Albums by artists whose names start with L

• L'Atome:
  • filed under: artists: Atome

• La Casa Azul: "El Sonito Efervescente De La Casa Azul"
  • CD, Elefant Records, Spain, 2001
  • comment:
    • William Mellot: la casa azul are one of the few new bands i've discovered recently that has me really excited. they are spanish on the elefant records label out of spain. the label has a site at www.elefant.com/ with mp3 samples of various bands. at this point la casa azul only have one sort of mini ep 7 tracks, but the first is sort of an intro not really a song. oh wait, there's a untitled bonus track on that disc. i highly reccomend it. i think you can order it directly from them.

• La Casa Azul: "Tan Simple Como El Amor"
  • CD/LP, Elefant Records, Spain, 2003

• La Formule Du Baron (Bernard Estardy): "La Formule Du Baron"
  • CD/LP, Pulp Flavor/ Dare Dare 009, France, 1999
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 4 points on 5. Baroque prog pop fun, with lots and lots of different instruments and sounds, from all the classic pop/rock/big band instruments to a marching band and cats and dogs sounds; voices too: wordless, baritone, or chipmunk style, he's got it . Sometimes it's a bit over the top, but i like it that way. He mixes various styles: prog rock, sympho pop, yéyé, jazz, funk, swing, R&B, musette, polka, and boogie woogie! I haven't heard anything like this before, although 1 track reminded me a bit of les Charlots. Only 1 track was disapointing, a sentimental balad. Available directly from Dare Dare, where you can find MP3 samples too.
    • Pulp Flavor: in 1967, he built his own recording studio, CBE, soon to became legendary in the French music industry, something like what Abbey Road would be for the British. ... During the first years of the studio, between sessions for other artists, Bernard slowly perfected a Pop Jazz concept-album...

• Toto La Momposina Y Sus Tambores: "Music Of The Atlantic Coast"
  • CD, Auvidis, Europe?, year?
  • comment:
    • Johan: Very conveniently available directly from What Music, where you can find MP3 samples too.
    • www.whatmusic.com: Toto La Momposina and her Drums with Atlantic Coast folklore

• Laika & The Cosmonauts: "Absurdistan"
  • CD, Warner/ Chappell/ Fazer Records, Finland, 1997
    CD, YepRoc, USA, 2000
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5. This one has a more contemporary sound, as opposed to the retro Brit 60's instro sound of their other albums. Several tracks are much louder and garage rock oriented, others have rhythm tracks that are influenced by dub and drum 'n bass, and there's even 1 funky track! Available from www.digelius.com

• Laika & The Cosmonauts: "The Amazing Colossal Band"
  • CD, Upstart 010, USA, 1995
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 5 points on 5.

• Laika & The Cosmonauts: "C'mon do the Laika"
  • CD, ?, Europe, 200?

• Laika & The Cosmonauts: "Instruments Of Terror"
  • CD, Upstart 005, USA, 1993
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 5 points on 5.
    • Peter Gingerich: shiny Shadows style 'verb on the lead guitar, much more sonic and spacey (thus their name, I guess) than straight ahead surf.

• Laika & the Cosmonauts: "Laika Sex Machine"  (...Taped Before A Live Audience)
  • CD, Yep Roc Records YEP 2024, USA, 2000
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5. I personally prefer their studio albums. This live set sometimes sounds a bit too close to power-surf.
    • Jan-Erik Frigren: Twenty-six tracks recorded before a LIVE audience! It contains a nice surf-version of Bernard Herrmanns Vertigo and Psycho, the classic outer space secret agent filmscore surf tunes plus many others. A real riot!. They have also done a some versions of John Barrys tunes. You can order it on www.digelius.com/.

• Laika & The Cosmonauts: "Surf you right"
  • CD, ?, Europe, 200?

• Laika & The Cosmonauts: "Zero Gravity"
  • CD, Upstart 006, USA, 1996
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 4 points on 5. Taken from previous (Finland-only?) albums "C'mon Do The Laika!" & "Surfs You Right".

• Lambert, Hendricks & Ross: "The Hottest New Group In Jazz"
  • Double CD, Columbia/ Legacy C2K 64933, USA, 1996
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 5 points on 5. Mindboggling and amazing virtuoso acrobatic vocal jazz. Combines their "The Hottest New Group In Jazz", "Sing Ellington" and "High Flying with the Ike Isaacs Trio" LPs.
    • Peter Risser: MMMm. I love these guys and this three LP-on-2 CD set satisfies like my wife's chocolate chip cookies. I have a bunch of the best tunes on a set called Everybody's Boppin', but this fills it out nicely. Nice packaging too.

• Lambert, Hendricks & Ross: "Sing A Song Of Basie"
  • CD, Verve Master Edition, USA, 2001
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 4 points on 5. Includes 3 bonus tracks. If you liked whatever you've heard of them, you'll dig this one too!
    • from the liner notes © Verve: The art of vocalese takes a recorded jazz performance and adapts it for the human voice by fitting lyrics to it ... this is the record that launched the vocalese craze and, in the process, gave birth to the most creative vocal team jazz has ever known.

• Lambert, Hendricks & Ross: "Twisted: The Best Of Lambert, Hendricks & Ross"
  • CD, Rhino R2 70328, USA, 199?
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 4 points on 5. Mindboggling and amazing virtuoso acrobatic vocal jazz.

• the Lance Gambit Trio: "Cocktail 2000"
  • CD, Music for Leisure MFLCD3, UK, 1998
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5. 22 cocktail covers of chart hits. I'm a bit handicapped here, as i don't listen to the radio, and therefor don't know this chart hits ;-) half of the fun with this kind of "easification" projects is recognising the tunes. Still nice background music, but nothing special.
    • Darrell Brogdon: loungey versions of tunes by Oasis, Spice Girls, Dodgy, Gina G., Pulp and others. By a Shearing-esque combo of piano, bass, drums, congas, vibes, some cool wordless vocals. At least one of the tracks has surface noise dubbed in to create the feel of old vinyl. The whole thing smells a bit like a put-on, but the music's enjoyable, if unremarkable. The liner notes and the packaging make it sound like a big put-on, complete with photos of Lance's "other" albums, including "Cocktail Magic", "Cocktail Party", etc. I don't usually care much for these Loungeapalooza stunts, but I have to admit I kinda like this one!

• Abbe Lane with Tito Puente and his Orchestra: "Be Mine Tonight"
  • CD, RCA 44662, Spain, 1997
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 4 points on 5.

• There's more by Abbe Lane than listed here: search elsewhere

• Langhorns: "Langhorns"
  • CD, Bad Taste Records, Sweden, 199?
  • comment:
    • Reviewed in "Cheese Ball" issue 2 page 54

• The Langley Schools Music Project: "Innocence And Despair"
  • CD, Bar/None, USA, 2001
    CD, Basta Records 30-9110, netherlands, 2001
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 5 points on 5. Reissue of 2 very rare 1970's Canadian private pressing LP's recorded by music teacher Hans Fenger, who was assigned to several schools in the Langley District. One of these 2 LP's (simply titled "Lochiel And South Carvolth Schools") was rediscovered by Brian Linds, a Canadian radio maker and exotica enthusiast, who sent a tape copy of "space oddity" to Irwin Chusid, who immediately desided to reissue the LP's on this very CD. A school kids choir of 60 kids, age 9 to 12 (their voices are sweet and yet incredibly powerful) + guitar + wood blocks + xylophone + drums: this rather basic ensemble brings Hans Fenger's peculair, Carl Orff inspired arrangements of the hits favoured by his schoolkids: the Beach boys, Fleetwood Mac, Barry Manilow, The Eagles, Thed Carpenters, ... 21 songs in total. The result is simply amaaaaazing Outsider music, especially "space oddity"; man o man, i listened to that time after time, and it is simply the most astaunding, incredible cover anytime! pure (amateur) genius at work! Sure, these kids lack a lot of musicianship, but this is more than compensated by their true enthusiasm, naive authenticity, and vibrating emotions. This is a unique, powerful, inspired recording, that on each repeated listening gives me the shivers; to be honnest, this is one of the very few CDs that can bring tears to my eyes! This is a precious audio document, and a heavenly beaty of a CD.

• Roy Lanham: "Sizzling Strings/ (The) Fabulous Guitar"
  • CD, Bear Family BCD 16116, Germany, 1996
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5. Guitar virtuoso country-jazz, with a repertoire encompassing jazz, pop, country and original material, much admired by jazz musicians.
    • Barney Kessel: "Take off your boots and hat, and you can be a great jazz player"

• Johnny Largo at the Optigan: "The Joyous Sounds of Christmas"
  • CD, www.optigan.com, USA, 2000
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5.
    • Reviewed in "_Cool And Strange Music Magazine_" issue 16

• Lasos: "Bora Bora"
  • CD, ?, USA, 199?
  • comment:
    • Jonny yuma: new age exotica - complete with bird calls!! (And a tiki cover......) Not that I'm saying it's any good... pretty cheesy with the keyboard... liosten here: www.broadcast.com/jukebox/albums/b/borabora2000440.html_ . Dig that funky pseudo-tropica rhythm. MAN! I have a few Iasos records from the 70s and 80s that I have found in discard bins. Good for sampling thats about it. Cheesy whooshy synth washes with bleeps and gurgles. This one, however is beyond me, talk about taking everything human out of music, WOW.

