Loungin' with Lee is a compilation targeted at the lounge revivalists of "Generation X." Unfortunately (for Hip-O at least), when the disc appeared in 1998, the cocktail nation was beginning to gather moss, thereby shrinking the audience for the disc, leaving
Liberace fans with a 15-track collection of some of the pianist's kitschiest, silliest tracks. As a camp exercise, there's little arguing that this is pretty entertaining -- it's hard to believe
Liberace attempted "Overture from Tommy," but here it is, along with
Neil Diamond and
Burt Bacharach medleys,
Beatles covers, "Send in the Clowns," "You Don't Send Me Flowers," "Strangers in the Night," "El Bimbo" and "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye."
Liberace fans, in all likelihood, probably won't get the arch humor that the compilers intended and simply enjoy this as one of the few
Liberace compilations assembled with any care or thought. Those Gen-X kids, however, will know when to laugh and they'll probably have a good time chuckling along. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine