Row Gravity
Funeral March Of The Marionettes
Rock And Roll Graveyard
Night On Bald Mountain
Crystal
All Hallow's Eve
Sorcerer's Apprentice
Rite Of Twilight
Ride Of The Valkyries

Harvest Dance is one of the mellower songs on this compilation and has a nice renaissance feel to it, mostly due to the synthesized pan flute and chimes that keep the song lively and upbeat, a far cry from the other darker songs. Another Mannheim original, Rock And Roll Graveyard is a little too generic sounding for my taste but still worth a listen. This has a sort of country feel to it but retains the ever-present synthesized element. Things get a little spooky with All Hallows Eve but it’s still upbeat enough for an all ages listen, the same can be said for the slow and languid Crystal that sounds more new age than Halloween. Some might argue that these two tracks aren’t “great” but my take on it is that it shows the many levels Chip Davis is capable of as well as the styles and varieties that are explored. The first CD can easily be divided in to two parts – the original Mannheim pieces and the covers of classical tracks – but before I get into that section of the first disc I have to mention one last original piece entitled Z-Row Gravity. A very earthy track that is mellow and soft on the ears, there are some parts that excel a little but for the most part it’s very soft and gentle. If you ever listened to any of the Soundscape CD’s [space, nature, earth etc] and liked this, you will fall in love with this track.

There are several classical covers included on the first disc, some people love these and others hate them. Being a fan of classical music and operas it took me a little while to get used to hearing some of my favorites like Wagner’s Ride Of The Valkyries done up Mannheim Steamroller style. A few of my friends listened to this when we were making up the treat bags for our homeschool group and it was a split decision, some really got into the classical covers and others considered them below par. Personally, Mussorgsky’s Night On Bald Mountain is the one that really stands out as the most dramatic song where the classical tracks are concerned. It’s dark and foreboding and really catches you off guard the first few times you listen to it. Another personal favorite is Funeral March Of The Marionettes, a little lighter and bouncier [that’s really the only way to describe it] than the others, it was one of the songs that the brood played over and over again on their way to day camp. Sure we got some strange looks from people in other vehicles … but at least they were laughing at the music and not us.

Special Effects

Enchanted Forest
The Other Side
Enchanted Forest II
The Reaper
Ghost Voices
Alien Spaceship
Enchanted Forest III
Mountain King
Digital Death
Souls Demise

The second CD is filled with spooky, creepy and eerie sounds, most of which are synthesized effects. For the most part the titles match up to the content of the songs - Alien Spaceship is just that – sounds you might hear in, on and around an alien craft. The muttled voices really add to the dark feel of this track making it a total keeper for the Halloween theme. Ghost Voices - wow, it’s been a long time since I heard something that really ‘scared’ me, in all honesty – King Diamond’s release “Them” and a handful of SST recordings are the only ones that managed to get me in a paranoid state … until now that is. The young female voice is distorted and sort of sounds like it is crying at some points, others moaning – but all the while raising the hair on the back of your neck. The Other Side is also a great dark track with a demonic voice that hits you like a left hook. Ghost Voices and The Other Side are two of the darkest pieces on this portion of the CD so if you have small children around you might want to skip over these while they are around.

My personal favorites are The Reaper and Mountain King - but the brood didn’t really care for these two. These are both a great blend of synthesized effects and distorted voices – the recipe for screams in my opinion. There is a three part track called The Enchanted Forest; it’s one large collection of sounds broken up and the tracks are inserted in between other songs. The bulk of it is – you guessed it – things you might hear in an enchanted forest. This one doesn’t really have a lot of music to go with the effects and would have probably been best if it were all jammed together into one track. If you are looking for about twelve minutes of creepy sounds to play when handing out treats – if you can copy these three tacks to a cassette or program your CD player to repeat them – you’ll have some great background noises to scare those trick-or-treaters to pieces.

The Bottom Line

If you are a fan of Mannheim Steamroller or have any of the other CD’s in the collection, this is a great investment if you are looking for some entertaining Halloween music. A few songs might be a little too spooky for the wee tots but it is more than suitable for “all ages” listening. This Halloween when I am doling out the treats and scaring the pants off the younger kids I know I’ll be playing both of these discs. I have to give this two freaky thumbs up for originality, great variety and the fact that you get two discs of distinct music to enjoy. For a limited time you can check out the Mannheim site and see a glimpse of the Halloween CD and one hell of a cute flying bat - http://www.amgram.com/flash/index.html. Be sure to turn your speakers up really loud before you go there too [ok, don’t or you might scare your neighbors to bits].


Spooky thanks & wicked wishes …

~^V^~ Freak ~^V^~

© 2003 Freak369


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Recommended: Yes