Electronic "Au Go Go"
Annie Van Auken | Planet Earth | 04/25/2010
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Anyone tuned in to local afternoon TV shows in the late 1960s will surely remember a track or two from Perrey-Kingsley's THE IN SOUND FROM WAY OUT (1966). If this album has a Top 40 hit, "Electronic Can-Can" is the one. Also used as theme songs of kiddie programs where I lived (NY Tri-State area) were "Barnyard In Orbit" and "Computer In Love."
"Barnyard" has animal sound effects plus drums, bongo, organ and P-K's space-age sounds. "Can-Can" is augmented with banjo and percussion. "Spooks In Space" and "Girl From Venus" are underscored with rhythmic loops similar to those heard on Morton Subotnick's SILVER APPLES OF THE MOON (1967).
"Swan's Splashdown" is based on a Tchaikovsky theme. "Jungle Blues" features altered animal roars, trumpets, honks and squawks with rhythm guitar mixed in. The finale, "Visa To The Stars" is primarily a small combo playing against an electronic alto "voice" that warbles the melody, followed by a variation in a lower register.
PROGRAM--
SIDE ONE
[1:55] Unidentified Flying Object
[2:25] The Little Man From Mars
[3:24] Cosmic Ballad
[2:15] Swan's Splashdown
[2:49] Countdown At 6
[2:24] Barnyard In Orbit
SIDE TWO
[2:00] Spooks In Space
[2:21] Girl From Venus
[2:00] Electronic Can-Can
[2:55] Jungle Blues From Jupiter
[2:03] Computer In Space
[2:13] Visa To The Stars
TOTAL TIME: 28:44"