Various Artists – Spooky Rock – Now Playing (Rhino)

A refreshing collection of Halloween-themed songs, for any time of year

Every October, we seem to get inundated with a handful of super-obvious songs that celebrate the season (like Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” and Rockwell’s “Somebody’s Watching Me”).  The fact is, there’s lots of songs that fit the mold, we just never hear them.  Rhino Records has assembled Spooky Rock, one of the greatest compilations of music suited for any scary occasion.

I’ve never seen “Psycho Killer” by the Talking Heads used in any compilation, let alone having it lead off the album!  That’s followed by “Devil Inside” by INXS, perhaps one of the more obvious inclusions.  Yet, Michael Hutchence’s breathy vocals still stand up after almost 40 years.  The Ramones’ “Pet Semetary” is a fantastic choice – a long-forgotten track, with a great chorus.  

“Marquee Moon” by Television?  Well, the song does mention graveyards.  Again, never had a Television track included in any compilation.  The original, album version clocks in at over 10 minutes.  I believe this version is newly-edited and is just under half as long, but it still works.  Side one closes with the garage rock staple, “I Had Too Much to Dream Last Night” by the Electric Prunes.  This mix really shows off both the pulsing bass and fuzz guitar.

Side 2 opens with the Halloween staple, “Werewolves of London” from Warren Zevon (I mean, they can’t all be obscure, right?).  This version really brings out the piano on the track.  The song “Spooky” often gets included in these kind of sets.  But, the version is either from the Classics IV (who did it first) or the Atlanta Rhythm Section (who took the song back to the charts in the 70’s).  This set grabs neither, instead choosing Dusty Springfield’s version – her cool, yet soulful delivery adds a different element (she also switches the gender to a “spooky little guy”).  There’s also a great sax solo that betters the original.  

Fleetwood Mac’s underrated “Hypnotized” sounds fantastic in this setting.  The inventive drum pattern, ethereal guitars, and lyrics about aliens courtesy of Bob Welch, make this an excellent choice.  Alice Cooper’s “Welcome to My Nightmare” is included, but in an edited version, that gets right to the point immediately.  The last song on the album comes from Norma Tanega (of “Walking My Cat Named Dog” fame) and her chilly, “You’re Dead” track (incidentally, she and Springfield not only share songs on this collection, but were lovers at one point as well).  

But wait, there’s more!  At the end of the final song, there’s a series of spooky sounds, followed by a very low voice, saying “life is but a dream,” followed by laughter, which is repeated over and over as the needle hits the inner groove (a VERY nice touch).

The set comes pressed on jack o lantern orange vinyl, AND a “ghoulish,” glow in the dark cover.  

These Now Playing LP’s tend to be limited edition.  But, there was extreme care put into Spooky Rock – from the clever song choices, to the great packaging – let’s hope this one sticks around for awhile.  —Tony Peters