Joseph Lanza

Reading ELEVATOR MUSIC has the same effect on me as actually listening to Muzak or an easy listening music station on the radio. It's a very relaxing, calm read which, considering the state of the world as of March 2020 (if you're reading this in the future and don't understand, look up COVID-19), is an essential balm to my heart and soul. There's a lot of name and brand dropping which is very off-putting as someone not very deep into the history of Muzak, and it's not done in a very beginner friendly way. But there are a lot of interesting stories and is an overall good introduction to the world of chill elevator music.

Also, I would hope that if this book was ever revised and re-released for newer trends in Muzak, they would delve into the popular YouTube music genre that is lo-fi hip-hop and chillhop; I would love to read an oral history behind the rise of anime girls wearing headphones while studying to SoulChef and L'indecis.… (mais)

I'm not quite sure who the audience for this book is. I started reading based on the title alone and soon discovered that this is a book about how pop hits of the 60s were remade into easy listening instrumentals (usually) by the likes of the Hollyridge Strings, Ferrante and Teicher, and a host of others--including Muzak. It makes for an interesting story, thanks to the author's knowledge about both the original and the multiple easy listening versions of classic songs from the Beatles, Beach Boys, Donovan, and others. It makes me recall that in my older brother's record collection, in addition to the original Beatles, Byrds, Rolling Stones, and Beach Boys albums, there was at least one album of Beatles orchestral versions--perhaps the Hollyridge Strings, or maybe it was the 101 Strings or some similarly named outfit. This book makes you realize that those albums were not just amateurish productions with a limited audience to try to cash in on the popularity of rock 'n' roll--they actually were serious productions that used top-notch musicians and required quite a bit of arrangement expertise. After all, the original songs rarely included harpsichords or piccolos....

This book will also make you realize just how strange Donovan's songs were, and how different they are from each other, from basic guitar-driven folks (Colors) to the truly bizarre (Hurdy Gurdy Man).

You can sample lots of this music on Amazon Prime or other streaming services. The Hollyridge Strings versions of Beatles and Beach Boys songs, for instance, are enjoyable to listen to, as is the entire album of Jan and Dean songs. But as for Ferrante and Teicher, I have to say that even their hits sound way over-produced. I expected to hear more of the two pianos--these guys taught at Juilliard after all--but they are often buried in ridiculous orchestral arrangements. I would honestly rather listen to Richard Clayderman. Much more of the tune comes through.

So again, I'm curious to know if there is that much of an audience for books about Muzak and its ilk--but this author has written on the subject before, so I guess there must be. In any case, I can recommend this book, which in addition to its solid writing, has some great album cover photos.… (mais)