Listening Post: Meco – Pop Goes the Movies

A guest Listening Post by SamuraiFrog, revolving around Meco Monardo, the guy who disco-ized movie scores.

Meco – Pop Goes the Movies – 1981 (not available)

Oh, that’s too bad.

I enjoyed Impressions of An American Werewolf in London so much that it just deepens my disappointment in Pop Goes the Movies.

There’s really only one track here–“Pop Goes the Movies”–broken into two parts, one for each side of the record. It’s Meco’s response to the insane medley fad that went around at this time. Thanks to Stars on 45 and their successful Beatles medley, Meco first produced a Beach Boys medley for a made-up group called The Cantina Band, and then did this album of nothing but movie themes for a half-hour. All in a “Hooked on Classics” medley with the constant digital clapping and… then it’s over. And almost a half-hour of your life is gone…

Wow, it just… sucks.

(And this wasn’t the only musical harm Meco inflicted on the world in 1981; he also produced Kenny G’s first album that year.)

Grade F
A Side: none
BlindSide: nope, none of those
DownSide: “Pop Goes the Movies”

NOTE: I do not have a copy of Meco’s next album, SWINGTIME’S GREATEST HITS, nor can I track one down. If it’s anything like this mess, I’m kind of glad I’m going to have to skip it.