• Jacques Lasry & Francois Baschet/ Francois & Bernard Baschet: "Sonata Exotique/ Structures For Sound"
  • CD-R, Zippy CD Company Mono, Japan, 2002
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5.
    • Jack Diamond Music: 2 recordings from circa 1957 and 1959 respectively, music composed and arranged by both Jacques Lasry and Francois Baschet. Baschet sound sculptures used in these recordings are; Harpe Ailee (Played like and sounds like a Harp), The Piano de Aluminum (Played and sounds like a Piano), Monument e' Percussion (Played with Rubber Mallets and sounds like deep bells or several cellos) and The Crystal Organ. Very psychedelic, dreamy, percussive banging the metal rods of the Sculptures For Sound and plucking them with moistened fingers.

• James Last: "Lounge Legends"  (twenty classic rcordings)
  • CD, Universal 589 327, Germany, 2001
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5. Probably the first comp focusing on James last's more groovy and soulful cuts (including 2 from his "Voodoo Party" LP). Unfortunately, the makers choose several rather mediocre and too-close-to-cheesy tracks, while omitting killer stuff like his covers of the Beatles' "she came in through the bathroom window" and a gospel-rocking "here comes the sun", his go-go version of "satisfaction", a flang-a-gogo psychploitation "Aquarius", a whistlers choir version of "carmen", and last but not least, from "Beach pary 1", "Proud mary" and the incredible "Happy Brasila"; also nothing I think from his funk LP "Seduction"... check out www.loungelegends.de

• James Last: "Rock & Roll Party"
  • CD, PolyGram/ Spectrum 554 646, UK, 1998
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 2 points on 5. Goofy fun medleys, with "Hansi" and his band doing Presley and Beatles and many more 1950's & 60's R&R tunes, with an live "discotheque" type of audience that is... err "singing" along, or trying to anyway, and cheering. Some of this is actually very good, if you can put your prejudices aside, like "a hard days night, "rock around the world", "shake rattle & roll", "I feel fine", "Proud Mary", "Get back", and "I hear you knocking". Party music for drunk people ;-)

• The Last of the International Playboys: "The Last Of The International Playboys"
  • CD, Transcontinental Records TRC 97019701, USA, 1997
  • comment:
    • (unknown): Vocal Vegas Jazz and Latin Lounge . Subtle samba, swingtime big band and even side trips into the exotic
    • Reviewed in _Cool And Strange Music Magazine_ issue 15

• Anton Szandor LaVey: "Satan Takes A Holiday"
  • CD, Amarillo ACM-594, USA, 1996
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5. Almost 70 minutes of dramatic, moody, rather bombastic, a bit spooky at times, then again a bit funny, anachronistic covers of really old musical and burlesque songs. LaVey plays synth, Hammond, theatre organ, piano, caliope, band organ (the type used on fairgrounds), and even theremin, on 1 track. He is accompanied by singers, some of them trained, others (including himself) not trained at all, and hilariously off-key. Sound quality is bad on at least 3 tracks, as if mastered from a damaged cassette tape with lots of noise. Quote from the booklet: "With his background in classical, burlesque, circus and roadhouse styles of playing, LaVey uses modern synthesizer technology for illegal purposes - to evoke feelings". These emotions are about suicide and death, sadness, love and passion. In at least 1 track ("If you were the only girl"), LaVey shows some devilish sarcasm: "Now we've got to kill everybody so that you can be the only girl, and I the only boy..." If you like Korla Pandit, then check this one out!
    • Kev: Anton is quite the accomplished organ player! The Master of Evil playing such delightful ditties as "Satan Takes A Holiday" and "Honolulu Baby"... However, his vocal stylings are about on par with Jack Webb's version of "Try a Little Tenderness". This is a delightful "must-have" cd.

• Anton Szandor LaVey: "Strange Music"
  • 10", Amarillo AM-586, USA, 1994
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 4 points on 5. And strange it is! Very moody, spooky, but beautiful at times too.

• Hugh Le Caine: "Compositions Demonstrations 1946-1974"
  • CD-R, JWD Music, Canada, 1999
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 2 points on 5.
    • Jack Diamond Music: "Hugh Le Caine, early electronic music pioneer, demonstrates his Electronic Sackbut Synthesizer in 1948 by playing the opening clarinet solo from Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue'". BUT WAIT, there's soooooooooooooooooooooooooo much more. 38 Tracks, over 70 minutes os some of the most amazing early pre-moog sysnthesizer instrumentals, just now released onto the compact digital medium, in over 40 years. Weird and wonderful totally outer space-like,  pop, melodic, psychedelic and noisy, but fun electronics.   Really amazing stuff. Working at his Toronto laboratory, supported by the Canadian National Research Council, he went on to engineer and prototype the touch sensitive organ, variable speed recorder, multi-track recorder, and numerous other magnificent electronic instruments. And he demonstrated his inventions by composing his own music and by arranging well known tunes, demonstrating at the same time that he was a talented musician and that he had a great sense of humor. This CD, produced by Gayle Young, Le Caine's biographer, is a comprehensive compilation of his music, much of it not available before. The CD also includes a number of Le Caine's spoken explanations of his demonstrations which make the CD come alive with human interest. In its commemoration of a remarkable personality and in the historical importance of its content, this is an essential CD. In the extent to which it is also enjoyable, it is a stunning accomplishment.

• Ramon Leal & Beatrice Binotti: "Bossanova 1999"
  • CD, Siesta, Spain, 1999
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5.
    • Chuck: This is one great straight ahead bossa nova album. Ramon Leal and the band are tight! Bearice Binotti's vocals are beautiful. She can really hit the high notes. Bossa Nova standards are interpreted in a fresh authentic style. When they do "Summer Samba" Ramon Leal sings from the left speaker and Beatrice from the right, its a stunning remake of this classic. The quality of sound is tremendous! It is such a great recording job that I think they were using the old mikes at Verve. The album is also produced so well, nothing is too loud, it all blends pefectly. There is not a bad song on this album. Its a collection of bossa nova standouts.

• Ramon Leal: "Clube Da Chave"
  • CD, Siesta 116, Spain, 2000
  • comment:
    • Reviewed in _Cool And Strange Music Magazine_ issue 20

• Lebron Brothers Orchestra: "Psychedelic Goes Latin"
  • CD, Cotique, USA, 199?
  • comment:
    • (unknown): Nice "acid" Latin soul stuff, with cuts like "My Cool Boogaloo", "Descarga Lebron", "Mary, Mary", and a nice cover of "Summertime Blues". Nice stuff in the Pucho vein

• Carlos Lee: "Bossa Maximus"
  • CD, What Music 0042, UK, 2002
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 4 points on 5. "Bossa nova with an attitude". available directly from What Music, where you can find MP3 samples too.
      Read a review of this record in the "Critiquarium".

• Peggy Lee: "The Best Of Miss Peggy Lee"
  • CD, Capitol, USA, 1998

• Peggy Lee: "Bewitching-Lee"
  • CD, DCC, USA, 1999

• Peggy Lee: "Black Coffee/ Sea Shells"
  • CD, Decca, UK, 1998
  • comment:
    • add missing details or your own comment for this item [#4686]

• Peggy Lee: "Extra Special/ Something Groovy"
  • CD, EMI UK, UK, 1997?

• Peggy Lee: "Fever"
  • Triple CD, ? 883492, ?, 1997

• Peggy Lee: "Latin Ala Lee!"
  • CD, DCC, USA, January 2000
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5.

• Peggy Lee: "Latin Ala Lee!/ Olé Ala Lee!"
  • CD, EMI UK 8 56056, UK, 1997
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5. If you like Peggy, and you like vocal Latin music, then this is something for you.

• Peggy Lee: "The Man I Love/ If You Go"
  • CD, Capitol/EMI 8 55389, UK, 1996

• Peggy Lee: "Mink Jazz"
  • CD, Capitol, USA, 1998

• Peggy Lee: "Miss Peggy Lee"
  • 4 CD Box, Capitol 0777 97826 28, USA, 1998
  • comment:
    • Reviewed in _Cool And Strange Music Magazine_ issue 18

• Peggy Lee: "Pretty Eyes/ Guitars A La Lee"
  • CD, label?, Europe?, year?
  • comment:
    • Johan: two rare 1960's LP's

• Peggy Lee: "Things Are Swingin'/ Jump For Joy"
  • CD, Capitol/EMI 8 54543 (CTMCD 101), UK, 1996
  • comment:
    • Reviewed in the "Record Collector" issue 209

• Peggy Lee: "Trav'lin' Light"
  • CD, Blue Note/ Capitol Jazz, USA, 2000
  • comment:
    • Johan: Collection of 15 relaxed, jazz-flavored songs recorded in 1949, drawing heavily on the Burke-Van Huesen songbook, selected by Miss Lee herself, commercially released for the first time.

