Customer Reviews

Champagne Charlie

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

His music is entertaining, but this is the Leon Redbone album that stands above the others. You get a good mix of mellow old tunes like "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone," to the upbeat "Champagne Charlie" and "Alabama Jubilee."

I especially enjoyed his almost solemn tone in "Sweet Sue" and "Big Bad Bill." "Big Bad Bill" is a silly and endearing song about a burly Terror of the Town who is humbled and tamed by his wife, and only Redbone could bring out the humor by singing it at such a snail-pace.

As much as I enjoyed several other Leon Redbone CDs, the tracks tend to blend into one another after awhile, and I found this album to be such a dramatic exception. I don't think I could ever hate a Leon Redbone album, but "Champagne Charlie" is the only one of his releases I would rave about.

Leon Redbone is Blind Blake's son.Just listen to "Champagne Charlie" or "big bad Bill is sweet William now" to be sure.THis is another great record by the martian.On three tunes,Leon has a special guest star : Sammy Price and Little Brother Montgomery. Once again,he pays tribute to Jelly Roll Morton ("I hate a man like you").And plays marvelous versions of old standards,"please don't talk about me when I'm gone","sweet Sue".As estimable as any of Leon's recordings,and surely one of the three Leon's records to buy in priority.

For those of you who have not heard of Leon Redbone before, this disc is a good starting point. Redbone is one of the most original and eccentric characters in the music scenes. This guy appeared in 70's, a time when everyone else was busy crafting their Dylan-Beatles-esque stuff, with a top hat, a Mr. Penut-like cane, a pair of vintage sunglasses and a collection of charming ragtime and pre-war Jazzy tunes. Redbone has a raw and unpolished voice and ability to bring any song alive. This disc showcases his typical styles. A good buy for anyone looking for something different.

I love that I can almost always depend on Amazon to have access to some of the harder to find items I look for. As to the cd- if you love early blues/jazz then the Depression Era blues of Leon Redbone is a must. His voice has such a distinctive quality aboutit that blends well with the music he sings.

I have always enjoyed Leon Redbone and bought this to replace what I lost in august 2005. Fantastic music!

Leon Redbone is Blind Blake's son.Just listen to "Champagne Charlie" or "big bad Bill is sweet William now" to be sure.THis is another great record by the martian.On three tunes,Leon has a special guest star : Sammy Price and Little Brother Montgomery. Once again,he pays tribute to Jelly Roll Morton ("I hate a man like you").And plays marvelous versions of old standards,"please don't talk about me when I'm gone","sweet Sue".As estimable as any of Leon's recordings,and surely one of the three Leon's records to buy in priority.

I have extremely enjoyed Mr. Redbone's On the Track and Double Time Albums over the years.
I fail to understand why the other reviewers of Champage Charlie find it to be so outstanding
To begin with the Champagne Charlie song is quite lame melodically, likewise the lyrics are marginal ...
I just got the Branch to Branch Album and it definitely seems a lot more inspired than Champagne Charlie ...

I really like Leon Redbone and all of the songs on this album were representative of him.

As usual Leon delivers. I've enjoyed every bit of his music for years and this is no exception!!