new guy to the lounge

[Pablo Mendoza]

hi, I was wondering if anyone out there could show me some guidance in the world of lounge.  Recently I recieved from a friend a copy of Ultra-Lounge's Bachelor Pad Royal, (on account that I finally moved out).  So I took a listen, and the opener, theme to "Route 66", knoked my socks off!!  The way that the piano started off, and then the way the trumpets jumpped in, it was cool, easy...  yeah, easy!  I liked it, and would love to get to know this music a bit more.  Unfortunately, my friend is more of a "Surf" type of guy, and he told me all about Dick Dale, The Phantom Surfers, and Satan's Pilgrims.  All great bands, but hardly "loungie".  Anyways, thanks in advance!

Be Easy,
pablo

[Greg Gioia]

Hey Pablo!

Welcome to the group! It's pretty quiet here...maybe you'd call it easy.
But it's great to have you join.

If you enjoyed the Ultra-Lounge disc, that may be a good place to start.
They have about 20 discs of lounge-style music available. Each has a
theme, and there are a couple of Christmas discs. They also put out a sort
of sampler which gives you a taste of the various discs. Perhaps you
should buy that one to check out the flavors, then select a few discs
based on that.

Personally I like the "Crime Scene" disc as well as the Bachelor Pad
Royale that you already own. But they're all great.

If you don't know much about the artists, I'd advise starting with the
Ultra-Lounge compilations. Then once you find some artists you enjoy,
learn more about them and start buying their individual albums.

Personally, I got into the lounge sound as a kid. My parents had a giant
collection (now it's mine) of records from the 40s 50s and 60s. I grew up
listening to Louis Prima, Martin Denny, Tommy Dorsey, Les Baxter, Yma
Sumac, and all kinds of crazy stuff. I loved the experimental percussion
records they had. One of my favorites was actually a record designed to
test your stereo speakers to see that they are balanced and working
properly. But it had this killer version of Hernando's Hideaway that I'd
always play. But I digress.

Check out some discs, then give us your feedback!

Cheers,

Greg

In article <364C82C0...@sprynet.com>, Pablo Mendoza

[Djnj1]

Hi!
Lounge is much more than just music, it's a lifestyle perspective... a way of
appreciating the leisure/bachelor sounds of the past as a key to living - Let's
start with clothing... Do you dig the fine threads (clothes) of the past's
styles? Y'know, cool sharkskin suits, starched shirts, artisticly styled ties
and accoutremnets - cufflinks and pleated suit hankercheifs? (Shop at thrift
stores) And style/DESIGN? does the futrist/modern design of interiors and
furniture of the midcentury intrigue you? Herman Miller & Charles Eames (plus
European designers) are good places to start. How about art? Do you like
Modern art, the pop expressionism of Lichtenstein or Jackson Pollock? I'm sure
you like to read, if you want to feel Lounge get to reading the poetry of the
Beat pioneers- the novels of Jack Kerouac or the poetry of Allen Ginsburg - And
a bachelor's good time, learn to make killer drinks using expensive liquor, it
definitely makes a tremendous difference, especially when you spell it out to
women. Buy old magazines at garage sales.
My freind, LOUNGE (in present times) is simply a retrospective appreciation of
things COOL past...It is made up of the what made us cool as American men
decades ago- AND most importantly, it is the realization that, that cool, way
back when...was the coolest there ever was-no question. period. If you
compare, there is no argument- but you must be open-minded enough to do the
research to make this determination on your own accord, when you do...you will
understand.
CLUE: Go to a Tower books, Barnes & Noble, Borders, etc. & ask for a magazine
called "ECHOES", it is the magazine that will show you what a cool lounge
afficionado's life shoud look like-take a lesson.
Get Hip!
David

[Smmmorlie]

You should definitely start off with any of the Ultra Lounge CDs (Bachelor Pad
Royale is a part of that series), then I would move onto some Louis Prima, Sam
Butera, and then some contemporary groups like, H.B. Radke and the Jet City
Swingers and Ray Gelato Giants. There's also a compilation called _Cocktail
Mix_ put out by Rhino, which is very good and similar to Ultra Lounge.

Good luck and keep swingin'
smmmorlie

Life is but a carpe diem poem

[Pablo Mendoza]

Wow, Thanks a lot. Really. You've given me a lot of good places to start my quest
for Coolness in the age where coolness began. You're right, for me to just rely on
the music would have been to deny myself the wealth of the true breadth of the
lounge experience. By the way, I've gotten myself Mondo Exotica, and Rhapsodesia
from Ultra-Lounge Records. Also, I got my dad's old Hi-Fi Phono, and his set of
"Music to Relax By" on 33.3-vynil. He also decided to contribute his old Cocktail
Shaker/Glasses set, and his set of ultra-thin ties. Well, thank you to all of you
who answered my questions, and contributed your views on what Lounge means. I'm
sure I see plenty of good times ahead of me. Once again, thanks, and stay Easy.

Pablo