• There's more by Peggy Lee than listed here: search elsewhere

• Rita Lee: "Build Up"
  • CD, Phillips/Polygram, Brazil, 19??
  • comment:
    • Chuck: Rita branches off from Los Mutantes on this marvelous colllection of a very sensuous singer. The songs are generally written by her and other mutantes except for And I Love Her. Great cd, great price & I only wish it was longer.

• Al Garcia and The Rhythm Kings: "Exotic Rockin' Instrumentals, 1963-1964"
  • CD, Dionysus Records BA 1135, USA, 1999
  • comment:
    • Reviewed in _Cool And Strange Music Magazine_ issue 15

• Carnaby Street Pop Orchestra & Choir: "The London Theme"
  • CD, Recur ECD 702, UK, 1999
  • comment:
    • Johan: Brassy orchestral funk; TV themes and covers.
    • Reviewed in the "Record Collector" issue 238

• Xavier Cugat: "Music To Watch Girls By"
  • CD, Vintage Classics Series VCS 004, Italy, 199?
  • comment:
    • Johan: No idea what's on ot, but I bet it has the same stuff as "Cugie au go-go" on Varèse Sarabande.
    • Late 60s

• Raymond Lefèvre: "Les Plus Belles Musiques Des Films De Louis De Funès"  (Collection Play Time - Les Acteurs)
  • CD, FGL Playtime PL 9306/302 613, France, 1993, deleted?
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 4 points on 5.
    • Elisabeth Vincentelli: I highly recommend it. It's mostly from the "Gendarmes" series (6 of them starting in the 60s) with 4 more. Excellent stuff, from twist to cocktailish stuff to chase 'n' bongos extravaganzas that compares favorably to Lalo at his best. Some of it is akin to 60s Mancini. One of the tracks is titled "Cauchemar Pop" ("Pop Nightmare")--great title! On top of that the packaging is excellent (nice booklet + cardboard outer sleeve), and it only costs $14 at Dusty Groove. I'm ordering volume 2 immediately.
    • Marco 'Kallie' Kalnenek: PRACHTIGE cd, echt een aanrader. Muziek uit 9 de Funès-films (de "gendarmes-films"), 35 tracks in totaal. Ik heb laatst gezien dat er ook een tweede deel is, met muziek uit andere De Funès-films (en met andere componisten). In de serie Collection Play Time zijn er ook cd's met muziek uit de films van Jean Gabin (ook erg leuk) en Jacques Tati (vind ik iets minder leuk).

• The Legendary Stardust Cowboy : "Tokyo"
  • CD, Cracked Piston Recordings, 2002
  • comment:
    • reviewed @ www.weirdomusic.com/

• Christine Legrand: "Elle Et Ils"  (Le Belle Voix Comme Un Bijou)
  • CD, Polydor Universal POCP-1705, Japan, 2000
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 4 points on 5. Yes, I know, it should be "LA bell voix", but it says "le" on the cover... Christine is the sister of Michel Legrand, and was member of Les Double Six and Quire, but this is entirely different from those jazz vocalese groups: here we have 16 songs from ep's that she recorded for Barclay in France in the 1960-1962, 12 as solo singer, 4 with The Barcley Singers (again mis-spelled as BarcRey :-) and the popular music style that is called "varieté" in France, with a big band backing. A couple of great tunes with funny vocal tricks, but overal in my opinion not exceptional enough, and too little tracks to rectify the high import price. For fans only.

• Michel Legrand: "Anthologie"
  • Tripple CD Box, Mercury 548249-2, France, 2000
  • comment:
    • Johan: Contains 2 tracks from the LP "Archi-cordes": "Noix de Coco", and "Di Gue Ding Ding", that's all I know about it for now.

• Michel Legrand: "Le Meillieur De Michel Legrand"
  • CD, ?, France?, 199?
  • comment:
    • Johan: Les moulins de mon coeur; Les demoiselles de Rochefort: Chanson des jumelles; Un ete 42; Quand on s'aime (duo avec Nana Mouskouri); La valse des lilas; Di-gue-ding-ding; Je vivrai sans toi; L'ame soeur a l'hamecon; Le cinema; Trombone, guitarre et compagnie; Et la mer; Quand ca balance; Les parapluis de Cherbourg: Je ne pourrai jamais vivre sans toi; Ou vont les ballons?; Comme elle est lounge a mourir ma jeunesse; Les demoiselles de Rochefort: Marins, amis, amants our maris ; Oum le dauphin; Elle a elle a pas; Les demoiselles de Rochefort: Chanson de Maxence; Peau d'ane: generique; Les enfants qui pleurent; L'amour en scie; Cing jours en juin: Scenes de la vie quotidienne; Les baladins de siecle d'aujourd'hui.
    • (unknown)?: Compilation of Legrand tracks, some well known, but several tracks come from rare 10" EPs he made in the 60's. "Di-gue-ding-ding" might be one of the coolest songs ever recorded.

• Michel Legrand: "Les Parapluies De Cherbourg"  (The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg)
  • Double CD, ?, ?, 19??
  • comment:
    • (unknown): wonderful, haunting, a superb early 60s jazz-pop score that holds up remarkably well today

• Michel Legrand: "Michel Legrand Chante"  (Michel Legrand Sings)
  • CD, Playtime, France, 1997

• Leningrad Cowboys & Red Army Ensemble: "Global Balalaika Show"
  • Double CD/DVD (PAL), 2003
  • comment:
    • Johan: August 2003 Helsinki concert

• Leningrad Cowboys with the Alexandrov Red Army Ensemble : "Happy Together"
  • CD, Ariola 74321 21389, Finland or Japan, 1994
  • comment:
    • Johan: Studio versions of the tracks that also appeared on their "Total Balalaika Show Helsinki Concert" live CD

• Leningrad Cowboys & The Alexandrov Red Army Ensemble: "Total Balalaika Show Helsinki Concert"
  • Double CD, PLUTOCD 7004, Finland, 1993
    CD, Ariola/ BMG Victor BVCP-788, Japan, 1995
    Double CD, Megaphon, Germany?, 2000
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5. Leningrad Cowboys With The Alexandrov Red Army Ensemble.
    • Arjan Plug: Their version of ZZ Top's "Gimme All your Lovin'" backed with the backing of a 100+ Russian choir in front of 50000 screaming fans is a hoot! Also renditions of Californian Girls, Yellow Submarine, Sweet Home Alabama, It's Only Rock 'n Roll...

• Daniel Lentz: "Missa Umbrarum"
  • CD, ?
  • comment:
    • Edward Milhuisen: Most tracks are with wineglasses and voices and one track with only wineglasses. Very spiritually oriented music.

• Les Boreades: "Beatles Baroque"
  • CD, Atma Records, Canada, 2001
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5.

• Les Boreades: "Beatles Baroque volume 2"
  • CD, Atma Records, Canada, 2002
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5.

• Les Enfants Terribles: "C'est La Vie"
  • CD, Magic Records MAM 101/ 3930042, France, 2001
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 5 points on 5. I've never heard such music before! Unique, must-hear, groovy 1970's French harmonic vocal ensemble. Five voices, coming from the left, the center, the right, singing together or against eachother, with lyrics and wordless singing and vocal sound effects. backing with acoustic guitar and something that sounds like a harpsichord makes for a sound that is very hip retro baroque prog folk pop. Wonderfully rich melodies, adventurous arrangements (stereo effects!), poetic lyrics... fabulous! check sound frags @ amazon.fr

• Les Flash/ Les Guitares: "Instrumental Guitars vol.1"
  • CD, Magic Records PM 806/ 5301582, France, 2000
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5. French 1960's guitar instro. Still available directly from Magic Records. The 8 tracks by Les Flash are not bad, but worth getting the CD for either. The 8 tracks by Les Guitares from 1964 however are really cool, very space-themed and with spacey sounding instrumentation and effects, very influenced by Joe Meek, with great tribal drums. Also contains 4 bonus tracks, recorded in 200 by the lead guitar player of Les Guitares, but 3 of those are total crap.

• Les Gam's: "Twistin' The Rock"  (series, vol. 13)
  • CD, Mercury, France, 2002
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5. French girl quartet, very popular in 1963-64, modelled after the Shirelles and The Chrystals, doing hip French adaptations of Anglo pop hits: C'est Bien Fait Pour Toi (Judy's time to cry) - Toi L'ami (All my loving) and 21 more. Full track list & to audio samples @ www.amazon.fr

• Les Guitares Du Diable: "L'intégrale - Twist"
  • Double CD, Magic Records 3930041, distr. MAM, France, 2000
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 4 points on 5. French instro guitar group that recorded between 1961 en '63. Their varied styl ranged from wacky and exotic instrumentals (with wild "aiaiaiai" screams, some Latin percussion, and bongo's), over slightly jazzy tracks (with sax) and cinematographic/spaghetti sound to more sophisticated Shadows-style instro sound. I marked only 6 out of the 50 tracks as too cheesy. All the others are very good to excellent in their style. Lots of covers of course, see track list @ the label's site and/or listen to audio samples @ www.amazon.fr

• Les Hommes: "Les Hommes"
  • CD, Schema 331, Italy, 2002
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5. Actually, I'd like to give it 3 and a half points ;-) the (4) wordless vocal tracks are wonderful, the rest is quite good, but what I'm missing is strong melodies, a typical weak point for so many modern artists, who feel comfortable with merely looping snippets of melody lines.

