MOZART 40 (MOZART FORTE)
(W A Mozart)
Ventures: March 1972 LP Joy: The Ventures Play The Classics (US No.146)
Shadows: September 1980 LP Change Of Address (UK No.17)
The Ventures, in heavy disguise, incorporated in their set of classical retreads this familiar melody (which also attracted an adventurous arrangement from Apollo 100 in the early 70s boasting the unassuming title ‘Listening to Mozart’!) in imitation of Waldo De Los Rios’ version of early 1971. In the space of four inspired minutes, Waldo cunningly invested this fabulous creation with a degree of breathless beauty, sparkle, attack and urbane charm – attributes sorely lacking here from start to finish, or rather fade. When you think what The Ventures might have done with melodies of this calibre if they had taken them on in their familiar robust style … Contrast with this the winning combination of punch and refinement in the hands of The Shadows on their first Polydor album. Very probably steered in the direction of the higher reaches of musical creativity by the recent successes of Sky (their response to Sky?) and related lesser lights, they licked it into the shape of a dynamic guitar-led instrumental more worthy of the work’s illustrious pedigree.