Customer Reviews

Birds & B-Sides

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

 

 

I can't keep from looking at the world a little differently after listening to Shonen Knife. Hearing Naoko Yamano sing about zebra from space decked out in neon colors or going to public baths I can't help but laugh histerically. There are many such wonderous and wonderously screwy songs like this. All in classic Shonen Knife style. In addition the Osaka Three treat us to a few other classics, I loved the ladies' cover of (Love Is Like A) Heatwave and Top Of The World. The songs are just as entertaining but this time done from the unique Shonen Knife angle. After hearing this CD I can't understand why anyone would think less of the "B-side".

I love Shonen Knife, so almost anything I say would be stupped in biased opinion... Having said that, if you like the band's other efforts, you'll love this well rounded collection of B-Sides, live performances, and covers of other great tunes.

Lazy Bone takes on an all new edge live, and On Top of the World is the epitome of exhuberant charm.

A must for 'Knife Colletors'.

This CD really is great!!! The songs are filled with total happiness. You'll love to groove to "Space Christmas," relax to the rhythm of "Froot Loop Dreams" and get a craving for chocolate when you hear "I wanna eat Chocobars." Or if you don't wanna do any of these, you can feel uplifted by the happy music Shonen Knife can provide. It is a great CD full of bouncy songs to get you moving if you need a lift.Enjoy!!!!!!

This is a GREAT CD not only for the die hard SK fan, but for those coming on board as well. There is a wide range of musical talent here. If you haven't got this in your library yet and your reading this review then you owe yourself to a GREAT CD. Hi Michie, I am your Jackolope from TX.

This compilation shows KNIFE at the peak of the short time with Virgin Records, when they produced more richly produced tracks like "Concrete Animals" and "Brown Mushrooms." As their brief contract ended, Virgin released a series of studio tracks - without SHONEN KNIFE'S okay. (This is why the CD doesn't have any pictures of the band.)

Still, this CD contains come of the band's brightest and enjoyable numbers, including several outstanding covers (like "Daytime Believer"). The sound is more "produced," but it's also hard to stop a smile from brightening your face. It also contains an informative leaflet on the band's history.

Later, the band's sound would have a more urgent, powershord flavor.

This self-described "super-cult-pop-punk" trio from Osaka, Japan, never sounded better than on this, their collection of B-sides and other rarities. And what's strange for a rarities collection is that it's as good as any of their regular albums. It might even be a good place to start with the group, if you are unfamiliar with their brand of quirky, cute, garage band charm.

Unlike some of their albums, this one is entirely in English. It features many brilliant covers, from "Til The End Of The Day" (originally by the Kinks) to "Don't Hurt My Little Sister" (originally by The Beach Boys), and a lovely version of The Ronettes' "Paradise". Drummer Atsuko Yamano gets to sing a lot of these covers, which is unusual because she rarely sings on Shonen Knife's other albums. It's stunningly appropriate on their rockin' cover of The Shirelles' (and The Beatles') "Boys"...after all, The Beatles' drummer used to sing it when they performed it!

There's a few juicily rare originals too, done in Shonen Knife's unique style of pop punk. "Gomi Day" is a charming ode to garbage pick-up day, "Strawberry Cream Puff" is an excellent popper that was left off of "Rock Animals" (and should have been left on), and "Neon Zebra" sounds like some sort of lost early Who track...if The Who had been Japanese girls and obsessed with flora and fauna (which are Shonen Knife's favorite lyric subjects alongside of food). There's also rare English language versions of formerly Japanese-language-only cuts like "Elmer Elevator" and "Ice Cream City."

The disc ends with 4 killer live cuts, showing the Shonens can deliver the goods onstage as well. If you like Shonen Knife already, or just want to be introduced to some energetic, weirdly cool garage-pop, go no further...

This is what I would call a fanatic-only collection. It's all good, just not really good, hence b-sides I guess. The best here is the cover of "(Love IS Like A) Heatwave", "Top Of The World" which is a Carpenters song, and this version of "Little Tree". None of this is bad of course, and they are hard not to like, but for newcomers the albums are much better. I recommend either "Let's Knife" or "Rock Animals" for someones first Shonen Knife disc. Those albums are much less-dull.

This cd stinks. I'd say it's for fans only, but I'm a big SK fan, and even I can't listen to it. It's very boring stuff that was originally put on a b-side for a reason: it's not a-side material, not even close. Also, the last few tracks are recordings from a live show, which isn't mentioned on the cover. So, if you're like me and looking for a studio recording of "Lazybone," forget it. Make sure you sample the sound clips before you spend your money on this. What you'll hear is the sound of The Knife scraping the bottom of the barrel.