http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/dinosaur1972/ Halloween Discussion Forum, Haunts and Home Haunt Community. en Mon, 06 Sep 2010 03:54:55 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.halloweenforum.com/fusion/misc/rss.jpg http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/dinosaur1972/ http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/dinosaur1972/623-tales-tomb-1999.html Wed, 18 Aug 2010 01:22:58 GMT Image: http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/th.0848feb513.jpg I don’t recall where I found this little gem. It features pretty solid retellings...
I don’t recall where I found this little gem. It features pretty solid retellings of contemporary scary tales with musical accompaniment. It opens and closes with Edgar Allen Poe poems, and in between are urban legends you are probably already familiar with in some form or another.

Stories include variations on the kidney removal, the killer’s hook on the car, the downed telephone line in the cemetery, the “have you checked the children” story, even the tried-and-true vanishing hitchhiker. Pretty standard fare, but the scripts are all good. The narration isn’t bad, but at times it sounds as if it were played back at a speed slower than what it was recorded … it isn’t a very good effect. Maybe next time find narrators with deeper voices?

The music is, from what I can tell, all borrowed from the realm of classical music. I hear music from “Pictures at an Exhibition”, “Neptune” from Holst’s “The Planets”, and some piano and organ music. No points for originality, and sometimes the mood of the music utterly fails to match the mood of the story.

Then again, this album isn’t out to win any awards for “Best Original Score” … it is just telling some ghost stories. And it does an excellent job of it. There aren’t many “modern” collections of ghost stories that I like more than this one, but I am still left with the feeling that it could’ve been done better.
Tales from the Tomb ]]> Dinosaur1972 http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/dinosaur1972/623-tales-tomb-1999.html http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/dinosaur1972/620-famous-monsters-speak-1963.html Tue, 17 Aug 2010 11:45:48 GMT Image: http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/61d87b9f98.jpg Famous Monsters of Filmland was a magazine whose original run lasted from 1958 until...
Famous Monsters of Filmland was a magazine whose original run lasted from 1958 until 1983. It started in response to renewed interest in the old horror films, thanks to syndicated television and plenty of late-night classic horror movie hosts. It featured articles about old and current films, and original artwork that is still considered some of the finest in the genre. In 1963, Famous Monsters of Filmland released this record, with scripts by Cherney Berg, and voice acting by Gabriel Dell.

Berg has done genre adaptations of all kinds … particularly the “Scary Spooky Stories” album from 1973 from Troll Records and an audio presentation of King Kong. Gabriel Dell was on the Steve Allen show in the late 50’s where he perfected his Bela Lugosi imitation.

This is an outstanding album. The first track purports to be an actual audio recording of the first words from Frankenstein’s Monster as you hear it presented to a group of scientists. The second track imagines what it would be like to go hunting with Dracula for a night. The scripts are pretty effective, and never very corny or silly. (Maybe when Dracula is asking a potential victim about the bus …) Dell makes no attempt to impersonate Karloff on the first track, which is fine, but Dell’s voice doesn’t come to mind when imagining an 8-foot tall monster like Frankenstein. The script and sound effects make it work. Dell’s Lugosi is excellent, although he might overdo it on a few words (like “friendT” and “ringK”). His Dracula laugh may induce goosebumps… it is pretty chilling. There are plenty of sound effects in both tracks to lend it a theatrical charm.

You absolutely must give it a listen. It is a classic in every sense.
Famous Monsters Speak! ]]> Dinosaur1972 http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/dinosaur1972/620-famous-monsters-speak-1963.html http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/dinosaur1972/617-spirits-spooks-halloween-summoned-up-william-conrad-1973.html Mon, 16 Aug 2010 11:39:45 GMT Image: http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/th.c349ba5b1c.jpg It is easy to justify the reasons for ghost story albums read by the likes of...
It is easy to justify the reasons for ghost story albums read by the likes of Boris Karloff, Vincent Price, and Nelson Olmsted. The first two were arguably the most influential actors in the horror genre, and Olmsted narrated his own stories in the NBC radio series “Sleep No More”. But William Conrad? The Fatman of “Jake and the Fatman”? Seems like a stretch.

