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1347.0. "Review: Carlos/Yankovic "Peter and the Wolf"" by HPSCAD::WALL (I don't believe it.) Thu Oct 13 1988 12:33

    
    "Peter and the Wolf" and "Carnival of the Animals, Part Two"
    Narration and Poems by "Weird Al" Yankovic
    Music by Wendy Carlos and the LSI Philharmonic
    CBS Masterworks
    DDD
    
    Capsule Review:  If you like Weird Al or Wendy Carlos, you're gonna
    *love* this.  If you're a period instruments/classical purist type,
    never, never, never listen to this, because it'll give you a heart
    attack. :-)
    
    Opening Note:  I bought this simply because the combination of Weird
    Al and Wendy was too intriguing to resist.
    
    Sergei Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf" may not be quite as much
    a classical workhorse as Pachelbel's Canon, but it's way up there.
    For many of us it's one of the first exposures we ever got to classical
    music.  People who listen to nothing but Dave Brubeck or Bon Jovi
    probably would recognize Peter and the Wolf if you played it at
    them.  Every major classical label, every big recording orchestra
    has probably done a version of this at one time or another, often
    times with narration by Some Current Celebrity.
    
    This one is a little different.  Ms. Carlos terms it a "performance
    parody"  It's much in the vein of the sort of thing Al Yankovic
    is famous for -- humorous adaptations of popular songs.  And Wendy
    Carlos gets her two cents in, too.  While the basic story and score
    of Prokofiev's musical fable remain recognizable, Yankovic and Carlos
    have taken a few liberties.  Rather a lot, really.
    
    The second piece is an original work by Yankovic and Carlos.  The
    original "Carnival of the Animals" was done by Camille Saint-Saens
    and Ogden Nash.  This idea has been modernized a bit, reflecting
    our greater scientific knowledge of the world around us and the
    face that Al Yankovic has some very bizzare ideas.  The tracks include
    "The Aardvark" "The Cockroaches" and "Sharks."
    
    There are a few good reasons to buy this.  One is to listen to the
    latest nuances of the "LSI Philharmonic" (Carlos's name for her
    array of synthesizers).  Another is if you like the Yankovic brand
    of humor -- it's over fifty minutes of it.  I'm somewhat surprised
    CBS MAsterworks got themselves involved in something like this,
    and I'm not sure how broad the appeal will be.  It's certainly a
    departure from the Peter and the Wolf you probably heard as a child,
    though.  If you think this might be up your alley, I heartily recommend
    it.  For me, it was a laugh from start to finish.
    
    DFW

    
    One final thought:  This is definitely *not* the interpretation
    of Peter and the Wolf you want to spring on your pre-teen children.
    The humor might be beyond them, and some of the liberties in the
    narration might make some more conservative parents blanch.
    
    DFW

    I picked this disc up at Tower Records in Boston yesterday - for the
    bargain price of $10.99!  Note - they keep in in the Classical section.
    
    I have only listened to the "Peter and the Wolf" segment, but I'm
    already delighted.  I am not very familiar with the original work,
    having not heard it for many a year, but Wierd Al and Wendy certainly
    make this worth listening to.
    
    My favorite part was that of "Bob the janitor".
    
    The insert booklet is almost worth the price alone!
    
    				Steve