• Les Hommes: "The Mood Is Modal"
  • CD, Schema SCCD 324, Italy, 2000
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5. Only 5 tracks, plus 1 alternate instrumental version of the title track, which is really bad compared to the "original" version, which features wordless vocals and is the second best track of this CD. The opening (and best) track has wordless vocals too. The sound is nice to listen to, but there are no real TUNES (maybe with the exception of the first one). These guys just take a fragment of a melody line (what I call a FRAGMEL) and they loop it (what i call a FRAGMELOOP) and then they think they wrote a tune...

• Lesiman: "The Future Sound Of Lesiman"
  • Double CD/LP, Right Tempo/ Easy Tempo ET 920, 1998
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5. Very artistically ambitious and a bit experimental production music. Impossible to categorise; "difficult easy listening" maybe? It's jazzy - but not of the easy kind, rather complex at times - funky, and futuristic - but not in a gimmicky way; sounds like film music, but it isn't. About 7 (out of 22) tracks are as good as the one featured on "Easy tempo 5"; about 12 are between good and OK, but not that special, and the remaining 3 were just too experimental for my EZ taste.

• Sonny Lester Orchestra and Chorus: "How To Belly Dance For Your Lover"
  • CD, Groove Jams 97002, USA, 2000
  • comment:
    • Byron: not be the same music as his lp. has some interesting notes about his original How to Strip/belly dance recordings... but the CD was all new material and not as nice.

• Sonny Lester and His Orchestra: "Music To Keep Your Husband Happy"
  • CD, EMI 5 39788 2, UK, 2002
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 4 points on 5. Twofer combo of "How To Strip Dance For Your Husband" (nice) plus "How To Belly Dance For Your Husband" -- fantastic! -- The latter is the one you need: originally released on LP on Roulette stereo SR25202, I guess mid 1960', featuring: 1 part Middle Eastern music, 1 part light jazz, and 1 part of nice female wordless vocals, et voilà: Belly Dance Exotica! "How To Strip..." is rather mediocre, typical burlesque strip music, except for an exotic bolero-variation, and a couple of novelty numbers ("the raid") with police sirens and whistles and a band that keeps playing along, be it slighltly out of tune. Too bad EMI didn't choose "After hours Middle East" as a companion album instead of "How To Belly Dance For Your Husband"...

• Cecil Leuter (= Roger Roger): "Pop Electronique"  (Les Sons Electroniques De Cecil Leuter)
  • CD/LP, Dare Dare DD015, France, 2000, deleted
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5. Half of it is a -- not very inspired, but still somehow groovy -- imitation of Pierre Henry's "Messe pour le temps présent" (which was recorded 2 years earlier, in 1967). The other half is just electronic "doodling", unmelodic, i didn't like it very much, though it might be great to use mixed with some oter music.... Very conveniently available directly from Dare Dare, where you can find MP3 samples too.
    • Magnus Sandberg: Roger Roger calls himself Cecil Leuter, its from 69 and has a very interesting and different approach to moog pop psychedelia. Near Richard Haymans moog album or Dick Hymans, but different. Highly recommended both of them, the cd is available at Dusty Groove. ... terrific for a jaded ear, it sound so "new"! I cant recommend it highly enough, it begins with an unscrupulous R2D2 combined with a cool rock/beat/organ comp close to "astro sounds". Some of the funniest robotmusic I have heard in years. Other tracks features just the serious side of R2D2, not Musik Konkret, but something near it without getting "difficult" for the senses. Lots of crazy rythms. Fast... slow...
    • Jack Diamond: Cecil Leuter is a.k.a. Roger Roger. Roger Roger used this name of Cecil Leuter when he did his experimental electronic library sounds. Couple of tracks are featured on the Luke Vibert "Nuggets" CD. This POP ELECTRONIQUE is exactly like Piere Henry meets Jean Jacques Perrey. It is totally insane psychedelic electronic with searing ripping feed backed guitars on a number of tracks and 12 tracks they be all titled pop electronique. it is totally nutzoid genius and I can't recommend it highly enough. 14 Tracks of totally insane and wonderful all instro stuff that may just rip your head clean off your shoulders. 5 Stars! ... Roger Roger scored well over 500 foreign soundtracks

• Cecil Leuter/ Georges Teperino: "TV Music 104"
  • CD-R, Zippy CD Company, 2002
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 4 points on 5.
    • Jack Diamond Music: Music for Television, Film, Radio etc etc etc, from the avant garde underground of France, circa 1969. Brilliant melodic but still I gotta say avant garde Electronic instrumentals by partners in crime; Cecil Leuter and George Teperino. Electronic melodic and strange but terribly fun and interesting instrumentals with the most bizarre combinations of Percussion and things that I don't even know what they are or how to begin to describe to you what they sound like. I can listen to this stuff all day long and have many times! Laughing... The word ELECTRO as in Electro Theme is not anything like today's word Electro. This is from 1968, fer christ's sake. OK Something very ODD even for this release, as wonderfully odd as it already is, C Leuter's "Electro Theme No. 4" is not Electro/Electronic anything. It's a big giant smashing bashing drum break/drum solo. There is just so much going on and we can hear all of it happening. Great sound fidelity CD from ZIPPY. Oscillators, Moog, Spark Generators, Ondioline, Martenot and more from the brilliant minds of Cecil Leter and Georges Teperino.

• Herschell Gordon Lewis: "The Eye-Popping Sounds of Herschell Gordon Lewis"
  • CD, Birdman, USA, 2003
  • comment:
    • Trash Palace: Amazing 37 track collection of music cues and dialogue from the maniacal movies of The Godfather of Gore himself Herschell Gordon Lewis!

• Shari Lewis: "Hi, Kids!"  (Shari Lewis & Lamb Chop, Charley Horse, Hush Puppy, Wing Ding Sing!)
  • CD, Drive Golden GD2-47039, USA, 1998
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5. her first album, a children's album from the 1950's, singing with her puppet voices. Rather silly, except for a couple of nice light jazzy "lounge" songs, and a train tune.

• Enoch Light: "Beatles Classics"
  • CD, Project 3 PRD 5084, USA, 1992
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5. Reissue of 1973 album.

• Enoch Light: "Beatles Classics"
  • CD, Varèse Sarabande, USA, 2001
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 4 points on 5.
    • Robbie Baldock: Enoch Light's 1974 Project 3 album "Beatle Classics" alongwith loads of Beatle-flavoured bonus tracks from "Spaced Out" and other Project 3 LPs. And I wrote the liner notes!

• Enoch Light and The Light Brigade: "The Brass Menagerie 1973"
  • LP, Project 3 PRSD5060 stereo, USA, 1973
    
    LP, Project 3 PR5060QD repro , Germany?, 2000
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 4 points on 5. featuring "I Feel The Earth Move", "Hot Pants", "Theme From Shaft" and others.
    • Stefan Kéry: Plenty of party goers, from groovy mambos to sweaty funk numbers! Featuring some of the best studio musicians of the time: Dick Hyman on organ and Moog, Vinnie Bell on electric sitar, Candido on conga drums and Ed Shaugnessy on tabla. Tracks include 'Hot Pants', 'Theme From Shaft', 'Explorations For Moog Synthesizer', etc. + a fantastic BONUS track: a sitar version of Duke Ellington's 'Caravan', not on the original edition of the album. 500 Only.
    • Robbie Baldock: another gem from the enoch light discography featuring vinnie bell's electric sitar and dick hyman's organ and moog. this time he is surrounded by a powerful brass section. limited edition vinyl pressing of 500. ... There are at least three *extremely good* reasons for getting it: Season of the Witch (with Vinnie Bell's electric sitar) - Theme from "Shaft" (with tablas!) - Dick Hyman's "Explorations for Moog" (quite why this ended up on this LP is anyone's guess!)
    • El Maestro Con Queso: this seems much more like it. It has a tendency to go off into Jazz soloing at times, which I don't really appreciate, but it sounds great (theres some great electric bass on it, really good sound, playing a nice groovy bass line, just how I like it), and some wonderful arrangements. Robbie was right about the Dick Hyman track being out of place, the last track is a multitracked Moog only piece. On a Brass Menagerie LP?