Turns out Conrad’s voice was featured in some 50’s radio dramas, including “Escape” and “Suspense”. But this album of traditional ghost stories and poems still seems a little out of character for the big fella. Halfway through “The Horny-Goloch”, he finds himself trying an accent of some kind … the result is not pretty. Nor is his wailing during “The Ghost’s Song”.

The album is dominated by a 19-minute folk tale from Africa called “Fereyel and Debbo Engal The Witch”, which is a bit slow-moving and not terribly scary, but is an interesting story. Three other 5-minute stories and an assortment of shorter poems are here, too. The last one is a toughie … very repetitive, and very little payoff. A curious album, but not a necessity.

Spirits and Spooks for Hallowe'en Summoned up by William Conrad ]]> Dinosaur1972 http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/dinosaur1972/617-spirits-spooks-halloween-summoned-up-william-conrad-1973.html http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/dinosaur1972/616-evening-boris-karloff-his-friends-1968.html Mon, 16 Aug 2010 00:45:48 GMT Image: http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/daadbcb54b.jpg When I first started really digging Halloween music 11 or 12 years ago, this was one...
When I first started really digging Halloween music 11 or 12 years ago, this was one of the first ones I found. I have since listened to many, many spooky albums, but this one is unique. This is the only album I know of that combines sound clips from classic films with narration and music. It serves as a terrific introduction to the classic monster movies from Universal studios. If Boris Karloff ever hosted a ½-hour documentary on the Universal monsters, featuring clips from the films, this album would serve as the soundtrack.

Karloff is the perfect narrator, not only because he starred in many of the films he discusses, but because his voice is so perfectly suited for this kind of script. The sound clips do a terrific job presenting the horror of each film without giving much plot away, and all the classic scenes are represented (the mummy walks, “I bid you … welcome”, “It’s alive!”). The music, by Verne Langdon, provides a nice backdrop for the script – his music also provides background music for the sound clips that had no score. Langdon was clearly influenced by the classic scores from some of those films.

No, this is not a scary album … not at all. But there truly is no other album like this out there. It is absolutely charming in the way it re-introduces the classic horror movies to an audience that (at a time before home video or DVD) probably hadn’t seen or read about those classic films in awhile. I hope it will inspire you to revisit those movies yourself.

Sorry I've had so many posts where I cannot share the album, but I know this one is back on the market ... saw it at my favorite horror DVD site, Creepy Classics. I'm pretty sure Mr. Langdon would appreciate your business ... this recording is truly one-of-a-kind. Here's Mr. Langdon's own website, if you are curious. ]]> Dinosaur1972 http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/dinosaur1972/616-evening-boris-karloff-his-friends-1968.html http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/dinosaur1972/613-just-cant-get-enough-new-wave-halloween-1998.html Sat, 14 Aug 2010 18:47:11 GMT Image: http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/9007e2938c.jpg While my musical tastes for Halloween tend toward the oldies, this collection (now...
While my musical tastes for Halloween tend toward the oldies, this collection (now over 12 years old? Jeez, I’m aging fast) is a diversion from the oldies I’m used to. I’m not saying each of these tracks is a winner, and if you regularly listen to Halloween music you won’t find any surprises on this CD.

The standards, good and bad, are here, such as “The Time Warp”, “Dead Man’s Party”, and “Halloween” by the Misfits. Some more unusual songs are here too … MX-80 Sounds version of Carpenter’s “Halloween” movie theme, and a version of “The Munsters” by Comateens. You’ve also got “Everyday is Halloween”, which is more about teen angst than Halloween. (I still like the song, and I never even had teen angst.) Then there are snoozers like “Halloween” by the Dream Syndicate, “Halloween” by Mudhoney, and “Halloween” by Sonic Youth.

There are probably better and more interesting collections of Halloweenish songs from the 80’s, but at least this one steers clear of pop music (“Ghostbusters”, anyone?) and sticks with one genre. But I doubt I’ll listen to it again before 10/31. Still available, so I oughtn't share. ]]> Dinosaur1972 http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/dinosaur1972/613-just-cant-get-enough-new-wave-halloween-1998.html http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/dinosaur1972/610-verne-langdon-phantom-organ-vampyre-harpsichord-1973.html Fri, 13 Aug 2010 11:55:25 GMT Image: http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/th.f8f410f77c.jpg Image: http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/th.bfe88b3a9d.jpg Verne Langdon...

