William Hanna and Joseph Barbera were the undisputed kings of Saturday morning cartoons during the 1960s and much of the 1970s. Creations such as Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, Scooby Doo, the Flintstones, and the Jetsons have cemented their place in the minds of kids for over four generations now. Between 1965 and 1967, Hanna Barbera tried their hand at the music business, releasing over 30 albums and a plethora of singles - though without much chart success. Most of these long play records were stories based on characters from the 1964-66 cartoon schedule, though there were a few outliers. Based on one of the company's lesser-known creations, Precious Pupp and Granny Sweet (a segment from the Atom Ant/ Secret Squirrel Show), Hot Rod Granny jumped on the popular hot rod bandwagon and included four tunes - three of which are car/surf-related. All tunes are performed by the same group that was featured on the excellent Squiddly Diddly's Surfin Safari album. 

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Some powerful drums launch the listener into 'Granny Sweet', which details the drag racing and surfing exploits of the aged grandma. The following narration distinguishes to the listener that the character of Granny Sweet is emphatically not the 'Little Old Lady from Pasadena' (see Jan & Dean album of the same name). Granny enters and (spoiler) ultimately wins a drag race to pay off the mortgage on her house. The quaint story is complete with period sound effects and is exactly what you'd expect from an animated six-minute cartoon. This first side concludes with the song 'Queen of the Drag' - a rocking number with a pretty sweet guitar solo. 

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The song 'Hotrod Granny' opens up this flipside and further expounds on the premise of the first two numbers. It's an enjoyable listen. The premise of side two is more 'genre generic' as two gangsters attempt to rob the poor granny of her winnings by disguising themselves as old ladies. Of course, Precious Pupp sees through their impersonation and saves the day. The main character's theme song, 'Precious Pupp,' has no drag racing connection.

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Although mainly story-driven, Hot Rod Granny is one of my favorite albums. The songs work well, and side one is quite nostalgic and well-executed. Plus, it's nice to hear the familiar voices of Don Messick (Scooby Doo, Boo-Boo, Ranger Smith) and Janet Waldo (Judy Jetson, Penelope Pitstop, Josie of the Pussycats) on an album. This and the Squiddly Diddly album are gaming the most expensive Hanna Barbera Record releases, but I highly recommend both - especially if you grew up watching on Boomerang.