The year is 1974. You’ve spent the last half-hour watching Fat Albert, Weird Harold and Dumb Donald using their “imaginations” to create their own instruments and assemble a band. With no practice, they miraculously close the show with a two-minute song that makes you feel like dancing in front of the set. Bill Cosby wraps things up perfectly and you’re ready to take on the world — or, better yet, watch the next cartoon while you work off that Captain Crunch sugar buzz. Of course, you could also substitute any number of classic shows from this genre like HR Pufnstuff (yes, they must have been puffin stuff when they came up with that show), The Banana Splits or even The Archies.

Remember how certain shows would always end with a short snappy number where everyone on the show was suddenly in a “band” and they stood uncomfortably close together while lip-syncing the words to a song?

Modern-day performers have been able to capitalize on that sound. Matthew Sweet has, perhaps, pioneered the modern-day bubble-gum pop sound. Jellyfish made a short-lived career out of it in the 90s and went on to seemingly influence artists like Ben Folds and Elliott Smith. Now it’s the summer of 2003 and along comes Mark Bacino with his second full-length CD in five years, The Million Dollar Milkshake.

While only 30 minutes long, Bacino’s somewhat diminutive creation seems consistent with the sound he exudes on these 12 tracks (plus a nifty 26 second intro). The plan is simple: pull the listener in quickly with catchy sounds, invite them to stay long enough to enjoy the song and then send them off wishing for more. But while the idea seems easy, the songs are carefully designed and meticulously arranged and produced.

Bacino delivers the words with his high-register Elliott Smith-meets-Phil Keaggy chops while he and others join in with the usual pop lineup of instruments plus the addition of a strategically placed Wurlitzer, banjo, trumpet, flugel horn, cello, flute, pedal steel guitar, castanets and even a credited “Jaymar toy piano.”

It’s amazing how much creativity and effort go into such a “simple” CD. Bacino’s fresh delivery of bubble-gum pop tunes brings the creativity of masterful musicians like Elliott Smith, but without the attitude. The Million Dollar Milkshake may be a bit on the short side, but it’s a fitting introduction to what could be a lengthy career of a talented artist.

Copyright 2003 Ad Media Inc.