The Ghouls Go West

The Moon-Rays | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 10, 2004)
• Original Release Date: March 10, 2004
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sound Imp Records
• ASIN: B0001VS86G
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #409,859 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Creepy Cool, September 6, 2005

By 

F. Hagan (Raleigh, North Carolina, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Ghouls Go West (Audio CD)

The tantalizing and spooky surf 60's retro vibe that can only be described as The Moon-Rays is a martini for your mummy and a pair fuzzy dice for a visiting alien. This CD is creepy cool, but that's no surprise considering the origins of this mod ensemble of the undead. For their sophomore effort, the band that formulated itself during the recording of the theme for WGN's Creature Feature TV show has decided to take their subject matter toward the left coast, resplendent with its drive-ins and exotic western themes. The packaging alone makes a listener get in the right frame of mind with gorgeous Elliott Mattice cover art harkening back to the days of "Creepy" and "Eerie" magazine.

There is a lovely respect for the classic and sometimes campy source material that inspires this kind of music present in the overall recording. One of the two songs that is not an original is the album's opener, a great cover of the theme from the 60's TV show "One Step Beyond" titled "Fear." It opens in the guise of a scratchy record of the old theme and then transfigures itself into a lounge of jazzy mystery, setting the table for the style and feel of The Moon-Rays. The other remake supplied on this album, or in this case tribute, is the theme song from Dark Shadows, subtitled "Exotique" and played in exotica fashion, a la Martin Denny during his "A Taste of India" phase. This reviewer now wonders what Barnabas might look like in flip flops drinking blood out of a coconut.

The originals are great stuff, too, several of which are serious homage's of various genre related personalities -- and this reviewer would be remiss if he didn't point out how cool the noir-styled official theme to fellow Port Halcyon contributor Will "the Thrill" Vilharo's movie experience is. "Thrillville" is bongolicious and makes the listener want to go buy a fez hat as soon as possible. "Blues for Vampira" is an excellent sultry tribute to the sexy classic 1950's horror movie hostess (her likeness appears on the album's back cover). The Moon-Rays obviously have a strong affection for the Munsters, already recognized on their first album, and present here again in "Dragula Go-Go!" - A 60's racing anthem putting them in the company of Rob Zombie for lauding Grandpa Munster's car (currently owned by Zombie).

Other originals offer some nice genre fun, with the "Hanging Tree" and "El Toro Gano" affecting a haunted spaghetti western feel and "Little Green Men" recreating the wackiness and horror tones of "They Came for Our Women!"-Type drive-in movie bits (with lots of bongo). "La Valse De Vampir" is an exiting tune that closes the listener up in a vault with the undead and this complete musical experience. This album is delicious creepy fun.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Halloween classic for today!!, December 20, 2004

By 

Linda Sachs (LA, Calif.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ghouls Go West (Audio CD)

This is one fun CD!!! I must have bought a dozen or more "Halloween" type CD's in the past few years looking for the type of fun albums they made years ago. Well, shades of Bobby "boris" Pickett, Spike Jones, and even Henry Mancini these guys really fill the bill. It's retro, modern, jazzy, rock with kind of a cocktail type twist. Most of the songs are originals with the exception of Fear and Dark Shadows and the songs bend and flow nicely into a cool listening experience with a little of a ghost town feel to the end of the recording which explains the cover art. Unlike a lot of other "Halloween" Cd's the Moon-rays take the music seriously but still have fun with it without getting too dark. My favorite tracks: Fear, Dragula, Thrillville, and Dark Shadows.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars These Ghouls are too Cool !, May 10, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Ghouls Go West (Audio CD)

Cool is the key word for this recording. Starting with the packaging, eye popping cover art by artist Elliott Mattice that looks like it jumped right off the cover of "Creepy" magazine in the 60's combined with an incredibly sexy shot of "Vampira" on the back sets the tone for this swanky, Halloween, cocktail party. The disc starts off with a cover of the theme from "One Step Beyond" (Fear) that is perhaps the finest version of this song ever recorded. Absolutly beautiful! Out of the 11 tracks 9 are originals. All well written, and well executed songs. A real treat for the ears. The songs switch from serious to campy and back again without losing any pace or flow and the band must of had a great time recording this because they SOUND like they're having a ball! The production value on the disc is as good as you'll find on any of the major labels. My picks are: Fear, Thrillville, Dragula au go-go, and the Hanging Tree. Can't wait for their next one!