• Enoch Light and the Light Brigade: "Permissive Polyphonics"
  • LP, Project 3 PR 5048SD, USA, 1973
    LP, Project 3 PR5048QD reissue, Germany?, 2000
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 4 points on 5. featuring "Let It Be", "Monday Monday", "Michelle", "Mas Que Nada", "Scarborogh Fair", "Easy Come Easy Go" and others, done in "now" go-go style.
    • Stefan Kéry: Groovy go-go covers of well-known hits and some superb originals. Plenty of Moog, electric sitar, fuzz guitars, organ and brass on one of Enoch Light's Brigade finest albums! Featuring Dick Hyman on Moog and Vinnie Bell on guitar/electric sitar! 500 Only
    • El Maestro Con Queso: Overall I'm impressed with the quality, the sleeves are not gatefolds (I don't know what they would have been like originally). There are inserts with the sort of notes that you'd get on the inside of the Command gatefolds. Bizarrely the insides of the sleeves seem to be printed. The quality of the vinyl is pretty good, too. clean, no obvious pops, the brass menagerie one in particular has a really good sound. Certainly nothing like the murky mess that was the vinyl version of Dick Hymans 'Moog' LP a couple of years ago. I got Permissive Polyphonics first, and I was disappointed, I don't think its anywhere near as good as 'Spaced Out', perhaps I was over anticipating after Robbies comments just before Christmas, or maybe it has something to do with only paying 20p for Spaced Out rather than 13 UKPounds. I don't know. There are a couple of things I really like, but It doesn't surprise me and appeal in the way that Spaced Out does every time I play it.

• Enoch Light/ Terry Snyder and the All Stars: "Persuasive Percussion"
  • CD, Varèse Sarabande VSCD 5636, USA, 1995
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 4 points on 5.
    • Steve Funk: This was my first time hearing these, and I went into this with no prior exposure to or opinions about Enoch Light. My first impression was to be amazed at the clarity of the sound, which makes all the techno-babble in the liner notes almost seem justified. The arrangements themselves were less of a revelation, though certainly capable and perfectly performed. Personally, I think these albums will be best enjoyed one or two tracks at a time, rather than all the way through, which becomes a little monotonous. I kept thinking that this was sort of "Esquivel-lite", similar in concept, but lacking in Juan's imaginative genius. Mr. Funk sez: For testing the sonic responsiveness of your Hi-Fi: 10/10 - Cover art and liner notes: 9/10 - For compilation tapes and shuffle play: 8/10 - For concentrated listening: 6/10

• Enoch Light/ Terry Snyder and the All Stars: "Persuasive Percussion"
  • filed under: artists: Light, Enoch
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 4 points on 5.

• Enoch Light: "Persuasive Percussion"
  • Double CD, The Good Music Company, USA, 199?
  • comment:
    • Byron Caloz: This looks like a straight reissue off the double album reissue (which left some cuts off from the original releases). Compare with the two Verese Sarabande recordings: Persuasive Percussion (which has all of Persuasive Percussion and 6 cuts from volume 2) and Provacative Percussion which has all of Provocative Percussion and 6 cuts from volume 2. The Good Music company set has several cuts not on either of the VS: Mack the Knife, Out of Nowhere, Yours is My Heart Alone, La Cucaracha, Lady of Spain, Speak to Me of Love Cha Cha and Theme from Polyvetsian Dances. Meanwhile, the VS CD Persuasive Percussion has two cuts not on the Good Music set: The Breeze and I, Dearly Beloved (a cut from the original LP volume 1 and a cut from the LP volume 2). Also, the VS CD Provacative Percussion has three cuts not on the Good Music set: Matilda, Good Night Sweetheart Cha Cha and The Lady is a Tramp, all from Command's Prov. Perc. Vol. 2.

• Enoch Light and the Light Brigade: "Provocative Percussion"
  • CD, Varèse Sarabande VSCD 5637, USA, 1995
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 5 points on 5. Both the "Provocative Percussion" and "Persuasive Percussion" cd contain 5 bonus tracks from the original "Volume 2" companion LP albums.

• Lightning Beat-Man and the never heard of' EMS: "Apartment Wrestling Rock'n'roll"
  • LP, Voodoo Rhyhtm VR1202, Switzerland, 1998
    CD, Voodoo Rhyhtm, Switzerland, 2001
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 0 points on 5. On this album you gonna here the Lightning Beat-Man one man band stuff, songs from radio sessions from around the world, and songs together with his backing band "the never heard of'EMS".

• Lightning Beat-Man: "Wrestling Rock 'n' Roll"
  • 10", Record Junkie JUNK 024, Switzerland, 1994
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5. The 50Hz hum is ON the record; part of the music so to speak ;-)
      Read a review of this record in the "Critiquarium".

• Ed Lincoln: "Ed Lincoln"
  • CD/LP, Musidisc Hi-Fi-2149, Brazil, 199?
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5. Hammond-lead Bossa Nova, not unlike Wanderley, but with added brass. Funny tra-la-la vocals and some novelty sound efects on 2 tracks. Most other have "normal" vocals, only a couple are completely instrumental.
    • G.R.Reader: What a great record. Sort of mambo/Bossa Nova rhythm with a lovely meaty Hammond, trumpet and kazoo (oh, yes). There are vocals, but they're not really featured, more a chorus thats kept fairly well down in the mix. The sleeve just says 'Ed Lincoln' on the front and spine, so I would assume its the first eponymous LP from Ed, who does seem to be a real person as he co-wrote several of the songs.

• Ed Lincoln: "Ed Lincoln"
  • CD/LP, What Music 0019, UK, 2002
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 4 points on 5. The best, most varied Ed Linclon CD I've heard yet: it has it all: groovy, and even in occasions darn funky, thanx to a fat bass and great Hammond playing (though NOT that particular quirky hammond sound most associate with Ed, as featured on his other albums that are out on CD), silly vocal moments, happy tunes... It starts with a discotheque-carnaval-samba-soul track with a wild audience. Then a couple of novelty-esque tracks: "Waldemar" has crazy vocals that are so high they're close to Chipmunk range; "o choro do bebê" is indeed one of those "baby" songs very typical for that period: the track is full of breaks: for the baby soundz, and for a silly chorus -- and all time the Hammond, bass and brass groove along on in a serious funk mood. Later on there's a samba soul track with maniacal laughter, and another with singers that repeat the song title "balà-balà-cuê" over and over in such a way they sound like a batch of ducks. Speaking of singers: lots of echo on the voices (and on the Hammond too on at least one track) make this a way-out psych-soul-samba record! Therev are some slower smooth tunes on it too, (TBC, -> critiq)
    • Very conveniently available directly from What Music, where you can find MP3 samples too.
    • whatmusic.com: one of his rarest LPs originally released on his own label. Groovy breaks, psychedelic scat vox and bossa Hammond from the godfather of Samba Soul!

• Ed Lincoln: "Orgao e Piano Eletrico"
  • LP, Musidisc?, Brazil?, 2000
  • comment:
    • G.R.Reader: A new (well, a new re-release of) Ed Lincoln LP, 'Orgao e Piano Eletrico' turned up from Dusty Groove yesterday. For those that don't know, Ed was the 'other' great Brasilian Samba organist, alongside Walter Wanderley. Dusty Groove reckon the LP was originally from the early 70's. There are a couple of tracks that are straight Ed Lincoln, with the trademark odd arrangements, stopping, starting, whistling and sound effects, but for a lot of it, he seems to be branching out into other musical styles. Instrumentally the lineup is again, organ, trumpet, (pedal?) bass, drums and some guitar (as on the 'Ed Lincoln' LP), but there is a lot more of a funk feel to the thing, riffing brass, and a heavier rhythm section. Dusty Groove make a deal out of a break on one of the tracks, but its only about a bar long, and a fairly standard funky drummer break at that. There is a lot of what sounds like Wah-wah organ, and some of the vocal tracks are distorted and effected quite heavily. A couple of ballads, a fairly lightweight batacuda, and a track that veers between the British 60's psyche-pop group Nirvana and samba. Some of the tracks were co-written by Orlandivo, and i know that Ed Lincoln worked with him (her?) at some stage, so there a chance that some of the vocals are Orlandivo's. Probably copied from an old record, judging by Dusty Groove's comments and the sleeve quality (with all that that entails) but given how expensive and hard to find outside South America his records are, its nice to see. I just love organ records. I'll have sleeve pictures and a review up on my Ed Lincoln site in a couple of days.

• There's more by Ed Lincoln than listed here: search elsewhere

• Lindberg Hemmer Foundation: "Brazilian Architecture"
  • CD, April Records APR048, Denmark, 2001
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5. Too bad for the annoying rhythm box on a couple of tracks, but the 7 others are a fine exemple of modern EZ.

• Lindberg Hemmer Foundation: "Scandinavian Supermarket Music At Its Very Best"
  • CD, April Records APR058, Denmark, 2001
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 4 points on 5. Electronic, melodic, dreamy instrumental easy tunes. wordless vocal on 1 track. spacey "bleeps" à la Gentle People in a couple of tracks. Their best CD so far!

