I Wanna Be Sedated

Jackie Gleason - "Opiate d'Amour" (1960) - Capitol Records

Hello Friends,

Back in an earlier post, we compared a Jackie Gleason record to taking Nyquil.  That was nothing! As the title implies, this LP is literally like being on some strong, strong opiates!  This is mood music for heavy eyelids.  Sleepy and sedate, but in the best possible ways!

As the liner notes state, 

Into this intensely romantic album, Jackie Gleason has decanted a tranquilizing potion as dreamily hypnotic as a warm breeze caressing a field of poppies.

Whoa!  They ain't kidding!  Pass the morphine!

Here the songs flow into one another, calmly and uninterrupted, like a lazy river.  Each album side is a medley of sorts with no pauses between songs.  Not sure if this is the first time something like this was being done on a non-classical LP?  Anyone?  

The songs feature more of those lush & laid back string arrangements punctuated by brass sections that sound as if they're playing inside a fog!  Side One is an ethereal sixteen minutes of some of the best "mood" music you're ever likely to hear!  However, if this keeps up we're probably gonna nod off before this record's even done!  

Side Two opens with "Melancholy Serenade"-- a Gleason original that is also more famously known as the theme to "The Jackie Gleason Show".  This lithely segues into the Jerome Kern standard, "Yesterdays" which in turn floats into another... zzz...  zzz... zzz... zzz... zzz... zzz...

RATING: 4 poppy fields out of 5        

Champagne, Candlelight & Kisses

 Jackie Gleason - Champagne, Candlelight and Kisses (1963)

Hello Friends,

Tonight on "Vinyl in the Valley" we're enjoying the swooning sounds of our favorite fat bastard, Jackie Gleason.

Actually, by this point in his music career, I don't think Gleason had much to do with the recording of these albums and instead let producers and arrangers handle most of the workload.  Hey, why conduct an orchestra when you could be drinking?

"Let me show you what you can do..."

In any case, like most of his Capitol LP's this one plays out like the soundtrack to a Woody Allen movie.  There's the familiar-sounding arrangements complete with lush strings and muted horns ("Theme from Bus Stop", "Its Been a Long, Long Time", "Everything Happens to Me"), but there's also some uncharacteristically bouncy, upbeat and even dixieland-inspired jazzier tunes ("Undecided", "All By Myself", "Just You, Just Me").  I guess between the champagne, candlelight & kisses we're supposed to squeeze in some calisthenics!  

The album cover looks like a service cart in James Bond's hotel room:  Champagne on ice, vintage-looking crystal goblets, a glass tumbler with hand-rolled cigarettes,  softly burning candles and... OMG is that a Pu-Pu platter?!?!?

RATING:

3.5 Trips to the Moon out of a possible 5

This shit's better than Nyquil

This is like audio Ambien.    Seriously, if you're having trouble sleeping put this on.  Its so lush and smoldering that it will probably put you to sleep before you even have to flip it to side B.  

The Jackie Gleason LPs on Capitol are all pretty stellar examples of lounge music from the late 1950's and early 60's.  The funny thing is that Jackie Gleason was best known for his portrayal of the brash, Ralph Kramden, on television's "The Honeymooners"-- his albums, however, are quite the opposite of that fat, sweaty, manic, spousal-abusey loudmouth. 

Also, he's on my top 10 list of favorite drunks.