Verne Langdon is a musician and composer whose early recordings seem to be centered on horror. He was the creator and producer of one of my favorite Halloween recordings, “An Evening With Boris Karloff and His Friends”, and he’s got several interesting recordings of spooky music. Some of his recordings feature the wonderfully spooky voice of classic horror movie star John Carradine. “Phantom” and “Vampire” were released in 1973 and 1974 originally, and released on CD in 2000 on the Electric Lemon label, which appears to be Langdon’s own.

“Phantom of the Organ” consists of 7 tracks of organ music … most of them are organ alone, but some tracks are enhanced by scary sound effects. If you are fascinated by Bach’s “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor”, which is often linked with The Phantom of the Opera (you would know the tune if you heard it), then you will enjoy these tracks. They would make for some terrific haunt music.

“Vampyre at the Harpsichord” is 8 tracks of harpsichord music. The harpsichord does not possess the ominous sound of the organ, but “Carnival of Souls” and “Waltz of the Ghouls” (both in 3/4 time) would be terrific “Haunted Carnival” themes.

If you are looking for creepy organ music for your haunt, look no further. Since this is available on CD through Electric Lemon records, I can’t share it, but by all means get it on Amazon. ]]> Dinosaur1972 http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/dinosaur1972/610-verne-langdon-phantom-organ-vampyre-harpsichord-1973.html http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/dinosaur1972/609-louis-bebe-barron-forbidden-planet-soundtrack-1956.html Fri, 13 Aug 2010 11:33:14 GMT Image: http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/1cba1cae35.jpg No, “Forbidden Planet” is not a horror movie (it’s sci-fi). So this is not...
No, “Forbidden Planet” is not a horror movie (it’s sci-fi). So this is not necessarily a “Halloween-ish” soundtrack. Nevertheless, I tend to treat this album as Halloween music, since I first heard it on Never Ending Wonder radio’s Halloween netcasts a few years ago. Besides, there are plenty of spooky connections to this movie from other movies – including the 1978 film “Halloween” (the two kids Laurie is babysitting are watching this film).

The soundtrack is possibly the first all-electronic movie soundtrack. Wikipedia has some interesting discussion on how the Barron’s created the score, building ring modulator circuits, and running the resulting sounds through a variety of audio effects. The results are not what most would call “musical”, but they are distinctive and fun to hear over 50 years later. This score does double-duty, as you can hear many of the movie’s special effects in here. In particular, the monster’s footsteps and its strange electronic roars are terrific.

If you have not yet seen the film, you should. It is beautifully filmed – the special effects are nice for late 50’s, and the colors really pop. Anne Francis looks stunning. It’s a real hoot to see Leslie Nielsen (of “Naked Gun” fame) playing it straight as a young military commander. And, of course, there is Robby the Robot.The score is an interesting listen – it evokes the imagery of the film while opening a window on the genesis of electronic music.

Louis and Bebe Barron - Forbidden Planet Soundtrack ]]> Dinosaur1972 http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/dinosaur1972/609-louis-bebe-barron-forbidden-planet-soundtrack-1956.html http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/dinosaur1972/603-wonderland-singers-accompaniment-spooky-halloween-1974.html Tue, 10 Aug 2010 11:30:29 GMT Image: http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/1fd13f7024.jpg I found this classic in the Scar Stuff blog years ago. At the time, I was just...
I found this classic in the Scar Stuff blog years ago. At the time, I was just downloading every Halloween recording I could find, but upon listening to this, I immediately recalled hearing this music in elementary school. I still have vivid memories of Miss Collins sitting up front on her stool, playing this record, and showing the accompanying slide show (or was it a film?) on the wall of the music room (what I wouldn’t give to find a copy of THAT somewhere).

The album features Halloween lyrics written to classic children’s tunes, sung by a few men and women accompanied by an old-time organ. As a 1st or 2nd grader, I remember feeling a little lost … it’s one thing to sing new lyrics to familiar tunes, but when you’re not familiar with the tune, either … I mean, what 2nd grader knows the tune of “As the Army Goes Rolling Along”? I guess it must’ve made an impression.