• Lindberg Hemmer Foundation: "Supermarket Music"  (Music For Supermarkets?)
  • CD, Flavor of Sound, Denmar,?, 1996?, deleted
  • comment:
    • Chuck: Very much like the feel of the Gentle People. I first heard of it on "Music to Watch Comets By", also put together by the Gentle People.
    • DJJimmyBee: I still listen to it. Electronic-flava'd EZ listening

• Berry Lipman Orchestra: "Capricious Squall"
  • CD, ?, ?, ?

• Berry Lipman Orchestra: "Easy Listening Vol. 1"
  • CD, DA Music, Germany, 1996?
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5. Fourteen popular hits and standards given the EZ treatment by Friedel Berlipp alias Berry Lipman. He scores only a couple of degrees higher on the groove meter and lower on the cheese scale than James Last, but just enough to make this CD listenable. Nothing special though.

• Berry Lipman Orchestra: "Easy Listening Volume 2"
  • CD, DA Music, Germany, 199?
  • comment:
    • add missing details or your own comment for this item [#7328]

• Berry Lipman (the Unique Sound of): "Paramaribo Classics"
  • CD, All Score Media ASM 007, Germany, 2001
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 2 points on 5. Lots of funky/disko sounds, 1 really good funk track (Helicopter Power) that is a shameless copy of the "Shaft" theme, some German Schlager songs, several tracks that are only slightly less commercial and "middle of the road" EZ than James Last. About 8 (out of 20) tracks I really liked.
    • Reviewed at Score, Baby

• The Lively Ones: "Hang Five!!! The Best Of"
  • CD, Del-Fi 9004, USA, 1995
  • comment:
    • Johan: surf

• Living Strings: "Play All The Music of Camelot/ Play Music O ..."
  • CD, Collector's Choice Music 96, USA, 1999
  • comment:
    • Johan: don't know what the full title is of the second LP featured on this twofer, but the tunes' titles suggest some HAWAII theme album...

• Edson e Tita Lobo: "Novidade De Vida"
  • CD/LP, What Music, UK, 2002
  • comment:
    • Johan: Very conveniently available directly from What Music, where you can find MP3 samples too.
    • Whatmusic.com presents Novidade de Vida, one of the lost classics of the Brasilian 70s explosion. Tita's haunting mellow voice soars above classic arrangements by João Donato & Paulo Jobim on this rare independently produced LP from 1981

• Edson E Tita Lobo: "Partiu Do Alto"
  • CD/LP, What Music 0025, UK, 2002
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5. I'm a bit disapointed with this one. it is recorded in 1990, and by that time modern recording techniques, production values, and the omni-presence of MPB in Brazil had a "bad influence" on artists trying to record classic bossa nova... at least, I THINK Edson E Tita were trying to do that here. The result sounds too slick, too "commercial" for me at times. Listen to MP3 samples @ What Music!
    • whatmusic.com: another undiscovered classic from Edson Lobo and Tita ... Features João Donato, Celia Vaz & Cynara (Quarteto Em Cy). Tracks include scat vox on 'Uma Benção', a smoking 'Eu Quero Ir Pra Lá' & killer bossa cha-cha 'Olhe Pra Cima'!

• Lollipoptrain: "Juniorelectricmagazine"
  • CD/LP, Siesta "Reverie series" 110, Spain, 2000
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 2 points on 5. Most Siesta CDs seam to be very short; this one has 4 tracks I liked, the rest is so-so. Sounds a bit like a charming TV personalities record for children, but rather forgettable.

• Laurent Lombard: "Happy Comedy"
  • CD, Kosinus Music Library KOS 76, France, 2001
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 4 points on 5. available from kapagama@wanadoo.fr
    • Reviewed in _Cool And Strange Music Magazine_ issue 21
    • Jack: BRILLIANT! Another masterpiece of fun, funny, exotic, Exotica wild and wacky all instrumental and MENTAL MUSIC from the "contemporary Jean Jacques Perrey", aka Laurent Lombard. A LOT more "it makes sense" full play out tracks than JJP, but still, I have not found anyone that has been so obviously influenced by JJ other than L Lombard. 35 full play out tracks that are all about or over 1 1/2 minutes to over 2 minutes. Tracks 36-99 are Jingles, stingers and sound FX all created by Laurent Lombard and taken from the previous 35 tracks. All killer no filler.

• Laurent Lombard: "Happy Land"
  • CD, Kosinus Music Library, France, 1999
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 4 points on 5. If you dig Jean jacques Perrey, then get this one too... if you can. Kosinus unfortyunately refuses to sell to individuals.

• Laurent Lombard: "Hi-Fi Stereo Remixes"
  • CD, Kosinus Music Library KOS 48, France, 1998
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 1 points on 5. Fourty (!) tracks of Brit-EZ (by Syd Dale, Tony Hatch, Alan Hawskshaw, Paddy Kingsland, Keith Mansfield, Alan Parker, Roland Shaw and others) are remixed by Laurent Lombard: he overlays the original (most often played back at faster speed) with a heavy rhythm track, in the style of drum'n'bass, techno, trip-hop, house or fast bossa. For fans of Dimitri From Paris and The EasyTunes!
    • Kosinus catalog: Vinyl remixes. A kitsch space cocktail from the London and Paris pop galaxy.

• Julie London: "All Through The Night"
  • CD, label?, Japan, 2002

• Julie London: "Cry Me A River"
  • Triple CD, ? 883412, ?, 1997

• Julie London: "The End Of The World/ Nice Girls Don't Stay For Breakfast"
  • CD, Capitol/EMI 8 56059, UK, 1997
  • comment:
    • Johan: contains "Mickey Mouse March"

• Julie London: "For The Night People/ Sophisticated Lady"
  • CD, EMI UK, UK, 1998

• Julie London: "Julie... At Home/ Around Midnight"
  • CD, Capitol/EMI 8 54542 (CTMCD 100), UK, 1996
  • comment:
    • Reviewed in the "Record Collector" issue 162

• Julie London: "Julie London Sings The Standards"
  • CD, EMI, France?, 2001
  • comment:
    • Johan: Includes "Light my fire"

• Julie London: "London By Night"
  • CD, label?, Japan, 2002

• Julie London: "Sings The Choicest Of Cole Porter"
  • CD, EMI CDP-7-93455-2, USA, 1991
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5.

• Julie London: "Time For Love: The Best Of Julie London"
  • CD, Rhino R2 70737, USA, 199?
  • comment:
    • Johan: See Rhino's website for a track listing

• Julie London: "Ultra-Lounge: Wild, Cool & Swingin'"  (The Artist Collection)
  • CD, Capitol P 20331, USA, 1999
  • comment:
    • Reviewed in _Cool And Strange Music Magazine_ issue 15

• Julie London: "Your Number Please"
  • CD, label?, Japan, 2002

• Julie London: "Yummy Yummy Yummy"  (Plus 1964 Japan TV Performace)
  • CD-R, no label, USA, no year given
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 5 points on 5. Originally issued on LP as Liberty 7609, in 1969. production and arrangements Tommy oliver. "Julie's sensuality accents the sounds of today! satiate your musical hunger, and bathe in the warmth of julie!" You can buy this CD-R at GEMM. Also includes bonus track "my funny valentine" + an entire TV special. Sound and print quality arte exceptionally high.
    • See "Incredibly Strange Music" volume 2 page 66

• There's more by Julie London than listed here: search elsewhere

• London Punkharmonic Orchestra: "Classical Punk!"
  • CD, Music Club MCCD 200, UK, 1995
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 5 points on 5.
      Read a review of this record in the "Critiquarium".

• Jaz Coleman, Youth, The London Philharmonic Orchestra: "Kashmir. Symphonic Led Zeppelin"
  • CD, PolyGram/ Point Music 454 145, Europe, 1997
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 2 points on 5. Scored and arranged by Jaz Coleman (wasn't the with Killing Joke???), Produced by him and Youth, played by The London Philharmonic Orchestra; executive producer: Philip Glass. 72 minutes, 9 tracks. If (1) you like Led Zep, and (2) you know pretty much all of there records, and (3) you also happen to like symphonic soundtrack scores like the one for "Star Wars", then this might be a CD for you. The CD closes with a "Kulu Valley" ambient remix, sounding a bit like Gentle People. I only liked 3 tracks, so I'm glad I bought it used. Especially "Kashmir" is very good, with Egyptian artists playing percussion, and atmospheric sounds mixed in the music.
    • Paul Thomas: I expected it to be awful, but it was really very good.

• The London Symphony Orchestra: "Symphonic Music Of The Rolling Stones"
  • CD, RCA 09026-62526-2, USA, 1995
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 2 points on 5.
      Read a review of this record in the "Critiquarium".

• Claudine Longet: "Best of"  (A&M Digitally Remastered Best series)
  • CD, A&M, Japan, 1998?
  • comment:
    • Reviewed in _Cool And Strange Music Magazine_ issue 10

• Claudine Longet: "Best Of Claudine Longet"
  • CD, Century CECC-00681, Japan, 199?

