The
Album:
There's never been a more perfect
time than now for the re-emergence of
one of the most requested albums at
virtually every reissue label.
Originally released 25 years ago,
Lifesong Records teamed with Marvel®
Comics for a critically-acclaimed and
very musical LP that explored the life
of America's favorite superhero,
Spider-Man®. Scoff if you must, but it
wasn't just kid stuff! Any 8 to 18
year-old fanboy worth his weight in
webbing agreed it was one of the coolest
records in their collection, and college
radio was all over its myriad of musical
styles that included pop, rock, reggae,
swing and doo-wop. It retold the origin
of Spider-Man®, his encounters with Dr.
Octopus® and The Green Goblin®, and
his romance with girlfriend Gwen Stacey®
with narration by Marvel®'s own Stan
Lee, cover artwork by famed Spidey-artist
John Romita and a musical bed that
included the likes of Rolling Stone
Magazine darlings Crack The Sky, and
super-saxophonist David Sanborn. As a
special treat to fans, NO ONE'S GOT A
CRUSH ON PETER has been restored to
full track status from its original use
as incidental music. What a bargain! But
wait, it gets better...also added is the
closing narration by Lee. Excelsior! For
anyone who grew up watching the original
cartoons of the '60s, owned this album
in the '70s, read the comics through the
'80s, watched the '90s animated upgrade,
or are kids of the new Millennium, this
CD becomes the perfect souvenir of a
childhood that, for many, will continue
as long as there's a friendly
neighborhood Spider-Man®!
The
Artist:
We all know about the radioactive spider
that bit Peter Parker® and turned him
into Spider-Man®, so we won't go into
that here. A Marvel® Comics exec saw
Spider-Man®'s musical potential and
sold Lifesong Records' Terry Cashman,
Tommy West (both Jim Croce's producers
and the vocal duo Cashman & West)
and Phil Kurnit on the merits of a
pop-rock approach to the superhero. The
label's own highly creative roster of
producers, recording artists and
songwriters immediately pitched-in,
including jingle singer Marty Nelson
whose vocals were on almost every other
commercial in the '70s. Nelson became
the singing voice for Spider-Man®, and
was able to handle the psuedo-rock
opera's vocal demands as well as
co-produce the ambitious project. The
icing on the cake was narration by
comicdom's crowned king, Stan Lee. Since
the day it was taken out of circulation,
the album has become a valued
collector's item that reportedly has
sold for $500 on eBay this past year.
|
