Customer Reviews

Anthology: Kapp Recordings 65-67

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Despite only having two top 40 hits (Younger Girl & Mr. Dieingly Sad), the Critters were a talented (multiple lead singers, songwriters) band with a gift for melodic songs and pleasant harmonies. There isn't a bad track on this CD and several tracks could have given the Critters at least another top 40 hit if they'd survived the ravages of the draft and poor promotion. It may be out of print, but still shows up here and there and definitely worth picking up.

I love this cd not because the songs are rendered during my teen times. The songs if recorded by the new artists of today will be hits. These will not be different like the Bread's "Everthing I Own" (Nsync). Mr. Dieingly Sad, Younger Girl, I Wear a Silly Grin, He'll Make You Cry and Gone For Awhile are classics. Would I say anything anymore? Just listen to it and have a nice calm day.

Excellent compilation of the Critters' Kapp recordings. Wish the original sequencing of the LP had been kept intact - I'd rather hear Don's smooth voice up front than Jimmy's whine. But it's great to have "Bad Misunderstanding"," Marryin' Kind of Love" & "Don't Let the Rain Fall Down On Me" gathered together, along with a few obscurities & alternate mixes. Some of the songwriting is pretty weak & the band can't decide if they want to be the Lovin' Spoonful, The Byrds or the Beatles, but maybe that's part of their charm. I hope their later recordings for Enoch Light's Project 3 label are rereleased.

Bob Rixon, WFMU

Twenty songs is too much for a band that had only minor chart success, and the price of this CD is too much because of it. Nonetheless, the band had a few bright spots, especially "Mr. Dieingly Sad," "Younger Girl," and "Don't Let the Rain Fall Down on Me." Not essential, but an interesting portrait of a noteworthy group.

How careless of me to pass this excellent collection by! I do have the L.P., abreviated though it may be. Besides sporting overlooked gems such as "Children and Flowers", Gone For Awhile" and "Bad Misunderstanding", this collection includes an excellent cover version of John Sebastian's "Younger Girl" and their seminal hit "Mr. Dieingly Sad". The latter has a lyric comperable to "Cherish" and an arrangement that touches the deepths of the soul. Here are two major staples of the mid-sixties shaping one of the finest moments of musical history. Regretably, this collection is no longer available, so I would like to personally commission the help of Sundazed Music or Hip-O Universal(Kapp was a subsidiary of MCA) in making this available once more.

As imaginative and versatile as bands come - the Critters displayed a somewhat different range of styles from those of the Beatles or the Byrds circa 1966, though their range that was probably as wide and deep - and closer to that of the also-underrated New Colony Six on the latter's 1st 2 albums. Especially on their first album, the Critters generally write and play well enough that you experience them being not slavishly influenced by anyone - on each song they find points to take off from and then quickly proceed strongly on their own road, with both grit and luster.

The idea of them manifesting a 'bubblegum sound' (of which some reviewers have accused them) evaporates when you listen to the actual lyrics and melodies/harmonies of those particular songs. They are in fact evoking certain moods that go along with what the very expressively written lyrics are saying. It's not even close to being formula-ridden like the songs of the Ohio Express, 1910 Fruitgum Company, etc. These Critters' songs all tell stories which are neither one-dimensional nor simplistic. If you don't believe this, simply have a listen.

For instance the title of their song "I Wear a Silly Grin" might almost prejudice the serious listener against the song. But this one has drive and meaning, a telling storyline, unusually fine and stirring melodies all the way through, and singing that energetically surpasses that of the Turtles' 3-or-4-part harmonies in that celebrated band's halcyon folk-rock period.

There are also excellent hard-edged selections, which are garage through-and-through; and a VERY good party song.

Looking at album #1 in another way, the Critters can seem like an early version of the Bob Bruno/Jerry Jeff Walker fronted band Circus Maximus - the band that was almost infinitely more interesting (and strange) than almost anything else out there.

The Critters are melodically, poetically and rhythmically inventive to a fault on all of the songs from their first album, other than the title, which they culled from a Lovin' Spoonful album, then managed to do it better than Sebastian, Zal, and the rest of the Spoonful gang. Note that the Hondells also released their cover of "Younger Girl" on almost the same day, but the Critters' seems superior, if only by a small margin. This probably kept both from climbing into the top 10 or higher, as they were similar enough to make it difficult for folks to figure out which one to buy.

Funnily enough, even though "Younger Girl" gave its title to their first album, it doesn't really fit well with the rest of the songs. The others, though breasting a variety of types/styles of songs, hang together extremely well as a synergistic collection.

Another highlight was a conscious attempt at writing a `Lennon-McCartney' song, easily pulled off with "Gone for Awhile". It's one of two stellar tracks on the Critters' first album that reminds one of the Beatles middle period. Only the Left Banke could create new 'Beatles songs' this good (as sung by their alternate lead singer, who sounded pretty much exactly like McCartney, even to details of tone and phrasing).

The Critters' second single, the gorgeously played and sung "Mr. Dieingly Sad", used the unique device of a lead bass to absolute perfection. This gave the song a dimension of toughness and drive, which kept it oh so smooth, without at all sounding like some sort of Lettermen knockoff (or for that matter, the Beach Boys).

Initial album track order:
7, 8, 6, 1, 14, 9, 5, 12, 10, 11, 2, 13

My preferred/invented alternate version replaces "Younger Girl" (which doesn't really fit with the rest of the album, though I consider a very good song):
3, 8, 6, 1, 14, 9, 5, 12, 10, 11, 2, 13

After album #1, the band lost two of its more creative members to the Vietnam draft, and the band, probably due to the respective talents of its remaining personnel, invested its efforts into more of a pop sound. Though the songs are still very good, in my opinion the band's edge had been blunted.

"Just a breeze will muss your hair. You smile away each little care..." That was from "Mr. Dyingly Sad," The Critters' biggest hit. For reasons unknown to me, all the oldies stations didn't play that tune for several years, and perhaps many former fans forgot about it, or they just gave up on ever hearing it again. The album was out of print, at least in the USA for quite some time. And that in itself was a shame. Finally it was released on CD. If you liked "Mr. Dyingly Sad," you will probably like the rest of this album as well. Great harmonics and arrangement in every tune. Their music is very clear and crisp, and you will quickly memorize and end up singing along with every song. Surely you remember "Younger Girl" which was recorded by at least a half dozen popular groups in the late 60s such as the Hondells, Lovin Spoonful, and these guys. This version is the best. I only wish they would get together and make a reunion album. If any of The Critters are still out there and read this review, I wish to thank you very much for this music. And thank you Amazon for selling this album. Peace and love.

The Critters/Anthology is a must for anyone who appreciates tight harmonies.The beautiful Mr. Dieingly Sad is the highpoint of the CD as the harmonies are just outstanding-be prepared to hit the repeat button on this song as one listen isn't nearly enough.Sadly there are no liner notes or song credits which you would think would be mandatory on an anthology.

This group was definitely underrated by far and hearing this cd and songs after all these years is a testament to the quality of writing and musicianship there was for so many groups of the day... Talk about a small world, and how this group suddenly ended, then years later, reformed again to live on not only doing their own songs, but excellent covers of 4 Seasons and Tommy James/Shondells music too. Gotta read the linear notes to know what I mean here.

I so enjoyed receiving this album..... was in great shape and it brought back my Frosh year of college... thanks