• Claudine Longet: "Cuddle Up With Claudine"
  • Double LP 220gram/ CD, Vampi Sound Records, USA, 2003
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 2 points on 5. I admit that I'm not a big fan of Claudine's soft singing. I like her voice, but not her song selection. The CD has all but 1 of the tracks from the album "We've Only Just Begun", PLUS all but 3 of the tracks from the album "Let's Spend the Night Together" , PLUS 6 tracks from the "Sugar Me" album. The double-vinyl version adds 7 tracks not found on the CD. More info @ System Records

• Claudine Longet: "The Very Best Of Claudine Longet"
  • CD, Varèse Sarabande 302 066 118, USA, 2000
  • comment:
    • Reviewed in _Cool And Strange Music Magazine_ issue 18

• There's more by Claudine Longet than listed here: search elsewhere

• Alan Lorber Orchestra: "The Lotus Palace"
  • CD, Big Beat/Ace CDWIKD 172, UK, 1997
    CD, Polygram, USA, 1997
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 4 points on 5.
    • (unknown): Now Sound classic. Originally released on Verve in 1967, insane crazy mix of Eastern instrumentation (sitars, tablas, etc) with groovy pop sounds of late 60's. With: "Up, Up and Away", a spooky version of "The Look of Love" and "Mas Que Nada". great bunch of jazzy...

• Lord Sitar: "Lord Sitar"
  • LP, Capitol ST 2916 stereo, USA
    CD, Zonophone/EMI 4 93615 2, Europe, 1999
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 5 points on 5. sitar pop, with: If I Were a Rich Man, Emerald City, Tomorrow's People, Daydream Believer, Like Nobody Else, I Am The Walrus, Blue Jay Way, I Can See For Miles, In a Dream/ Eleanor Rigby, Black is Black.

• Los Golden Boys: "16 Grandes Exitos"
  • CD, Discos Fuentes, Brazil, 1999

• Los Golden Boys: "Nueva Generation"
  • CD, Miami Records, USA or Brazil?, 2002

• Los Zafiros: "Bossa Cubana"
  • CD, label?, year?
  • comment:
    • Johan: Saw this at www.bear-family.de; they say it's a mix of doowop, twang, calypso, bossa nova and Cuban & other latin rhythms...

• Joe Loss: "Latin A La Loss/ Latin Like Loss"
  • Double CD, EMI 498 1412, UK, 1999
  • comment:
    • Reviewed in the "Record Collector" issue 235

• The Lounge Brigade: "Put Some Style In It"
  • CD, Shanachie 5732, USA, 1998
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 4 points on 5. not nearly as inventive and wacky as any of Enoch's LPs, but still a great cd in its own way.
    • Mark Head: a tribute to Enoch Light. The band is Bucky Pizzarelli, Al Caiola, Phil Bodner, Bobby Rosengarden, Warren Chiasson, Harvie Swartz, Chuck St. Troy & Britt Savage. It includes Don't Speak, Heart Shaped Box, Hi-Fi Collegiate Medley (lame), Where It's At, Sammy Davis Jr. Medley (lame), Star Wars (hilarious), Touch of Grey (surprisingly good), Exotica Medley, and an exit tune. It's definitely worth having in my book, although it's not something I listen to often. Got this from CDNow.

• The Lounge-O-Leers: "Christmas Party Album"
  • CD, LOL, USA, 1998
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 2 points on 5.
    • www.cdbaby.com: Christmas with a twist (or an olive if you prefer). Groove to the "Do You Hear What I Hear" Twist or dream with The LOL take on "The Nutcracker Suite".

• The Lounge-O-Leers: "Experiment In Terror"
  • CD, LOL-03, USA, 1998
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5. debut CD, with tongue-in-cheek lounge versions of Xanadu; Guantanamera; Wild Thing; Riders on the Storm; Experiment in Terror; I Will Survive; Get Off My Cloud; Stairway to Heaven...

• The Lounge-O-Leers: "Meet The Lounge-o-leers"
  • CD, Emenar Records LOL-06, USA, 2000
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 2 points on 5. sampler CD with older songs and singles. My first CD of this duo, and i'm not really impressed. Yet, i'm a cover nut, and I love "easified versions" of rock and pop classics. But if you play 'm on a couple of keyboards and rhythm boxes, the strings sound cheesy and the horns nothing but pathethic. I'm afraid you can hardly play good EZ without any acoustic instruments. One good comment though about this CD: they do several "2 songs for the price of 1": combining 2 songs into 1, including a unlikely marriage of "like a virgin" and "quiet village".

• The Lounge-O-Leers: "Now That's What I Call The Lounge-O-Leers"
  • CD, The Lounge-O-Leers, USA, 2001
  • comment:
    • rich owen: a group in NYC that playes each week at a couple of clubs. They do these insane schmaltzy covers...Village Voice local act of the year...their record is great too. they have a site: www.loungeoleers.com

• The Lounge-O-Leers: "Now That's What I Call the Lounge-O-Leers Two"
  • CD, The Lounge-O-Leers, USA, February 2002

• Jacques Loussier: "Les Plus Belles Musiques De Jacques Loussier"
  • CD, Collection Play Time - Les Compositeurs PL 9415/302255, France, 1994
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 2 points on 5. Compilation with 30 tracks from his soundtracks. This is the one that is filed (wrongly) as "Masterworks" at Dusty Groove. Some very groovy stuff, but most of it is not special at all, rather mediocre, even quite boring.

• Geoff Love And His Orchestra: "Star Wars And Other Space Themes"
  • CD, EMI 8 57687, Australia/ UK, 1997
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 1 points on 5. re-release from 1975. ridiculous funk/disco remakes of SF movie themes. Also includes the 1978 album "Close Encounters Of The Third Kind and Other Disco Galactic Themes". 19 Tracks.

• Kelley Love and The Pandemonium Orchestra: "Foolin'"
  • CD, IMG Records 8853, USA, 2000
  • comment:
    • Reviewed in "_Cool And Strange Music Magazine_" issue 16

• The Love Machine: "Electronic Music To Blow Your Mind By!!"
  • LP, Design 282 very limited reissue, 1999
    CD-R, Zippy CD Company, Japan, 2001
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 4 points on 5. Sounds a lot like Jimmy Haskel's "Countdown": late 1950's style guitar and organ instro with a lot of electronic sounds and effects added. Personally, I think "Countdown" is better because there the electronic and other zounds are part of the music, while here The Love Machine is more like playing a game of "now let's see how many weird sounds we can put on top of this cheesy instro music". Still amazing stuff though!
    • Nat Kone: It is kind of psychedelic and it's kind of electronic. But the electronic sounds are really just that - sounds. They're superimposed over the music rather than integrated into it. And the music those sounds are poured on top of is your basic generic instrumental rock quartet, sounding a bit like Iron Butterfly jamming for the soundcheck.
    • Jack Diamond Music: mid-late 60's Now Go Go sounds/Pseudo-Psychedelic LP. Most of the titles are upbeat with a few that are "a little less upbeat and more spacey, but pseudo-psychedlic tripped out fun, in fact, damn fun! This is a seriously great record, led by fuzzed guitars and organs, with drums and bass and a total freakout cacophony of electronics all throughout every title.
    • Stefan Kéry: Hey heres a real mindblower! Lost masterpiece from the USA which sounds like a missing link between Pierre Henrys "Messe Pour Le Temps Present" and the Free Pop Electronic Concepts "A New Exciting Experience", pure electro-rock exploitation sounds! 12 rock n roll instrumentals with plenty of guitar action, thousands of overdubbed electronic sound fx, lotsa phasing, echo and reverb. Makes it for psych heads, rok n rollers and electronica fans. Big fave round here for transcendental cocktail parties.

• Lucas & Friends: "Discover A World Of Sounds"
  • CD, Vinyl Communications VC-118, USA, 1997
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5. E-mail Contact: phix@adnc.com
      Read a review of this record in the "Critiquarium".
    • liner notes: Lucas & Friends Discover a World of Sounds is sort of a "sonic archaeological dig" through roughly 50 years of American do-it-yourself audio recording. These recordings, much like audio Polaroid snapshots, include songs, taped letters, poems, children's first attempts at the alphabet, and lots of general wackiness. The variety of media involved in making the original recordings includes early recordable phonograph records, reel-to-reel tape, and modern cassettes. After spending several years collecting these cast-off artifacts from thrift stores and garage sales, I decided to combine the best of them into the sonic collage presented here. Alot of boring material was cut, many unrelated recordings were combined, and musical accompaniments were added to most of the songs, but for the most part each sound layer is presented as is, with its original intention left intact.
    • Magnus Sandberg: It is really great, but slightly tough to listen too. Very interesting project.

