Customer Reviews

Archaeology

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

With the release of the Beatles' Anthology series, it was inevitable that the surviving Rutles would follow suit and dig into their vaults to serve up a CD-ful of outtakes, alternate versions and previously unreleased songs that weren't considered strong enough for the original Rutles' albums like Ouch!, A Hard Day's Rut or Tragical History Tour.

Too bad it took the tragic death of Dirk McQuickly for the surviving Rutles to comb through the vaults to serve up this 16-track collection of bits and pieces of Rutlemania. While these songs were never intended for official release, it provides a rare glimpse into the the previously unreleased vaults of perhaps the most overrated band in the history of popular music. Tracks like "Joe Public" clearly show the undeniable effects of tea abuse among the Rutles. Drummer Barry Wom was usually limited to a single vocal per album, and it's a joy to hear him on "Rendezvous," a track that would have fit in nicely on Sgt Rutters. There's an extended combined edit of "Hey Mister!" but it's not the long-rumored three-hour version. "Shagri-La" could have been as big a hit as "Good Times Roll" or "Doubleback Alley." Confessional songs like "Don't Know Why" point the direction Ron Nasty's career would take after the break-up of the Rutles. With talk of a Rutles' reunion now a moot point, the lyrics to "Back in '64" resonate with new meaning: "Life is too short to be small...so, so long...it's all over." RECOMMENDED

At first, this album appears a pale imitation of The Rutles soundtrack album. But after listening a couple of times, I fell in love with Archeology, too. The wit is not sledgehammer, but it is there. Many of the songs were written by Neil Innes years ago and have now been given "the full Rutles treatment."

There is plenty of parody here, especially of The Beatles' Anthology project. This collection contains some of Innes' most insightful lyrics. As Homer Simpson says, It's funny because it's true.

Here are some of my favourites:
Major Happy's Up and Coming Once Upon A Good Time Band [Guess which song it parodies!], appropriately followed by a very amusing poke at With a Little Help From My Friends called Rendezvous

Questionnaire sounds like Fool On the Hill meets Imagine AND I Am the Walrus!

Lonely-Phobia sounds like it comes from the Help era, with acoustic guitars and serious lyrics that betray its earlier origin

The Knicker-Elastic King is another Penny Lane parody, in the style of Doubleback Alley
Here is a snippet:
Knicker Elastic - essence of propriety
Knicker Elastic - upholder of society

The price of raw materials
coupled with inflation
squeezed his global holdings
his liquid assets bottomed out
and shrunk his retail outlet operation

Eine Kleine Middle Klasse Musik is in the style of Not Guilty and has bitingly satrical lyrics, which Innes admits, mock his own lifestyle as much as anybody else's.
Another lyric extract:
Look at all the nice things money can buy
Every day there's more and more
Do you ever stop and wonder why
you need to lock your door?

Loneliness is all that
people ever share
Smuggling their pain through
'Nothing To Declare'
Living next to people
who agree to disagree
Happy in a pie-chart
society

Shangri-La is a fun song, which sounds like it could have come from Abbey Road, but with a For No One horn solo, and a long, singalong, Hey Jude-type ending.

Great fun. Highly recommended.

Quite apart from the fact that Neil Innes, John Halsey and Ricky Fataar get it spot-on every time with these send-ups of The Beatles, it's also evident that they loved both the original source material and its' creators. The main reference points seem to be late-period rather than early-period Fab Four, but the Prefab (Three) Four also visit that earlier time now and again, and all of it's done up well. What's especially nice is that many of these songs hold up on their own even after you've "gotten" the joke. "I Love You" won't make anyone forget "And I Love Her" or "If I Fell," but it's actually a sweet little song in it's own write (thanks, John!) and I at least find myself humming it as much as anything the Beatles actually wrote.

The most disquieting song, however, is "Don't Know Why," where it's almost as if John Lennon has been channeled from the void for one last comment about Beatlemania and what it all meant. Innes and Company make no bones about it; "it" (Beatlemania, the Sixties, etc.) was fun while it lasted and it's all over now. Certainly a sentiment Lennon would have approved of, but it won't blunt your enjoyment of this great collection.

The name is the same, but this album is a very different animal from its predecessor. The original "Rutles" album consisted of one dead-on-target parody after another. "Archaeology" is less specific in its spoofery. A couple of songs have obvious sources of inspiration ("Maj. Happy's/Rendezvous," "We've Arrived," "Back in '64" and, most pointedly, "Unfinished Words"), but most of the album mimics the overall sound rather than mimic particular songs. Also, sometimes the album wanders off course, becoming more of a parody of John Lennon and his solo work than of the Beatles as a whole. Then again, maybe the tendency to drift John-ward (or should that be "Ron-ward"?) is fair, considering the overwhelming McCartney influence on the work of the latter-day "Threetles" (in the "Archaeology" world, of course, it's Dirk McQuickly, not Ron Nasty, who's unavailable -- having retired from music to become a comedian; the actual death of Ollie Halsall, who had provided McQuickly's singing voice, adds a sharp dash of irony).

Interestingly, many of the songs on "Archaeology" are actually Bonzo Dog Band songs rerecorded to sound more Beatlesque. As a result, if you look past the parodic aspect, you find an album with some very strong songs indeed, especially those toward the end -- "Eine Kleine," "Joe Public" and "Shangri-La" (not to be confused with the powerhouse Kinks song of the same name . . . say, you don't suppose that Oasis are to the Kinks what the Rutles are to the Beatles?).

'Archaeology' is even better than the original album and gets better and better with each listening. The first album is, for the most part, made up of direct song parodies of Beatles songs and therefore is pretty much a novelty album (although some tracks such as 'Another Day' and 'Cheese And Onions' are absolutely brilliant and stand on their own). The first album has two very weak tracks: 'Baby Let Me Be' and 'Living In Hope' while every track on 'Archaeology' is enjoyable and often very poignant.

