Australian Doors Show; The Beatnix; Kate Ceberano and the Ministry of Fun; Robyne Dunn; Etcetera Theatre Company; The Fargone Beauties; Sandra Hahn and Michael Turkic; Rolf Harris; Pardon Me Boys; Neil Pepper; The Rock Lobsters; Leonard Teale; Toys Went Berserk; Vegimite Reggae; The Whipper Snappers; John Paul Young; and 5 others

ABC Music (that's AUSTRALIAN Broadcasting Company, folks) 512-605-2. CD.

All right, I admit it I LOVE theme albums!  I always grab them when I can:  The Best of Louie Louie Vols 1 and 2 (the song, not the group!), The Last Temptation of Elvis, and so on and so on.  There is just something that really appeals to me about hearing different interpretations of familiar songs.  (Of course, the same principle is what supports most of the Classical music industry!  For example, there are currently over 80 recordings of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons.)  This disc is Stairway to Heaven, over and over again, by 22 different artists.  Rolf "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport" Harris had a top ten hit in the U.K. (and number 1 on Dr. Demento's show) with his version, and for me it is worth the price of this import disc by itself.  It is loony but so infectious now at my house at any time someone is likely to burst out with "ALL TOGETHER NOW: AND SHE'S BUYING A STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN."  Apparently this project was three years in the making.  According to the wonderful liner notes by Andrew Denton, over 2000 demo tapes were reviewed in the process of choosing the 22 acts that made it to the disc.  Among the acts who didn't make the cut were Prince and Weird Al Yankovic each of whom produced versions that were so amazing they "actually made the original sound passé"!  (Al PLEASE You've GOT to release yours!)  Well, what's here is still pretty amazing:  Elvis, the Beatles, the Doors, the B-52s, reggae, grand opera, country, recitation and a lot of other styles; it's a lot of fun.  This is the best theme album I have found yet.  It is sure to make your friends jaws drop when you play it for them!

      Kimba W. Lion
from 1994 issues of The Off-Center Record newsletter
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