Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good Old-Fashioned Rockin' Fun, August 5, 2005
From Camden, NJ comes The Ben Vaughn Combo, a quartet dedicated to taking old-but-still-valid sounds & styles and creating new music that's alternately fun, rockin', moody, and a little humorous. BEAUTIFUL THING is Ben's 3rd album (after THE PREHISTORIC..., originally unreleased, and THE MANY MOODS OF..., only issued on vinyl and currently out-of-print), and it's the first where Ben's trademark "sound" really comes together. It's full of the kind of "classics" that would have fit perfectly on early-60's radio, but which you usually have to see him play live to hear. The best songs here can also be found on MOOD SWINGS, but this entire album is worth hearing as far as I'm concerned. (I was under the impression, though, that it had only been put out on vinyl! Hmm...)
"Jerry Lewis In France" reflects Vaughn's being better-known overseas than here; a fate of too many American artists. "Clothes Don't Make The Man" is a plea to women not to judge men superficially; "Beautiful Thing" is simply a love song (and I know the girl he's singing about, too!). The same subject is also visited in "She's A Real Scream", one of Ben's most popular live songs from what I've seen at his all-too-rare Philly shows. This was done earlier by DAS YAHOOS, with singer Mick Cancer (THE SIC KIDZ, PINK SLIP DADDY) but I think Ben's version is way better.
"Big House With A Yard" is one I had to hear over and over before I suddenly realized exactly what he was singing about-- there's clever use of words for you! "A Good Woman Is Hard To Find" is a long, slow, spooky ramble that surprisingly touches on a wide variety of subjects (move over, Bob Dylan!). "Desert Boots" is a fast, fun guitar instro that also turned up in the RAMBLER '65 videotape. "The Apology Line" is a slow, soulful finale about call-in radio where Ben gets to speak as well as sing.
THE BEN VAUGHN COMBO were only together for a few albums, but their legacy goes on. Drummer Lonesome Bob has recorded 2 amazing country albums, while accordionist Gus Cordovox still plays with Ben when Vaughn comes to Philly. Aldo Jones sadly passed away a few years ago; hard to believe, really. Ben, now in L.A., continues writing music for TV shows & movies, and writes, records & tours when HE feels like it. Sometimes "stories" do have happy endings!
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Touching, sarcastic, biting, funny pop, rock 'n' soul, March 15, 2008
Vaughn has always been more widely heard for his songs than his own records. Fans of Marshall Crenshaw's "Downtown" LP will know Vaughn as the writer of "I'm Sorry (But So Is Brenda Lee)," and those hip to The Morells' debut find Vaughn's "The Man Who Has Everything" as a centerpiece. His behind-the-scenes production work with Charlie Feathers and on Arthur Alexander's last-ever sessions won him additional critical kudos if not widespread popular fame. Vaughn's showed himself to be a man in love with music every step of the way, and his own releases have been no different.
This 1987 LP was Vaughn's second, combining his love of British Invasion rock 'n' roll, Brill Building pop, Memphis soul, and above all else, an arch sense of humor. Opening with "Jerry Lewis in France," Vaughn turns the Gaul's love of America's clown into a touching love song that equates his top-of-the-world emotions with Lewis, JFK and Phil Spector at their individual peaks. He evokes Stax and Muscle Shoals with the horn chart on "Clothes Don't Make the Man," and his signature "Shingaling With Me" is as good an early-60s New York pop-soul tune as has been written since, well, New York in the early '60s.
Vaughn's vocals are often half-spoken in the manner of Bob Dylan or Lou Reed, but with a smile, tear or tongue-in-cheek sarcasm. His low-key delivery is effective whether pining over lost love ("Big House With a Yard"), providing sage advice ("On the Rebound") or confessing his sins ("The Apology Line"). His songs are buoyed by tremendous lyrical craft and deftly arranged echoes of musical influences. He steps upbeat for the punchy rock 'n' blues "Gimme Gimme Gimme," swings into side two with the beat-heavy sing-along "She's a Real Scream" and twangs a surf guitar for the instrumental "Desert Boots."
A few of these tracks were included on Vaughn's 1992 release Mood Swings (a must have!), but in slightly sped-up form. It's most noticeable on "Jerry Lewis in France," and may leave those accustomed to "Mood Swings" thinking these versions (which are the same recordings) sound flat. Either way, it's great to have these songs back in print! [©2008 hyperbolium dot com]
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5.0 out of 5 stars
an american classic, February 29, 2008
a classic american recording reissued!!! every song a gem. simple rock n roll, catchy songs, witty lyrics, what's not to like?
this record is only missing (but i refuse to back off on my 5 star rating) bonus tracks, and that's a shame because you can never have too much of a Beautiful Thing!
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by Ben Vaughn Combo 
