Incredibly Strange Music, Volume II (First Edition)

Examines such overlooked works of music as Hawaiian music, sound-effects recordings, electronically synthesized music, and offbeat titles such as "How to Strip for Your Husband," and "Muhammad Ali Fights Tooth Decay"

This is the second volume of the publisher's very popular Incredibly Strange Music series (LJ 3/15/93). Editors Vale and Juno's interview format allows the collectors to discuss their favorite strange records and how they found these treasures. Several of the interviewees are the performers who produced the "strange music," notably Yma Sumac and Ken Nordine. Robert Moog's history of electronic music is particularly interesting. Jello Biafra, a performer, collector, and freedom of information activist, details many facets of his collection, including exotica, strange country, apocalyptic, and international music. The first volume is not a prerequisite for the current edition. Like most titles from RE/Search, this will appeal to the Generation X crowd who may feel disenfranchised by traditional publishers. Recommended for public libraries with interesting patrons.
A. Arro Smith, San Marcos P.L., Tex.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Re/Search continues its exploration of the tackiest, most bizarre, most outrageous artifacts of the recently bygone vinyl era. Rescued from garage sales and thrift stores by dedicated (and disturbed) collectors, these oddball treasures reflect such genres as ethno-exploitation (e.g., fake Polynesian exotica music); celebrities-gone-wrong (The Two Sides of Leonard Nimoy); occupation-specific albums by singing policemen, singing wrestlers, and the one-of-a-kind Singing Logger (Where Walks a Logger, There Walks a Man); right-wing folk music (The Goldwaters Sing Folk Songs to Bug the Liberals); and the unclassifiable (unspeakable?), such as an entire album of flatulence (incredibly strange, to be sure, but music?). The second helping offers more interviews with some of the artists responsibleamong them, blue comedienne Rusty (Knockers Up!) Warren, word jazz artist Ken Nordine, synthesizer pioneer Robert Moog, and legendary five-octave vocalist (and purported Inca princess) Yma Sumacand chats with prominent collectors. Adding to the fun are reproductions of the covers of dozens of camp classics, from Jerry Falwell's Where Are the Dead? to a Barry Whitestyle disco single by Louis Farrakhan. Gordon Flagg