The spookiest time of the year is finally here — which means it's time to monster mash at your greatest-ever Halloween party! You might have already started brewing a few festive cocktails, lined up some creative Halloween games, and of course set out the best Halloween party snacks, but to really set the vibe, you'll obviously need a goblin-approved playlist, too.
This set includes music perfect for Halloween that isn't actually about Halloween, although everything included here is definitely scary on one level or another. Consisting of vintage jazz and blues tracks issued between 1925 and 1961, there are plenty of songs here about devils and witches, including Tampa Red's "Witchin' Hour Blues," Sippie Wallace's "Devil Dance Blues," and the Mississippi Sheiks' "I Am the Devil," among others. There's also a classic version of Screamin' Jay Hawkins doing his signature tune, "I Put a Spell on You," this one done with the Leroy Kirkland Orchestra.
Gold assembled a handful of knowns and unknowns to make special cameos on this melodic and fun collection of original and classic Halloween tunes with a pop-rock bent. Among the haunted are David Cassidy, Karla Bonoff, Linda Ronstadt, Stephen Bishop, Nicolette Larson, and Gold's children and wife. From the Beatlesesque touches of "It Must Be Halloween" (parts seemingly lifted from "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite") to Boris Karloff's "Monster Mash" and "The Addams Family" theme song, Gold and company offer up treats that kids and their parents will like, including the "Ghostbusters" theme. But with cooler original fare like "The Creature from the Tub" and "Spooky, Scary Skeletons," you have to wonder why they relied on so many predictable cover songs.