Thursday 20 June 2013

Take It Easy - Jackie Gleason's Music For Lovers Only


'...no percussian (sic) to jar the romantic effect.' - D.R. Schryer (Amazon)

'Close your eyes as you listen to his warm, mellow strains.' -  Steve R. (Amazon)

'This music is pefect (sic) to calm the nerves of post wwII vets.' - Greg Corlew (Amazon)

'THE MUSIC OF COURSE IS TOP NOTCH, IT IS NOT MUSZAC (sic) OF ELEVATOR MUSIC. UNFORTUNATELY, NO ONE UNDER 40 WOULD EVEN KNOW ALBUMS LIKE THESE EXIST ...IT'S TO THEIR DETRIMENT AND OF COURSE, I BLAME THE RADIO PROGRAMERS....BUT THAT'S ANOTHER STORY.' - daddyojazz (Amazon)

Yes, 'daddyo', it is indeed tragic that no-one under 40 would even know this album exists, and radio programmers should wake up to the fact that there's a huge demand for some Gleason gloss to smooth over the cracks of contemporary life. What better medicine for modern traumas than Music For Lovers Only - it should be available on prescription...although in the UK, if you're working, that could cost about £6 at the chemists and you can buy it for about £3 on-line...

...mind you, if you're single, divorced, or have lost a loved-one, this LP could cause terrible depression, so perhaps it is best that it's prescribed by doctors...just to be on the safe side.

A vinyl find (£2) to add to my collection of classic covers (see more by clicking on the Album Covers tag). Two cigarettes hardly smoked...a trace of lipstick on one...but where are the lovers? Did they get no further than one drag each before passion took over, propelling them to the bedroom? Or are they merely kissing? Does he now have the key to her heart? It seems the cigarettes will smoulder forever...trapped in time, a moment of romantic bliss...the ecstasy of anticipation...when nicotine indulgence could be enjoyed without warnings of death by addiction emblazoned on the packets...

What did Jackie Gleason actually do on all his albums? There's some debate, but his trumpeter, Bobby Hackett, provided the best response: 'He brought the cheques.' In another quote, though, Hackett attributed Gleason with amazing musical ears in his capacity as a conductor. This album remains a record-breaker by spending 153 weeks in the Billboard Top Ten, so Jackie brought some good-looking cheques.


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