Alas … despite my own fond memories, I cannot recommend this recording. Today’s kids would not be impressed … my own kids would not recognize more than 3 or 4 of the melodies. The lyrics are not very clever or funny. The music is an organ. Just an organ. Almost sounds like a ballpark organ.

If “Acka lacka ching – acka lacka chow – here come three more witches now” rings a bell, you might enjoy this trip into the darker recesses of your memory. Otherwise, meh.

Wonderland Singers and Accompaniment - Spooky Halloween ]]> Dinosaur1972 http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/dinosaur1972/603-wonderland-singers-accompaniment-spooky-halloween-1974.html http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/dinosaur1972/602-hans-conried-alice-pearce-monster-rally-1959.html Mon, 09 Aug 2010 11:38:46 GMT (Novelty) Image: http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/th.b9783a04bd.jpg No doubt you’ve heard Hans Conried’s voice before. He ably voiced... (Novelty)

No doubt you’ve heard Hans Conried’s voice before. He ably voiced Captain Hook in Disney’s Peter Pan. You’ve also heard him on the old Dudley Do-Right or Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons. And you’ve also probably seen Alice Pearce … she was Gladys, Samantha’s neighbor on Bewitched. The two of them, along with “The Creatures and the Frank N. Stein Orchestra”, created this … probably my 4th favorite novelty Halloween album (behind Sheldon Allman’s “Sing Along with Dracula”, Bobby Boris Pickett’s “Monster Mash”, and Spike Jones’ “Spooktacular”).

This is pretty kid-friendly stuff. Lots of silly sound effects and silly voices. A couple of tracks are quite familiar (“The Thing” and “Purple People Eater”), but some of the original compositions like “Mostly Ghostly” and “The Invisible Man” are really great. It is refreshing to hear a few silly Halloween-ish songs sung by a woman this time around, and Pearce is terrific. She’s got a big-time Broadway voice. And Conried is terrific … nobody delivers a line like “I’ve got two arms to hold her tight, but her three make it an uneven fight” with as much panache as he. The lyrics are old-school clever and witty.

If you are fond of Spike Jones’ “Spooktacular in Screaming Sound”, then you are sure to enjoy this album, too. Love songs (“Not of This Earth”), dance tracks (“The Dracula Trot”, with a nice trombone solo), horror and sci-fi … it’s a good listen.

Hans Conried and Alice Pearce - Monster Rally ]]> Dinosaur1972 http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/dinosaur1972/602-hans-conried-alice-pearce-monster-rally-1959.html http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/dinosaur1972/600-more-reviewing.html Sat, 07 Aug 2010 21:57:42 GMT Here's the rest of the albums I've reviewed previously:

Ruth White – Flowers of Evil (1969)
Weird, weird album. But fun. Ruth White – Flowers of Evil

Pickwick Records - Sounds of Terror! (1974) A few pretty good sound effects ... a couple are just awful. Still a classic! Sounds of Terror!

Al Zanino - The Vampire Speaks (1957) Short but sweet classic 45. Al Zanino - The Vampire Speaks

Troll Records - Thrillers and Chillers, Great Ghost Stories, Weird Tales of the Unknown (1973) Listed in order of my favorite to my least favorite.
Thrillers and Chillers
Great Ghost Stories
Weird Tales of the Unknown

Christopher Lee – Fireside Tales (BBC Radio) (2004) Wow. Maybe my favorite set of recorded ghost stories ever. Christopher Lee – Fireside Tales

Again ... let me know if any links are no good. Hope you like them. ]]> Dinosaur1972 http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/dinosaur1972/600-more-reviewing.html http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/dinosaur1972/598-lets-review.html Fri, 06 Aug 2010 11:42:32 GMT Since it has been so long, I'll review my, er, reviews of Halloween music so far.

Boris Karloff - Tales of the Frightened, Volumes 1 & 2 (1963) - Awesome. You must listen to them.
Volume 1
Volume 2

Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett – The Original Monster Mash (1962) - Not my favorite, but a classic nonetheless. I won't share it, as I think his estate probably still sells it.

