Andrew Loog Oldham

The least known, and by far the scarcest, of all Rolling Stones producer Andrew Oldham's orchestral assaults on the pop hits of the age, East Meets West is his tribute to two of his own musical heroes: Brian Wilson and Bob Crewe. These dozen tracks take on five songs apiece from the Beach Boys and the Four Seasons, with two of Oldham's own idiosyncratic compositions, "The Lonely Beach Boy" and "There Are But Four Seasons to Every Year," rounding out their respective sides with tight panache. There is little here to rival the best of Oldham's other work in this field; the album's prime interest today lies in its rarity and the alleged presence of Mick Jagger among the backing choruses. But his discerning eye for the musical underdog can be deduced through his song choices; "Wendy" and "Warmth of the Sun" are rarely selected among the Beach Boys' best numbers, but the orchestrations here do ensure both become worthy of a second glance. Similarly, "Dawn" and "Huggin' My Pillow" will top few Four Seasons best-ofs, but, again, Oldham brings out hidden beauties within each. The overall sound of the album is somewhat lighter-weight than the arch-Oldham acolyte might hope for, and his traditionally inventive production takes something of a backseat to simply letting the strings tell the story. But it's an enjoyable album all the same, with liner notes that never fail to entertain. ~ Dave Thompson, All Music Guide