Can of Bees

The Soft Boys | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 24, 1992)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rykodisc
• ASIN: B0000009UN
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #253,506 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Give It to the Soft Boys

2. The Pigworker

3. Human Music

4. Leppo and the Jooves

5. The Rat's Prayer

6. Do the Chisel

7. Sandra's Having Her Brain Out

8. The Return of the Sacred Crab

9. Cold Turkey

10. Skool Dinner Blues [Live]

11. Wading Through a Ventilator [Live]

12. Leppo and the Jooves

13. Sandra's Having Her Brain Out

14. Skool Dinner Blues

15. Fatman's Son

16. (I Want to Be An) Anglepoise Lamp [Live]

17. Ugly Nora [Live]

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Awkward, Jarring and Angular Pop!, September 3, 2005

By 

Bill Wikstrom (Long Island, NY) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Can of Bees (Audio CD)

The Soft Boys debut A Can Of Bees is the easily the hardest album
in Hitchcock's career. It's a genuinely weird record from the school of Beefheart. "Sandra's Having Her Brain Out",
"Fatman's Son", "The Return Of The Sacred Crab", "The Pigworker" and "Do The Chisel" are all original, angular power pop.
"Human Music" sees Robyn's first great song.
Great four-part harmonies, intricate arrangements and great
jarring pop. Great guitar interplay between
Rew and Hitchcock. Crazy harmonica parts via Jim Melton.
All-in-all a great debut from a hugely influental band.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Hitchcock's first hits hard and weird 20 years later, July 8, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Can of Bees (Audio CD)

Collecting the three different versions of the immortal Soft Boy's first album on cd was quite an accomplishment... And it's a shame that Rykodisc's contract to release it are up. If you're a Hitchcock fan, it's a must. "Leppo and the Jooves", "Human Music", and many more are collected here. This was Hitchcock at his hardest, and when it works it is something to hear. Of course, not all of it works, but if this is your thing, you won't mind a bit. Hitchcock's "fishy" lyrics are both sardonic and strange, but crank it up and enjoy! And get it while you can!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Leppo strikes again..., March 26, 2001

By 

WTDK "If at first the idea is not absurd, the... (My Little Blue Window, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: A Can of Bees (Audio CD)

Although not the band's best album (and certainly not Robyn's favorite for that matter), Can of Bees is classic Soft Boys. All the elements are here; Kimberly Rew's masterful guitar playing, Morris Windsor's powerful drumming and, of course, Robyn's eccentric songwriting.

This import has all the songs found on the Rykodisc release from 5 or 6 years ago but with a much heftier price tag. I'd probably wait for Matador to reissue this (they've done a great job with Underwater Moonlight)as it'll probably come with more extras.

Still fresh after all these years, Can of Bees demonstrates Robyn's finding his "voice" as a songwriter. Highly recommended.