Mort Garson – Black Mass - Lucifer (1971) - My favorite spooky early electronic music. Wonderful, wonderful. Mort Garson – Black Mass - Lucifer

Richard Bone – The Spectral Ships (1998) - A haunting yet beautiful set of tracks dedicated to legendary ghost ships. I doubt I can share it though.

Spike Jones – In Stereo - A Spooktacular in Screaming Sound (1959) - My favorite Halloween novelty album. Old-fashioned, but fun. Spike Jones – In Stereo - A Spooktacular in Screaming Sound

Troll Records – Scary Spooky Stories – 1973 - Good scary stories that even the kids would like. Troll Records – Scary Spooky Stories

Disney’s Thrilling Chilling Sounds of the Haunted House (1964) - Not real scary, but certainly a classic of sound effects. Disney’s Thrilling Chilling Sounds of the Haunted House

Dean Gitter – Ghost Ballads (1959) - The most famous ghost / folk songs ever - some fun, some touching ... you should hear it. Dean Gitter – Ghost Ballads

Bob McFadden and Dor - Songs Our Mummy Taught Us (1959) - Ugh. Not that good, and not that Halloween-ish even. Oh well. Bob McFadden and Dor - Songs Our Mummy Taught Us

Various Artists compiled by Rob Zombie – Halloween Hootenanny (1998) - Awesome. Can't share it.

Various Artists – Music for Dark Nights and Full Moons (2003) - Cool mix I found on some website somewhere. Not a great mix, but not awful. Music for Dark Nights and Full Moons

Frankie Stein and His Ghouls – Discography (1964-1965) - Ugh. Too boring to share.

Sounds To Make You Shiver! Bloodcurdling! Terror! Horror! (1974) - Another sound effects classic, and this one is really good, to boot. Sounds To Make You Shiver! Bloodcurdling! Terror! Horror!

The Haunted House - 20 Tracks to Make You Jump in the Night (2000) - Fantastic set of oldies. FANTASTIC. The Haunted House - 20 Tracks to Make You Jump in the Night

Sheldon Allman – Sing Along with Drac (1960) - My second favorite Halloween novelty album. Classy, smooth, clever ... greatness. Sheldon Allman – Sing Along with Drac

Vincent Price – A Graveyard of Ghost Tales (1973) - My favorite of Price's ghost story collections. Vincent Price – A Graveyard of Ghost Tales

William Castle - Ghost Story - Thrilling, Chilling Sounds of Fright & the Supernatural (1972) - Odd collection ... not real scary ... but fun. And, c'mon ... William freakin' Castle! William Castle - Ghost Story - Thrilling, Chilling Sounds of Fright & the Supernatural

The Day the Earth Stood Still – Soundtrack (1951) - Incredible soundtrack with plenty of theremin. An icon in movie soundtracks. (Can't share.)

Ghouls With Attitude – Halloween Compilation Vol. 1 and 2 (2004) - Great collection of old-time Halloween songs. Volume 1
Volume 2

Various Artists – Monster Party 2000 (2000) - If you liked Halloween Hootenanny, you'll like this one too. Not a very old release, so probably can't share.

Whew! That's a good start. Holler if any links are broken. ]]> Dinosaur1972 http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/dinosaur1972/598-lets-review.html http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/dinosaur1972/353-christopher-lee-fireside-tales-bbc-radio-2004.html Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:18:01 GMT I’m not sure where I ran across these recordings, but they might … MIGHT … be my favorite ghost story readings. Right up there with Vincent Price’s... I’m not sure where I ran across these recordings, but they might … MIGHT … be my favorite ghost story readings. Right up there with Vincent Price’s Caedmon recordings from the early 70’s, and Boris Karloff’s “Tales of the Frightened”.

Christopher Lee is well-known to several generations of movie-goers, from his appearances in the Hammer horror films from the late 50’s through the early 70’s up to his supporting roles in The Lord of the Rings and the Star Wars prequels. His deep voice and wonderful accent make him a more than adequate reader for these frightening tales, including:

• “The Black Cat” – the Poe tale that (it seems) appears in every collection of scary stories
• “The Man of Science” – a terrific tale of revenge from beyond the grave by Jerome K. Jerome
• “John Charrington’s Wedding” – an story by Edith Nesbit featuring a man who won’t let anything … even death … stand between him and his wedding day
• “The Man and the Snake” – an Ambrose Bierce classic about a bad case of ophidiophobia
• “The Monkey’s Paw” – the W.W. Jacobs classic

