Customer Reviews

vince guaraldi and the lost cues from the charlie brown television specials vol. 2

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Well this CD contains some of the more 'funky' jazz pieces from the Charlie Brown Specials, as well as the more traditional jazz tracks as heard on other Charlie Brown compilation CDs. I remember many of them, and one in particular 'Charlie Brown's Wake-up' has been rattling around my head for about 20 years, so i was overjoyed to finally get that track. If you love the Charlie Brown music, this CD won't disappoint, there are some real gems here.

My only criticism is the short length of these Lost Cue CDs, which are about 30 minutes each. That aside, i eagerly await the next one, which i guess will be in 2009.

Track Listing:
It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown:
1. Snoopy and Woodstock (1:45)
2. Woodstock's Dream (2:13)

There's no Time for Love, Charlie Brown:
3. Bus Me (1:36)

Be my Valentine, Charlie Brown:
4. Never Again (2:02)
5. Heartburn Waltz (1:32)
6. There's Been a Change (1:34)
7. Charlie Brown's Wake-up (1:57)

It's a Mystery, Charlie Brown:
8. Little Birdie (instrumental) (1:44)
9. Cops and Robbers (1:43)
10. Sally's Blues (2:06)
11. It's a Mystery, Charlie Brown (2:23)

Thanksgiving show:
12. Is is James or Charlie? (1:08)

You're not Elected, Charlie Brown:
13. Linus and Lucy (1:20)

It's a Mystery, Charlie Brown:
14. Joe Cool (instrumental) (3:01)

Bonus track:
15. Nobody Else (4:35)

A year after the first edition arrived on the scene out of nowhere, we have another collection of amazing gems from the vaults of Vince Guaraldi, more cues from the wonderful 70's Peanuts specials, reason enough to celebrate! But this collection is actually a bit of an improvement over the first cd; the songs included tend to be more fully realized, the jams more polished. There's more cohesion as they're all from around 1974, about the time Guaraldi added an ARP synthesizer to his ensemble and the tracks, funky as they are, all have an otherworldy, slightly melancholy feel to them, only enhanced by the knowledge we have now that we were about to lose our beloved Vince; these were among the last things he recorded. The synth adds a timelessness to it as well--some tracks sound like outtakes from Air's first album "Moon Safari." There is some interesting artwork from Guaraldi's career in the cd booklet, a brief interview and a short blurb from a paper announcing his death. I don't know if anyone else would find this reason enough to buy the complete cd package, but I appreciated it and could've used more.

And that's still the underlying theme of these two compiliations...more please! There's so much more out there, of course...the only recorded version we have of "Charlie Brown And His All-Stars" appears to be George Winston's heavy-handed rendition, and there are several cues that just haven't appeared anywhere before (different renditions of "You're In Love Charlie Brown" come to mind). Well, maybe one day.

Regardless, this collection is the very definition of "cool" and gets 5 stars just for being what it is...a time capsule of a certain sound and era, and a tribute to a remarkable artist. If you have even a passing interest in this kind of music you will probably love this cd.

From Derrick Bang's Peanuts Website
[...]

Here is the corrected tracking order:

1) "Kitchen Music" (not "Woodstock's Dream"), 1:43
2) "Snoopy and Woodstock," 2:11
3) "Never Again," 1:34
4) "Heartburn Waltz," 2:00
5) "Charlie Brown's Wake-Up," 1:30
6) "There's Been a Change," 1:34
7) "Little Birdie (instrumental)," 1:56
8) "Cops and Robbers," 1:43
9) "Sally's Blues," 1:41
10) "It's a Mystery, Charlie Brown," 2:05
11) "Is It James or Charlie," 2:22
12) "Oh, Good Grief" (from You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown), 1:06
13) "Linus and Lucy," 1:20
14) "Joe Cool," 3:01
15) "Nobody Else," 4:35

The cue "Bus Me" (listed as track 3) isn't to be found anywhere. And track 12 is "Oh, Good Grief," as indicated above, although the liner notes don't mention it at all.

Excellent music. Lot's of sleazy keyboards and guitar. It's actually amazing this was used for childrens television. "Charlie Brown's wake up" sounds so cool and laid back, you just gotta feel guilty of committing jazz-crime. "Cops and robbers" might as well be a cut from the german "Schoolgirl report"-series (which, by the way, also has a brilliant soundtrack). Most of the songs just makes you want to buy wayfarers and a one way ticket to San Francisco, and really, what more could you want from an album?
Buy now! and do yourself a favour and buy the rest of V's catalogue too.

I always wanted to have the music that attracted me to contemporary jazz before it was really popular nationally. When I listen to the tunes, I can't help but picture Snoopy and the gang doing their antics. It is a great way to relax and have fun and enjoy good tunes and memories.