(Omni Recording)

Slightly camp and kitschy but nonetheless entertaining.

The master of cinematic Moog-pop, you say? Well, I wasn’t aware that it was such a highly coveted title, but if I was going to give it to anyone, Hugo Montenegro would probably claim it hands down. An experimental composer and film scorer from the ‘60s to the late ‘70s when emphysema forced him to retire, Montenegro was particularly enamored with the orchestral capabilities of the Moog synthesizer, hoping to transform it from a mere creator of weird and futuristic sounds to an integral part of pop music itself. While this dream may have only been recognized in small circles, the 29 tracks contained in this anthology illustrate a legacy that has surely been noticed by every pop weirdo ever since, from Brian Wilson to Eno and beyond. A mix of his own compositions and covers of pop hits and classic film scores (his reworking of Good Vibrations is particularly catchy), Mr. Groovy shows an eccentric and eclectic body of work that should produce its fair share of smiles.

MITCH ALEXANDER

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