Here's a brief review of some of the best Archaeology tracks:
-'Rendezvous' is a funny track (kind of a parody of 'With A Little Help From My Friends'  in this case, however, the singer appears to not want any help) sung by Ringo's parallel universe likeness and has a great 'middle eight'.

-'Questionnaire' has humour and poignancy, with Innes (in his great Lennonesque voice) singing about how easy it is to buy a gun and softly ending with the line 'Put a tick in the appropriate box...' against a backdrop of soft orchestral strings.

-'Lonely-Phobia' easily could have been a hit - very melodic. 'Stig' aka 'Ricky Fataar' sings this one.

-'Easy Listening' (with it's 'Act Naturally' guitar parts) is extremely melodic and enjoyable yet some of the lyrics are actually a bit unsettling! However they are bang on in describing what Easy Listening music is all about - escape from the evils of the world.

-'I Love You' is a very lovely, romantic song with a similar arrangement to the Beatles' 'And I Love Her' or the Rutles' own 'With A Girl Like You' - take your pick!

-'Eine Kleine Middle Klasse Musik' is a great track that reminds one of 'Come Together' with its bass guitar parts and rhythm.

-'Joe Public' is yet another song from the album that could have been a hit and could be mistaken for an Oasis song - except for the fact that it's better than any Oasis song and more original too! (Fataar sings on this one too)

Every track on Archaeology has something in it that reminds one of a Beatles song (or several) and it's fun to spot all the references. 'Shangri-La' has the most references of any track and its fun spotting them all! The song also starts with a bit of the melody of Neil Innes' 'The Idiot Song'.

The lyrics on this album are often very witty and clever: Back In 64 mentions how back in the early sixties people had no need for pouring scorn and then the background vocals echo the line, saying: or scoring porn. Many songs make references to earlier Rutles songs, such as Cheese and Onions and familiar topics such as tight trousers.

With the low price this disc goes for you can't lose. Give it several listenings and let it grow on you. If you liked the first album but dont like this one then you must not have given it a proper listening as this album is an absolute gem that should appeal to all Rutles fans and most Beatles fans too.

.....They're here!

This collection parodies the Beatles like the original album and allows Neil Innes, Ricky Fataar, and John Halsey to take on a life of their own as well. There's no participation by Eric Idle (who played Dirk McQuigley, who was rumoured to be deaf!). It starts out with a Sgt Pepper/With a Little Help parody "Major Happy's Up and Coming Once Upon a Good Time Band" followed by John Halsey's deadpan vocals on "Rendevous" ("Ay, oo ah yew?" he asks before the response "We're the other singers in the band!"). Ricky Fataar plays the sitar and sings "Joe Perfect". Both the Beatles Anthology and The White Album arespoofed on "We've Arrived And To Prove It, We're Here" (with the jet flying, the false starts, the giggling during takes, and the "#2, #2, #2..."). "Shangri-La" spoofs "Hey Jude" (and tops it in length!). "Lonely Phobia" spoofs "The Things We Said Today". "Eine Kleine Middle Klasse Muzik" is reminiscent of "Come Together" with its electric piano. "I Love You" and "Easy Listening" don't seem to spoof the Beatles as directly, but have the feel of the original Rutles album. "Questionaire" dares to mention the access to handguns (enough said if you didn't catch on). "The Knicker Elastic King" is feel-good tounge in cheek humour and "Hey Mister" is reminiscent of "I Me Mine" with its waltz in G/shuffle in Em melody. "Don't Know Why" and "Back In '64" try to explain the legend of the Rutles ("Say goodbye now, it's all over").

Rutle fans, enjoy Vol.2!! Beatle fans, hear what might have been, had the Beatles been sillier. The most clever non-Beatles tune ever made. (And we aren't talking "Wierd Al Change the Words" music!). A hilarious and very listenable musical melange. This living legend has just enjoyed its 2nd Lunchtime!

Unlike the first Rutles album, which was seriously based on old Beatles tunes, "Archeology" can stand on its own as a brilliant piece of original work by the wonderful Neil Innes formerly of the Bonzo Dog Do-Dah Band. This album does have Beatles/Lennon influences but I think in a more serious way (which is good). I also loved the fact that Eric Idle didn't particiapate, leaving just the 3 other Rutles to do their album, much like the missing John Lennon from the Newest Beatles releases relating to the Beatles Anthology. The album is simply a "must" for any Beatles or Bonzo Dog Band fan, or most music fans. I wish there was more of this kind of music on the radio and in people's homes. Thanks Neil Innes! (et al.)

This Rutles compilation took me by surprise. I listen to "All you need is Cash" often, so when I first heard this I though "Oh!..No up to par" but like all good music, it takes a few listens to catch you...and caught me it did.

Neil Innes's writting style not only captures the Beatle essence but also takes on the Beatle humour and moves it up one notch. From Barry commenting that he doesn't need anybodys help on Randezvous, and being told, "Oh yeah, what about the middle eight" to Nasty shouting "I've got bleeding cramp in me sodding pinky" at the end of another track.

It's fun, the music is fresh, and hey, it even sounds like their using the original Beatle instruments.

A well polished production...get it!

Well.....Dirk,Nasty,Stig and Barry have done it again.(Except for Dirk).The Music is great...but if you want to get a REAL import...I say locate the Japanese Import! (With 20 Tracks!) Missing here are, "It's Looking Good"(Demo),"Baby Sil Vous Plais","Lullaby" and "My Little Ukelele". The last two were only on the Japanese version! The Rutles will forever be Pre-Fab in my book! Loads of fun! Good on ya lads. (And no hard feelings)