Bedlam Ballroom

Squirrel Nut Zippers

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 17, 2000)
• Original Release Date: October 17, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Fontana Mammoth
• ASIN: B00004ZDV2
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #6,359 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fun album by the SNZ, October 17, 2000

By	"[e-mail]" (Rural Tennessee) - See all my reviews

I was a little wary about "Bedlam Ballroom," mainly because of the absense of some of the original Zippers members (Tom Maxwell and Ken Mosher.) However, my worries were set aside once I actually listened to the album. There are some notable differences in the band's sounds as compared to their previous album, but it still has that Zipper-ful heart. In all, "Bedlam Ballroom" is fun, and definitely worth a listen, whether you're a hardcore fan or a curious stranger.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Bedlam Ballroom by the Squirrel Nut Zippers, February 18, 2001

By	"eigenspace" (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) - See all my reviews

I have to say that I was really, deeply, disappointed by the latest SNZ album. If you want to buy this album based on SNZ's perfromance on the previous 3 releases, I suggest you give it a second thought. After I bought the "Perennial Favourites" in 98, I felt uncomfortable with the musical style in the album, which sounded more calypso and a bit less hot jazz than the "Hot" album. Fortunately, my dissatisfed feeling lasted for only 1 day. I grew to appreciate the "Perennial Favourites" and the diversed musical style, and I'm still enjoying the album like one of my favourites.

I guess I should've sampled "Bedlam Ballroom" album before I bought it.

I've been owning the SNZ's latest work for about 4 or 5 months, and I still don't like the "Bedlam Ballroom" album; it's still sitting on my shelve. I'm keeping it just because I'm still a fan of the SNZ (the old SNZ, to be correct). I keep it just for the heck of it.

Basically, this album sounds too R&B and too Rock'n Roll. There is probably only one song that reminded me of the old SNZ and their hot jazz feel: "Bedlam Ballroom". Even though, the "new" "Bedlam Ballrom" sounds twisted and "inorganic". If you've heard the Bedlam demo on SNZ's "Sold Out" LP before, you'll understand what I mean.

The whole album just sounded like it has gone through a complete studio makeover. Songs are polished like finger nails. This made the SNZ appear more like other musical groups. The album has lost the "organic" feel that has helpeed me distinguish the band from others in the past.

The departure of Tom Maxwell and Ken Mosher just didn't sit well with me. The Maxwell-Mosher-less SNZ really lost the kind of humour (sometimes twisted) and the extra dimension the band was known for. I admit new comer Reese Gray is an awesome ragtime/stride piano player, but his piano part just further pushed the SNZ away from their distant roots. The reduced appearance of Andew Bird on this album is also a disappointment. I thought his violin part really enhanced the SNZ on their 2nd and 3rd albums, adding a unique dimension to the SNZ's music, making it very enjoyable. But now, there is not much of Andew Bird's contribution to the group anymore, at least it's hard to detect since the newer and bigger horn section has become more dominant.

Aside from the musical part of this latest album, the booklet art work also disappointed me. Gone is the lay back, country atmosphere of the South, or the "artsy" feel from the "Hot" album. It appears as if the SNZ has jumped forward in time, leaving its hot jazz feeling behind.

Maybe that's how this latest album is supposed to be.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Back In Style & Back With Style, October 19, 2000

By	Morgen Selmer (New Hampshire) - See all my reviews

The Squirrel Nut Zippers were the first and best of the swing revival of the late nineties. And with the release of Bedlam Ballroom, they live to outlast their would-be contemporaries. They're in peak form here. Despite the radio success of "Hell," from their sophomore effort Hot, the album as a whole did not live up to the promise and perfection of 1995's The Inevitable. 1998's Perrenial Favorites improved on that promise, and Bedlam Ballroom finally gets around to delivering on every promise ever made.
The premier strength and selling point for the Zippers has always been their authenticity. They're not a band trying to sound like they're from the 1920's. These cats are the 1920's incarnate. Mathus' writing has never been better, has never been hipper. Bedlam Ballroom is more flat-out fun than any of their prior releases, with cuts such as "Do What?" and "Stop Drop & Roll" just begging you to get out of your chair and dance around. And, of course, Katherine Whalen's vocals remain at the top of today's jazz-chicks, in a league with the likes of Diana Krall and Lisa Ekdahl.
It almost seems as though the Squirrel Nut Zippers made this album just for the fans. It's everything we might have come to expect, and more. One final addendum: of particular note on this album is the inclusion of the late Stacy Guess's "Bedlam Ballroom," a rerecording of a track from their Sold Out EP, and a fitting tribute to a departed friend.