As much as I love music, there are times when I have to just step back and say that sometimes it just takes itself too seriously. As much respect as I have for the likes of Radiohead and their ilk, there are times when I wish they’d just cheer up and crack a smile. After a tough day at the office, I don’t always want to be reminded about the down side of life, I just want something that lifts my spirits and gives me some escapism from my cares and worries. That’s where an album like A Whole Lot of Rainbows comes in to its own.
Featuring two dozen tracks by two dozen acts, the vast majority of which are relatively obscure (though it does also contain songs by the likes of The Everly Brothers, Harpers Bizarre, Jan & Dean and The Monkees), A Whole Lot of Rainbows is a relentlessly jolly and upbeat compilation that allows the listener to temporarily put aside whatever their trials and tribulations are.
Of course, such is the character of a compilation of this nature, there are bound to be some songs that appeal to the individual more than others. Taken as a whole though, A Whole Lot of Rainbows is a surprisingly consistent collection of tunes, despite it occasionally feeling like you’re being bashed around the head with a giant foam happy hammer. The twenty four tracks that make up this collection of tunes are as bright and breezy as the front cover suggests and while it’s not for everyone all the time, if you’re in need of a boost of good vibes and cheeriness, then this could very well be exactly what you need in your life.
When it was originally released in 2004, A Whole Lot of Rainbows was something of an oddity, however, ten years, a global economic downturn later and against the backdrop of modern life, it makes a lot more sense.
