After two volumes' worth of straightforward
lounge tunes, the
Mood Mosaic compilation series pushed in a more adventurous direction on its third installment.
Mood Mosaic, Vol. 3: The Sexploitation makes for a highly amusing listen because it is dedicated to erotic music; that is, sleazy-sounding
lounge music and soundtrack cuts used for the love scenes in exploitation movies. As one might expect, several of these cuts incorporate orgasmic female moaning into their sonic attack:
"Continental Exchange" is a
Sounds Nice cut that paces its funky combination of wah-wah guitar and swirling organ licks with the sound of a woman's amorous-minded heavy breathing, and
Ray Brown's amusingly titled
"Coming and Going" is a guitar-led slice of light
funk that prominently features the sound of a woman driving herself into an erotic frenzy while the band jams along behind her. Other cuts present a different but no less sexy take on the album's concept:
"Good Time Woman" by
Dan Seepers Soul spices up its horn-drenched soul by throwing in a female chorus that romantically coos along with the melody and
De Giafferi's unhinged
"Sado Maso" features a man raving in French about the titular subject while sweet female voices back him up. Despite these amusing tracks,
Mood Mosaic, Vol. 3: The Sexploitation doesn't entirely succeed because some of its cuts fail to fit the concept.
Clay Pitts'
"Caribbean Sunrise" is a pleasant
bossa nova track that lacks the erotic elements of the other tracks and
Lil Louis'
"French Kiss" is a
techno track whose purely
electronic style makes it stand out like a sore thumb amongst the band-driven tracks that surround it. However, the majority of
Mood Mosaic, Vol. 3: The Sexploitation works and the rare nature of most of its tracks ensures that it will appeal to hardcore
lounge fanatics. ~ Donald A. Guarisco