Living: Spooky Scary Sounds

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About Living: Spooky Scary Sounds

Amazon.com Martha Stewart's sonic spookathon bodes well for her new alliance with Rhino Records. The 40-minute, single-track CD steals the Halloween thunder from tired, hokey hits such as "The Monster Mash" and leaves you scratching your head over why such a masterful menagerie of menacing sounds didn't hit the market sooner. Trick-or-treaters of timid stock will want to steer clear of doorsteps fraught with Stewart's frightful cacophony. From the unmistakable scrape of knives being sharpened to the rattling clang of rusty chains, what's here is perfect for goose bumps. A laugh so sinister that it could only issue from the larynx of a lunatic comes near a witchy cackle, howling winds, thumping human heartbeats, and the hair-raising rustling of branches. This is not for scaredy cats (nor for most kids under 6), but it's apt to play a sizable part in serving up a well-deserved scare to those in search of an authentic case of Halloween creeps. That's not to say this record will suit the needs of every Halloween host, though. The mix of movie-quality sounds isn't varied enough to keep from getting monotonous at parties, so it makes most sense to play this during high-traffic, quick-stop scenarios, such as candy dispersal to a steady stream of neighborhood ghouls. As a bonus, the indefatigable Stewart includes a booklet of Halloween how-to instructions, putting perfect caramel apples and just-so pumpkin-carving parties within crafty revelers' reach. --Tammy La Gorce