The 16th volume of the Ultra-Lounge series is one of its finest. As its subtitle indicates, Ultra-Lounge, Vol. 16: Mondo Hollywood focuses on soundtrack music reinterpreted in a lounge style. This tactic works nicely because the material chosen is resilient enough to withstand the interesting interpretations they get here: Good examples include Henry Jerome's take on "Moon River," which transforms this ballad into brassy, finger-snapping pop, and Sir Julian's take on "You Only Live Twice," which boils this grandiose James ...
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The 16th volume of the Ultra-Lounge series is one of its finest. As its subtitle indicates, Ultra-Lounge, Vol. 16: Mondo Hollywood focuses on soundtrack music reinterpreted in a lounge style. This tactic works nicely because the material chosen is resilient enough to withstand the interesting interpretations they get here: Good examples include Henry Jerome's take on "Moon River," which transforms this ballad into brassy, finger-snapping pop, and Sir Julian's take on "You Only Live Twice," which boils this grandiose James Bond film theme down to a smoky, organ-driven exotica instrumental. This disc also highlights some fun instrumentals from lesser-known films that are just as entertaining as the better-known themes: John Barry's "Beat Girl" combines The Man With the Golden Arm-styled swinging brass with the guitar twang of the Ventures to create a wild and entertaining slice of lounge pop, and Sandy Courage's "Hot Rod Rumble" sets wailing Vegas-styled horns to an insistent pop-jazz beat. A few cuts pale in comparison to the originals (Leroy Holmes' version of "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" smooths out that theme's experimental edges and dulls it down in the process), but the majority of the tunes here are catchy and entertaining. As a result, Ultra-Lounge, Vol. 16: Mondo Hollywood is a cool sampler of lounge pop and a good way to get acquainted with this compilation series. ~ Donald A. Guarisco, Rovi
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