Classically-trained pianist Fritz Schulz-Reichel donned a fake beard and mustache to become Crazy Otto, a German purveyor of honky tonk piano instrumentals who scored several international hits in the mid-'50s. Seated behind an untuned tack piano, he played lively medleys and instrumental renditions of popular songs with minimal accompaniment -- usually only a drum kit and a bass. In the United States, the single "Glad Rag Doll" b/w "Smiles" became a double-sided hit, and Guy Mitchell responded by recording the parodic song "Otto Drives Me Crazy (Otto's Gotta Go)." The Medleys is a collection of Crazy Otto's original recordings from 1953-1960, including his two U.S. hits. The title refers to the fact that Schulz-Reichel recorded a series of instrumental medleys labeled "Die Beschwipste Drahtkommode," or "The Tipsy Piano," which comprise most of the collection. The untuned piano and energetic performances re-create the ambience of a barrelhouse or Western saloon, and the musicians' occasional ragged attempts at vocalizing only add to the boozy atmosphere. The snippets of melodies featured in the medleys represent pop songs from around the world, from continental melodies to "Rock Around the Clock" and "Alexander's Ragtime Band." Crazy Otto's appearance on the international scene dovetailed with the honky tonk piano revival in the United States, a trend associated with artists such as Johnny Maddox and Joe "Fingers" Carr. True to his name, Crazy Otto's playfully discordant style is much more "crazy" than either of those two. The Medleys includes a booklet with liner notes in German and English. ~ Greg Adams
