Addams Family Values Soundtrack 140g LP

Everybody remembers Marc Shaiman for the jokes, "Blame Canada," Hairspray, the Sleepless in Seattle sweetness, so it's a little jarring to hear him write real gothic orchestral menace for Addams Family Values, right down to the straight-faced summer-camp musical send-ups tucked inside it. The Oscar-nominated composer matches the film's own trick of playing horror and comedy against each other without picking a side. For soundtrack diggers who only know Shaiman's funny side, this is the deep cut that complicates the picture.