Customer Reviews

Collected Works

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've been a fan of Blotto for many years, and see them perform every chance I get! If you can't see them live, do yourself a favor and listen to this CD. Trust me! It's funny and it rocks!

I admit it. I saw just about every show Blotto did at the Chance (in Poughkeepsie, NY), up to the fire. A high energy club band with a wild sense of humor. Great guitar work from Broadway & Bowtie.

I love this CD... of course having seen them many times live helps a lot. Who could forget seeing Sarge bite the head off a cabbage patch doll during Metal Head?.... But these guys were about having fun and I can honestly say I had more fun at those shows than any others that I have ever attended. Anyone that listens to these songs will get a sense of what they are all about, and get a good laugh or two as well!

Who'd'a thunk that an Albany-based bar/party band with a wicked sense of humor and identical stage surnames (take THAT, Ramones) would become critical and cult legends? Ever since I heard that rolling drumbeat intro and goofy Beach Boys-influenced harmonic sentiment of "I Wanna Be a Lifeguard" leading off their first EP, Hello. My Name Is Blotto. What's Yours?, I was hooked.

Playing in pure party fashion but throwing in bitingly satirical lyrics on subjects ranging from heavy metal fandom ("Metal Head," which featured Blue Oyster Cult's Buck Dharma on screamin' guitar) to cheesy lounge acts ([We Are] The Nowtones"..."We say 'thank you' at the end of every song"), groupies ("Occupational Hazard") and dumb bosses (the liberating "I Quit") to unattainable women in advertisements (the raggae-fied "Gimme the Girl"), Blotto never failed to raise a smile if not an outright laugh.

"Lifeguard" is still the star of the show here (it's a persoanl summer anthem, and centerpiece of many a surf-themed mixtape) -- heck, it appears in three different versions! But the cleverest, most blackly humorous tune in the collection -- perhaps of the '80s -- is "My Baby's the Star of a Driver's Ed Movie." Done in pure early '60s death-pop style, it relates the tale of man attending remedial driving classes after receiving a DWI. While seeing a film about highway crashes, he recognizes a scene in which his own late girlfriend's demise was documented! He remains philosophical, though, noting that the poor young lass's mom "would be proud -- her underwear was clean."

The remaining tracks show the Blots' at their rockin' best on their original compositions -- the weakest track is probably the sole cover, a take on "Stop! In the Name of Love," taken from their debut EP and original lineup featuring a female singer.

This release compiles their entire studio output -- a mere LP, two 12" EPs and a 45 B-side (appropriately titled "The B Side") -- with a couple of previously unreleased goodies. All you'll ever need from Blotto is here -- if you're feeling adventurous afterward, don't miss their Then More Than Ever live CD, and seek out their long-out-of-print VHS "Video 45" from Sony.

I was in college in upstate NY late 70's and early 80's, I remember seeing Blotto live at JB Scott's in Albany and at numerous gigs at school and around the Albany area. I was hooked from the first show, and still have the first EPs. Their shows were enjoyed by rockers and punkers alike.

A classic FUN band with great originals -"My Baby's The Star of a Driver's Ed Movie" was always a favorite for twisted, irreverent lyrics. Great musical talent with too much of a sense of humor to ever make it commercially. Their cover of "Secret Agent Man" is way better than the original.

If you remember Blotto or are a fan of music from the era, get the album. If you were born after 1980, you probably won't comprehend why Blotto was ever popular.

Would that the world still had a band that could rock and have fun at the same time. Dr. Demento might have lifted them to near-stardom, but "My Baby's the Star..." isn't the only story here - from the riotous "We Are the Nowtones" to the movin' "When the Second Feature Starts" - the boys (and Blanche) could make you laugh and really let it rip. Harkens me back to seeing them at Desperado's in Georgetown long ago.

Getting this CD brought me back to my high school days in Albany, New York in the early 80's when Blotto and other local artists such as Fear of Strangers were commonplace on the old Q-104. In these days of techno and alterna-teen sound alikes, Blotto are and were an original. Check out their website for old and recent performance pics!!! It's great to know they are still around!

Being from Kansas I never got the chance to see Blotto live. Two decades ago, I was flipping channels when I accidentally came across them performing on a children's show. I thought they were great and have been a Blotto fan ever since. It's hard to pick favorites from this collection, but I have to say that "It's Not You" and "Goodbye, Mr. Bond" are wonderful songs...kudoos to Broadway's songwriting. Keep up the great work guys... you're one of a kind!

I saw Blotto perform twice at the Rat in Boston during the 80's. Their shows were outstanding. However, it had been close to 15 years since I last heard them. After ordering this CD I was concerned that my affection for the band was based on nostalgia rather than quality. After several listens to Collected Works I am happy to say that I was wrong. The song quality, both writing and recording, varies among songs. Most are great, but a few (mostly cover versions) are stinkers. Songs from their "Combo Akimbo" album are the best technically, and they sound great on this CD. The songs on this CD have a lot in common with other bands of the time (e.g., The Fools, B-52's, The Tubes), but are also the direct ancestors of many of the songs on the Barenaked Ladies album "Gordon." Fans of that album should like Collected Works." Where the CD really fails is in liner notes. I had to go to my old copy of "The Trouser Press Guide to New Wave Records" to discover that Collected Works is just that. During their career Blotto only released two EP's (if you don't know, ask your parents) and one album. Blotto still plays live on occasion in the Albany area. Look for them, then get this CD.

I first ran across this eclectic group as a college student in upstate New York during the early 80's. They played college bars and had quite a following. This CD compiles all the best of Blotto into one source. It sure brings back memories of my Lifeguard days with my High School Honey. Anyone that enjoys snappy tunes with catchy lyrics should enjoy this collection.