Each story is around 15 minutes long, featuring a few sound effects and appropriately spooky accompaniment. Lee’s voice is delightful … the studio uses stereo effects to better enhance the conversational scenes, and Lee manages to differentiate between voices in a way that doesn’t come across as hokey or cheesy. I’ve listened (and watched) various renditions of “The Black Cat” for years, so that one is a bit of a slow mover for me. “The Man and the Snake” doesn’t have terribly scary source material. The other three stories are top-notch … particularly “The Monkey’s Paw”, in which Lee’s narration slowly builds to a terrifying and satisfying climax.

Ghost story recordings are becoming endangered … there were plenty in the 60’s and 70’s, but they have steadily declined in number ever since. How refreshing, then, to hear modern technology applied to turn-of-the-century stories. And how much more refreshing to hear a classically trained voice such as Lee’s leading the way. You should absolutely listen to these stories.

And you can get them here! ]]> Dinosaur1972 http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/dinosaur1972/353-christopher-lee-fireside-tales-bbc-radio-2004.html http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/dinosaur1972/345-halloweens-comin.html Tue, 11 Aug 2009 02:36:13 GMT Time to get back into this. I didn't get very far last year with my Halloween music reviews, so I'm trying again. This time, if it seems that the album I'm reviewing is not available for some reason, I'll upload it somewheres.

Not sure where to start this time ... maybe some soundtracks? ]]> Dinosaur1972 http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/dinosaur1972/345-halloweens-comin.html http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/dinosaur1972/186-troll-records-weird-tales-unknown-1973.html Wed, 27 Aug 2008 02:37:08 GMT Image: http://bp0.blogger.com/_EQXPQvxgn9A/RtJFadwrj9I/AAAAAAAABEY/N_LWoWfzVaI/s320/WeirdTalesOfTheUnknownFront.jpg *Troll Records – Weird Tales of...
Troll Records – Weird Tales of the Unknown – 1973
GHOST STORIES
I finally got to the last of the Troll Records 1973 set of ghost story albums, and I’m glad I made it. These albums just don’t see to do much for me.

This one opens with Poe’s “The Black Cat”, another staple of weird-tale albums. “A Diagnosis of Death” and “John Bartine’s Watch”, both by Ambrose Bierce, follow. Last is “The Cat that Didn’t Purr”.

The first three are classic stories written in the 19th century … the language is therefore very old-fashioned. Reading these stories is a pleasure … listening to them is a bit of a chore. I can’t find the origin of the last story, but the only weirdness of the tale is talking cats. It has been years since I read any of Bierce’s short stories, and listening to this gave me an excuse to revisit them, and that’s about all this album did for me.

Yeah, it's still good. Get it. ]]> Dinosaur1972 http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/dinosaur1972/186-troll-records-weird-tales-unknown-1973.html http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/dinosaur1972/185-troll-records-great-ghost-stories-1973.html Wed, 27 Aug 2008 02:35:12 GMT Image: http://bp1.blogger.com/_EQXPQvxgn9A/Rk1GDU_54bI/AAAAAAAAANE/zc2Y9dlYzAw/s320/GreatGhostStoriesLPFront.jpg *Troll Records – Great Ghost...
Troll Records – Great Ghost Stories – 1973
GHOST STORIES

Figured I may as well complete the cycle here. “Great Ghost Stories” is the 3rd Troll Records ghost story releases from 1973 … at least the 3rd that I’m reviewing.

“The Mysterious Shipwreck” is a bit long, and I doubt many young children could follow it. “The Golden Arm” is, of course, similar to “The Leg of Gold” featured on Vincent Price’s “A Graveyard of Ghost Tales” as well as the folk tale “The Hairy Toe”. “The Guitar Player” isn’t all that scary. “Here We Go!” is even less scary, but maybe kids would enjoy it.

The same narrators, the same cheesy music, and the same sound effects are featured here as on the other Troll ghost story albums. But this time, the stories just don’t measure up.

Halloweiner knows you want it anyway. ]]> Dinosaur1972 http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/dinosaur1972/185-troll-records-great-ghost-stories-1973.html