[.ca] Music from a Sparkling Planet

From Amazon.com:
Esquivel has been such a hit with lounge revivalists that a sequel to Space Age Bachelor Pad Music was undeniable. Music From a Sparkling Planet inevitably carries a heavy load of kitsch, and rightly so. By any fair standard, Juan Garcia Esquivel's desperately spry arrangements (complete with "zoom zoom" vocals, blaring brass, and truly mind-bending steel guitar) were a product of their time. You almost feel like you should be eating a TV dinner off a TV tray while watching My Favorite Martian to fully enjoy this stuff. But you'll never hear a sprightlier version of "Boulevard of Broken Dreams." --Steven Stolder

another great Esquivel starter CD:
Bar-None really did a wonderful job on the booklet for this release. The tune selection is really fine as well. This is a great way to introduce yourself to Esquivel's world. But be prepared to want MORE once you become ensnared by the music!

Animation for the ears:
A crazy Mexican hybrid of Stan Kenton and Spike Jones, and the musical equivalent of a Tex Avery cartoon, Juan Garcia Esquivel produced some of the most innovative sounds to ever get shelved next to standard big band and easy listening titles. He found success in America when RCA marketed him in their "Living Stereo" series, and his techniques were celebrated and imitated during the hi-fi craze of the late '50s and early '60s. Besides his use of stereo panning, he composed with unusual instruments such as the double-neck steel guitar, the theremin, harpsichord, human whistling, and an array of exotic percussion. This is the follow-up collection to Bar/None's first Esquivel sampler, and despite the silly title, it features 14 more amazing arrangements. The booklet is an entertaining read, giving an overview of Juan's heyday through interviews with not only the man himself, but a few of his former bandmates, singers, and producers. As if to drive the point home about his ubiquitous influence, there's an impressive list of over 120 television shows that have used his mood music in the last 35 years. Bar/None released an enjoyable Esquivel Christmas disc after this. These CD compilations make for an excellent primer to his sound, and should send converted listeners to the used record bins seeking out his vast catalog of releases on vinyl.

• Cachita
• Cherokee
• Third Man Theme
• Bikina
• You Belong to My Heart
• Paloma
• Cachito
• Granada
• Question Mark (What Can You Do)
• My Blue Heaven
• All of Me
• Poinciana
• Flower Girl of Bordeaux
• Boulevard of Broken Dreams