Customer Reviews

Dancing

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

 

 

I became a Mike Keneally fan the same way a lot of people did -- due to MK's association with Frank Zappa. Mike was a guitarist/keyboard player in Frank's last touring band in 1988. Since then, he's released a slew of wild, weird, and completely invigorating solo albums both under his own name and as the leader of Mike Keneally and Beer For Dolphins. While he definitely has Zappa influences all over his music, his music does have several shots of power pop a la Todd Rundgren and XTC, and his lyrics show more optimism than Zappa's. This particular release is definitely his strongest yet, with lots of full-band musical weirdness as well as some bona fide pop/rock singles. The delicious "Live in Japan" would be a Top Ten hit in a perfect world. "Joe" sounds like Todd Rundgren meets Steely Dan. "Selfish Otter" is a nod to complex, trippy 70's prog rock (complete with a wacky moog solo). "Mystery Music" is an instrumental that sounds uncannily like They Might Be Giants. Not only is this Mike's best work, it's also his most all-over-the-map, and, dare I say, the one disc he's put out so far that may actually bring him mainstream acceptance. Do yourself a favor...take a chance on this disc and pick it up today. You won't regret it...there's definitely something in here for everybody.

Five Star! I could blab on and on about this album. The best place to get a sense of what this album is about is to go to Mike Keneally's web site and click on "Dance Fever" (I'm not allowed to list the url, but let's say it's pretty logical) There are several in depth reviews from fans that do not always rave about everything Mike's done. This time, however, the praise is unanimous!

Mike K. & BFD have really created one of the most incredible CDs ever made! This CD has it all. Fantastic musicians, great lyrics, great writing. Nothing else like it. I hear the influences of Zappa, Vai, and others, but it is blended so perfectly well with Mike's own thing that it stands as a work of pure genius! Very reaching and very listenable even to those who only like the younger groups on the charts - it has that element too. It could be played on American radio if only people would wake up and listen! They would really be surprised!

Again a monster of a record. Keneally always uses all the available space on the cd and as we hear he used it well. From unbelievable hooky horn lines (Tim?) on Live in Japan to Kedgeree (which somehow reminds me of The Ocean is the ultimate solution a real FZ gem) this recording keeps growing more and more since the first listen. It's all there. Grab it and dig for Zappa, Hendrix, Tony Williams Lifetime, Steely Dan and "fill in the blanks". This is the first "real" band record (aside from Half alive in Hollywood) by Mike Keneally & Beer For Dolphins and the result is stunning. While his/their first recordings are absolutely brilliant as well, here the sound of the early power trio is enhanced by new and highly skilled members giving these songs a collective feeling and adding some grateful deadish swing & looseness.

Is it too much to say that Mike Keneally, right this minute, is writing hands-down the BEST music in the world? Would you lose any respect for me if I express my opinion that Beer For Dolphins, Mike's band, that is the glorious foundation upon which "Dancing" sits, is simply the finest ensemble in existence? Well, fanboy hype or no, I'm pretty sure that we'll see no finer album than "Dancing" released in 2000. For the first time in his solo career, Keneally entrusts his songs to one band lineup all the way through, providing a unity of presentation lacking in his other (also stellar) releases. This is challenging stuff; the 1997 "Sluggo!" is still probably the best place for a Keneally newbie to start. However, "Dancing" features MK's most assured, emotional, and flat-out stunning collection of tunes thus far. And I get the feeling... Mikey's only just getting warmed up.

Okay, all I can say is Oh My God! Anyway, what is with the Explicit Lyrics? There are none, really. It should say [EXPLICITLY AWESOME YOU NEED TO OWN THIS CD AND THE T-SHIRT].

MK became (relatively)famous due to his work in Zappa's last touring band, the best recommendation or resume you can get IMO. On his solo outings he tend to move between Frank and Dweezil, in the sense that he is almost as eclectic in his approach to music as Frank, but has some leanings to heavy metal that he shares with Dweezil.

Difficult to point out highlights but the Steely Dan-like Only Mondays is great. Live in Japan is not the hit single people make it out to be. It does have a beautiful ending however.

His voice is not fully developed I think. (It does not stand out). His gutar work and especially his arranging of different instruments is great.

For the last weeks this has been the only cd in my car and believe me: it grows on you !

I must have listened to this CD thirty or forty times, and it still escapes predictability. It's not for everyone, but if you have the appetite for adventurous music, it will reward you in ways that nothing else can do. For my money, Keneally is one of the true musical geniuses of our age (and if you doubt that, check out his astonishing piano improvisations on Youtube). I've always been uncomfortable with the connections people make between Keneally and Zappa. Yes, he played with Zappa, and yes both musicians favor spin-the-dial eclecticism, manic originality, and arrangements that tie your brain in knots, but Keneally sounds nothing like Zappa. First, and most happily, Zappa's adolescent fixation with bathroom humor and naughty words is absent, as is his goofy nerd-in-the-spotlight self-consciousness. Keneally is certainly nerdier than, say, Jon bon Jovi, but he knows it and makes fun of himself. That kind of humor is refreshing; Zappa's humor was embarrassing. Also, Keneally is perfectly happy with a pretty melody and actual singing, which Zappa really never did. Don't get me wrong: Zappa did some amazing stuff and deserves all the praise he gets. It's just that Keneally is his own musician, with his own set of riches, and this CD will reward you for years to come. I can't really rate this CD in relation to his others; they're all amazing and unique. I suppose I end up listening to this one more than the others, but I listen to all of them a lot. Mostly I think you can't go wrong with this one.

MK/BFD has crafted an album for the ages. This is a terrific piece of work that sits commandingly along side other classic albums of the modern music era. Imagine if you will - Steely Dan, Frank Zappa, Pink Floyd and Miles Davis getting toggether for a Jam with Jeff Beck jumping in on guitar occasionally and you might come close to what MK has created with this record.

Get it now so you can say that you knew MK/BFD before they took over the world.

(3 1/2 stars) I'll say this about Mike Kenneally...Its impossible to pigeonhole him, stylistically, compositionally or intellectually. The guy is simply oozing with brilliant and interesting musical ideas, and what's more, he's got the rare dexterity and talent to carry them to fruition. The problem is restraint - even for those thirsty for fulfillment, sometimes quenching that thirst with his music can be like trying to fill a shot glass with water from a firehose. On _Dancing_, Mike follows the same pattern that he did with the otherwise phenomenal _Sluggo_ - pick an absolutely obnoxious leadoff single, the kind that makes you want to take the Zappa "icepick in the forehead" repeatedly - here the pristine dorkiness of "Live in Japan". It takes a while to regain his step, too. The songwriting seems superficially more focused, with less song fragments, but it just doesnt execute that way in practice. Even good, edgier fare such as "We'll Be Right Back" and the straight metal of "Ragged Ass" just seem a bit bogged down and tend to meander at points, while like the soft-rock sheen of "I Was Ready For You" is a scary reminder that MK could be one or two odd time signatures away from Sergio Mendes. Nonetheless, there are some outstanding compositions and surprises, such as the unbelievably soulful prog-in-disguise of "Joe", and the delicate, acoustically-constructed beauty of the title track, that are good enough to cover for the missteps.