Wax of the Week #21...Al Caiola: Let the Sunshine In (1969)

At the end of the day, I probably have more easy listening records than anything else. Several reasons: they're cheap (still), tons of them came out, and most have at least a song or two worth hearing if you're into this crap. I started picking them up back in the ’90s, as they reminded me of the stuff I'd heard playing over department store P.A.s as a kid. Also, I got a kick out of the "now sound" records, where square old man orchestras would cover the hip rock songs of the day in a desperate attempt to be with it, often accidentally creating in the process records that in the rearview are surprisingly pleasurable and still modern-sounding. Jersey-born guitarist Caiola wasn't anywhere near the top tier of easy listening (we'll hear stuff like Enoch Light's Spaced Out and various John Gregory platters later), but some of his records contain songs that make for pleasant, passive listening. This one features some entertaining spy jazz and bossa-laden tunes.