These Ghoulish Things: Horror Hits for Halloween

by Various Artists

The cleverly titled These Ghoulish Things unearths more than two dozen Halloween-themed efforts from the golden age of rock & roll, a concept with extremely limited appeal that's nevertheless executed with admirable aplomb. Assuming that the mere prospect of so many novelty tunes isn't enough to make your blood run cold, the disc is a primer in niche anthologies and reissues, assembling a staggering number of rare and little-known tracks that fit seamlessly within the disc's narrow conceptual scope -- who knew so many records of the late '50s paid tribute to scary monsters and super-creeps? Bobby "Boris" Pickett's tedious "Monster Mash" is the marquee cut here, but the good stuff comes from legends like Bo Diddley ("Bo Meets the Monster"), Screamin' Jay Hawkins ("Feast of the Mau Mau"), Bill Doggett ("Monster Party"), and the Hollywood Flames ("Frankenstein's Den"). Recommended for kids of all ages. ~ Jason Ankeny