"Happy New Millennium" serves a double purpose: first it is a single, and second it is a compilation sampler of the Globe Records roster of artists. The title track (and single) features several of the Globe artists on a tune that has a Latin beat, and features the chorus sung in English, and spoken in nine other languages. An edited take of the song opens the CD, but you have to wait until the end to hear the full unexpurgated version.
The sampler features several different musical styles, with something for just about everybody, including a number of tracks from the blues genre. As samplers go, it is pretty good stuff, and there are a couple of bands that merit further investigation. In particular, Rhythmtown Jive, who serve up a honking sax R&B tune called "Jet Stream", and the laid back musings of the Christmas Jug Band (Big Boy Crudup's "Little Red Wagon" and Frank Loesser's "What Are You Doin' New Year's Eve?") come out ahead of the rest. Joe Goldmark also deserves special mention for doing a pedal(?) steel guitar version of the Beatles "I'm Only Sleeping," whilst most amusing song title goes to "First Bratwurst of Summer" by the Germanic sounding band called Those Darn Accordions!
Overall "Happy New Millennium" is something of a musical smorgasbord rather than a blues CD as such. As a sampler it offers a useful insight into what Globe Records are up to. Most of the material sits in fairly safe mainstream territory within its own particular style, so do not expect any exciting new fusions of different styles. Good clean fun, nonetheless.
Globe Records: www.globerecords.com
This review is copyright © 2000 by Gordon Baxter , and Blues On Stage, all rights reserved.
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