Search - Beau Hunks :: The Beau Hunks Play the Original Little Rascals Music: 50 Roy Shield Themes from the Hal Roach Talkies

Sounds more original than the original!!

Joel L. Gandelman | San Diego, CA USA | 08/29/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Can a CD achieve more than perfection? The Beau Hunks clearly have in their absolutely incredible re-recreation of Roy Sheild's famous Little Rascals music, used throughout the original run by the Hal Roach Studios. There is NO BETTER CD than this. Working from original and yellowing sheets, or the original films, these folks went back and note by note reconstructed these themes. They used period instruments, period mikes and perfectly revived virtually each and every one of the themes you hear in the background on the Little Rascals shorts. The only difference? There isn't the age-caused static and scratchiness you hear on the films. I always politely differ when folks call these kinds of tapes and CDs "nostalgia." No, this is a collection of highly-melodic comedic and dramatic music -- done in the exact tempo, with the exact notes and the exact sound as the original (minus the scratchiness, of course!). The original music in these shorts brimmed with a sense of joy and humor. Usually re-created music lacks the original joy. These tracks don't. Every note has pizazz. I see that this is often out of stock. My STRONG advice to you if you want this is: get it when it's in stock, get a used copy but GET IT since as we move into the 21st century it may be unavailable. It was unavailable for many years, except for other not-quite accurate occasiona attempts at recreations. All the bouncy themes, action themes, and suspense themes are here. And if you are indeed a Little Rascals buff you will be immediately sucked in by the nostalgia since you'll associate a theme with a certain short that you may have seen when you were a kid. This is as perfect a CD of this kind of music as you will EVER find. They caught the mood, pace and the sound of the originals. FINAL THOUGHT: I sometimes sell my older CDs or books....but I'll never part with my Beau Hunks Little Rascals Music CD. Ever."

Go out of your way to get this CD!

K. Brown | Walnut, Ca USA | 11/14/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD is not just a mere "one band's take" on the Little Rascals theme songs we remember and love; The Beau Hunks manage to capture the essence of these tunes to perfection! The Hunks start the album off just right with "Good Old Days" (the opening theme to all the early Little Rascals talkies; until this CD, it was a nameless tune to me!). These are all short tunes, one as short as 11 seconds (more of a sound effect than a tune), and most seeming to average the range of one minute. If you're a fan of The Little Rascals, you will no doubt have specific visual Black & White prankster scenes from the flicks playing through your head upon hearing these background tunes. I even recognized some tunes from other Hal Roach productions I enjoyed years ago ("On To the Show" was a Rascals tune, but I remember it better from a Laurel & Hardy short). While the fast-paced tunes are playful, there are several moody tunes that capture that sweetness from the Rascal shorts. I totally pictured a half-asleep Jackie Cooper muttering his love and devotion for Miss Crabtree when I hear "The One I Love Best," and "The Dog Song" is a heartstring-tugger, bringing hep recollections of every episode that featured one of the Rascals trying to protect their mutt from evil dog catchers!This CD comes with a slick 15 page booklet that gives a lengthy bio of composer LeRoy Shield and his career. If there are any R. Crumb fans out there, there is a small sketch of Shield by the underground cartoon legend himself. Also lots of Little Rascals pics and a little background behind many of the melodies.If you ever get nostalgic for Hal Roach & His Little Rascals, this CD is essential for your collection."

AWESOME JOB!!

Nelson A. Santini | NYC | 12/19/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Buy this one before it is out of stock! Purchased it for $50 & worth every penny! Compliments ON WITH THE SHOW with new tunes in each, so you will not get a same tune in neither,so many sound bites they could have done a 3rd CD! Beau Hunks have done another flawless job! MUST BUY! Will create fond memories of those wonderful innocent times. Brian Wilson of the BEACH BOYS loved this CD!!!Plus, the booklet designating where the tunes originated & history of Leroy Shields plus pics of those films!! Worth the price!!"