• Lucky 15: "Colour Code White"
  • LP, Blow Up BU009, UK, 199?
  • comment:
    • (unknown): Easy pop by the Japanese group that brought you the sweet "Snowflakes In Hawai"

• Luie Luie: "Creator of "Touchy""
  • LP, Penstar Productions P700, USA, ca. 1980?
    LP, "Penstar" exact repro limited edition, Europe, 2002
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 4 points on 5. Freestyle psych tijuana ska, if you can imagine such a thing. Luie Luie plays all the instruments himself, including 14 overdubbed trumpet parts on 1 track! Also Available from Intoxica.
    • Preston Peek of www.vinyllives.com/: masterpiece of the absurd, the ultimate weird lounge LP bar non! If Luie Luie had 12 tone deaf brothers, and told them to play 12 parts of a song simultaneously in 12 different countries - without rehearsing, this record could not be more out of tune, out of tempo, out of sight. Luie defies the old saying hearing is believing and the reverse is true here. This record is just beyond anything you could ever imagine.
    • Stefan Kéry: Exact reissue of the ultimate incredibly strange/outsider/one-man-band. Privately released in 1974 original copies are now extremely hard to find. It is practically impossible to describe Luie Luie's unique music, check the “Songs in the Key of Z" CD comp for an excerpt from this LP, he invents a discombobulated dance called "El Touchy", plays all instruments including guitars, drums, horns, and the worst and most bizarre Moog synthersizer ever. This record will have strange music collectors, dj's, rare groove hunters and samplers etc go in to orbit. Here's some excerpts from the original LP liner notes: "LUIE LUIE is an irresistible Master Musician, LUIE LUIE will make you come - and glad you came. A superb showman, he will sting you with his searing songs, and pierce your innermost with his pearly trumpet. He will caress you. He will force your feet to fidget and seduce your silent hands. His beat will bow your head. This tall Music Matador oozes his music from ten fingers, two feet, two knees, his mouth, and a thousand brains, and in this all inclusive posture combination of mind and body and muscle and spirit, overwhelms the strong, the meek, regardless of age, sex or religious relationship. His galaxy of instruments can not contain him. Approaching the avatar, Luie Luie projects meaningful music to tenderly touch your Soul. On Land or Sea and in the Air, LUIE LUIE has got to be the only one of his kind in the world. In addition to Music, LUIE LUIE also excels in MARTIAL ARTS. He is an authority and originator of "MANAZO" fighting. What is faster than greased lightning? "MANAZO". LUIE LUIE claims he can flip the light switch before the lights go out. LUIE LUIE pulls people apart with his magic music. Willing, warm women wonder and equally mystified men meditate." Totally amazing and big fave of mine. Ltd. edition of 300 copies only.

• La Lupe: "Best Of"
  • CD, Tico, USA?, 199?
  • comment:
    • add missing details or your own comment for this item [#6172]

• There's more by La Lupe than listed here: search elsewhere

• Lushy: "Lushy"
  • CD, Dionysus, USA, 2003
  • comment:
    • Dionysus: ... blends influences from exotica, jazz and Latin to French pop, ska and lounge. The sounds produced by the band are a post-modern mélange of jazzy, exotica, space-age tiki-latin surf funk: always interesting, listenable, and danceable. ... Drawing on the best in modern technology and inspired electric and acoustic playing, the band plays original and unique music.

• The Arthur Lyman Group: "The Exotic Sounds Of Arthur Lyman"  (Featuring Yellow Bird and Taboo)
  • CD, Legacy 417, USA, 2001
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 4 points on 5. "Best of" anthology with 20 tracks, not to be confused with his "Taboo" and "Yellow Bird" albums, which are both pictured on the front of this CD to confuse you...

• Arthur Lyman: "Hawaiian Sunset"
  • CD, Rykodisc RCD 50365, USA, 1996
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 3 points on 5.

• Arthur Lyman: "The Legend Of Pele"
  • LP, HiFi , USA, 1959
    CD, Rykodisc RCD 50432, USA, 1998
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 5 points on 5.

• Arthur Lyman: "Leis Of Jazz"  (The Jazz Sounds Of Arthur Lyman)
  • CD, Rykodisc RCD 50431, USA, 1998
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 4 points on 5. Cool jazz.

• Arthur Lyman: "Mele Kalikimaka = With A Christmas Vibe"
  • LP, HiFi Life L1018, USA, 1959?
    CD, Rykodisc RCD 30363, USA, 1996
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 5 points on 5. Superb, heavenly beautiful Xmas exotica! I alsohave the "With A Christmas Vibe" CD reissue, and then compared the sound with that of the original "Mele Kalikimaka" LP, and I SWEAR the LP sounds far better: most of the high frequencies were lost in the CD remastering! The only good thing of the CD is the warmer sound, but then again, you can easily achieve that with the LP by increasing the bass and middle frequencies.
    • Brad Bigelow: To me, this is the one true lounge Christmas LP, although the "Bolero-ish" "Little Drummer Boy" at the end is truly scary

• Arthur Lyman: "Music For A Bachelor's Den 5: The Best Of The Arthur Lyman Group"
  • CD, DCC 095, USA, 1996
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 5 points on 5.

• Arthur Lyman: "Music For A Bachelor's Den 6: More Of Best Of The Arthur Lyman Group"
  • CD, DCC 096, USA, 1996
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 5 points on 5.

• Arthur Lyman: "Pearly Shells"
  • CD, GNP/Crescendo GNPD 606, USA, 1993
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 4 points on 5. Contains most of the tracks from "Paradise" (11 out of 12 i think; track list: 1. Poinciana 2. Stranger In Paradise 3. Te Manu Pukarua 4. Shangri-La 5. Now Is The Hour 6. Vini-Vini 7. South Sea Island Magic 8. Pearly Shells 9. Off Shore 10. Baubles, Bangles & Beads 11. Song Of India 12. Pu Pu Hino Hino 13. Song Of Delilah 14. Cast Your Fate To The Wind 15. Waltz Latino 16. Simulau 17. Aloha Oe)
    • Kaiwaza: In my mind, one of the best Aurthur Layman CD reissues. Very exotic arrangements w/ bird calls. Yet, doesn't have any extremely boisterous tracks that always blow the mood on most of Lyman's LPs. Best exotic arrangement of "Poinciana" ever, to me.

• Arthur Lyman: "Sonic Sixties"
  • CD, Tradition (Rykodisc) TCD 1031, USA, 1996
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 5 points on 5. I love those vibes! It's a bit jazzy too, with a sound not very different from his "exotic" albums, AND it contains the one and only version of André Popp's "love is blue" that i can stand. * Jordana Robinson: "pretty much easy listening, with pleasant vibey versions of 60s pop hits; it's not too crazy, mellow; pretty and nice."
    • Peter Risser: a snoozer in my opinion. I usually love covers, but Lyman's covers are so uninspired I've completely forgotten which ones he addressed ... disappointing and will pretty much keep me from HiFi releases in the future.

• Arthur Lyman: "Taboo"
  • CD, Rykodisc RCD 50364, USA, 1996
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 5 points on 5.

• Arthur Lyman: "Taboo 2"
  • CD, Rykodisc RCD 50430, USA, 1998
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 5 points on 5.

• The Arthur Lyman Group: "Taboo"  (The Exotic Sounds Of The Arthur Lyman Group)
  • CD, DCC Compact Classics Jazz DJZ-613, USA, 1991
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 5 points on 5. "Best of" anthology, not to be confused with his "Taboo" album.

• Arthur Lyman: "The Very Best of Arthur Lyman: The Sensual Sounds of Exotica"
  • CD, Everest Records/ Varèse Sarabande, USA, 2002
  • comment:
    • Kevin Crossman: Comparing this to the previous Lyman comps I'd say this is pretty good, even if those were still in print (which I doubt). The mix sounds pretty good, though perhaps the bass is too heavy for some. The packaging is nice looking and the liner notes are fairly complete -- no downright inaccuracies, though some details are missed (for example, that Lyman had recorded with Martin Denny and used Denny's old bass player John Kramer). The main thing missing is some good "soy sauce" music such as Otame San or the March of the Siamese Children. But, at least Taboo and Yellow Bird are on the same CD. Exotica Trilogy fans should note that you can get Lyman's version of Quiet Village, Taboo, and Caravan all on this CD. I'd rate this 5 Mai Tais. Kevdo says check it out.

• Arthur Lyman: "Yellow Bird"
  • CD, Rykodisc RCD 50433, USA, 1998
  • comment:
    • Johan: My rating: 5 points on 5.

• Birgit Lystager: "Birgit Lystager"
  • CD, Pulp Flavor, France, 2003
  • comment:
    • Jack Diamond Music: Do zee like, the lalalalalalala female pop jazzy vocals scat wordless soft pop soft pysch thing ? Born 2-15-1946 Aarhus, Denmark; Birgit Debuted as a jazz singer in 1962. She toured a lot in Danish jazz clubs, performed in TV-shows with Toots Thielemans, Ben Webster, Sahib Shihab among other jazz greats of the 1950's and 1960's. At the end of the 60´s she was headhunted to the popular music scene in Denmark, where she had several # 1 sellers. Her songs are still very popular, and some people say they are a symbol of that musical era in Denmark. Her voice is very special - soft, almost spherical and her songs were always backed up by the very best Danish musicians. You'll find great covers here by the Beatles, Burt Bacharach and other big names from the 1960's.

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