Various Artists - Happy Hits

All Music Guide

Sony Music Special Products' Happy Hits contains a selection of ten traditional-pop and vocal-pop tunes that are nothing more than a good time -- they're silly, goofy, occasionally embarrassing, but they're always good-natured and usually fun. And they're all the moreso given the cast of stars on Happy Hits -- Ray Conniff ("Happiness Is"), Doris Day ("Ooh Bang Jiggilly Jang"), Don Cherry ("Namely You"), Rosemary Clooney ("Dennis the Menace"), Jo Stafford Frankie Laine ("Settin' the Woods on Fire," perhaps the only straight song here), Percy Faith ("Abbondanza" and Mindy Caros Guy Mitchell ("Tell Us Where the Good Times Are"). Almost all of this material bears the stamp of Mitch Miller, who inexplicably had a true passion for these novelties (perhaps believing they were commercial), and that may irritate some listeners, particularly purists or sober-minded vocal-pop fans. Still, anyone looking for a collection of silly vocal-pop tunes at an affordable price should turn here first. - S...tephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide Read more Less