A Lawrence Welk remix album? Yes, as bizarre as it may sound, it's true. But when you think of it, it's not all that long ago that the sounds of Lawrence Welk and his orchestra were considered the fashionable dance music for the time, so really the concept isn't as far-fetched as it might at first seem. Now I will admit I went into this CD expecting, and hoping, for a trashy camp delight but the producers of "Upstairs At Larry's" did not take the easy route by playing these tracks up as cheesy novelty items for the commercial clubs, but instead have turned in a commendable set of remixes that have successfully updated Lawrence Welk's music into an appropriate aural soundtrack for today's trendy lounges and urban House clubs. In fact, on first listen I actually was leaning towards the opinion that this compilation was going too far in the underground direction. But with repeated listens these remixes have revealed a commendable reverence for the original works and now I feel more that the credible vibe of this project is actually to be noted and applauded.
Most of the tracks are given funky House or Lounge style workovers. Opening with the Green Keepers mix of the "Green Sheik Of Araby," right away the House style
is in full effect with the focus on a lingering horn line that rides over rubbery basslines and deep rhythms. And the "Ladies and gentleman, the big band sound of Lawrence Welk and his musical family" sample and a few vocal clips from Mr. Welk himself appropriately set the mood for the rest of the CD. (Speaking of the samples though, one qualm with this CD is that I would have preferred a more robust set of liner notes, for example, while the vocals used on "Green Sheik Of Araby" sound like they were taken from the Lawrence Welk show, the amusing vocal samples of a wine expert talking about what champagne is, when to drink it, etc. found on the Dub Dexterous Extra Fizzy mix of "Bubbles In The Wine" are less apparent as to their source. Were these samples taken from a discussion about champagne on The Lawrence Welk Show or from somewhere else? The same follows for the uncredited monologue used in the Groove Junkies remix of "Caravan" with a vocal that has a definitely more contemporary sound than I would expect on an actual episode of the Lawrence Welk Show.) Still the unabashedly warming feel of the tracks like "You Can
Dance" (Q-Burns Abstract Message Remix) or "Champagne Time" (Rithma Welkaseltzer Mix) are uplifting charmers for your House music heart. The JOY & The Spider club mix of "You Are My Sunshine" is probably the most vocally-focused track on the CD, but even here the song's been through some considerable chopping and filtering to make it fit seamlessly with the invigorated beat. Also a standout is "Baby Elephant Safari" reworked by DJ Kerri & DJ 43 who add a strong NRG feel to this well-known melody with tribal drums and a euro-style synth riff running throughout it.
Also impressive are the downtempo cuts on "Upstairs At Larry's." Sprinkled amidst the up-tempo tunage, are delicious slow burners like the Nobody mix of "Scatterbrain" or the Tea Boys Chill mix of "Honey." And the two of the slow swirling tracks that really hit home for me were the Smitty remix of "Blue Velvet," with its mix of dreamy vocals over downtempo beats, and the achingly gorgeous Magic Elephant Orchestra remix of "Let It Be Me," both truly stunning tunes that any aficionado of Morning Music will appreciate. Really quite a unique and surprising disc that bears better through multiple listens. Bravo, Mr. Welk, bravo!
