Famous Rich Beautiful [Import]

The Philosopher Kings, Philosopher Kings | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 12, 1996)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Sbme Import
• ASIN: B000008A1H
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #264,946 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Hurts to Love

2. I Am the Man

3. You Stepped on My Life

4. You Don't Love Me (Like You Used to Do)

5. Little Rosie

6. Oleo

7. The End

8. Super Sugar Supreme

9. Head First

10. The New Messiah

11. You're Allowed

12. Cry

13. Wide Awake

14. Dinah

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great Canadian group, December 13, 2000

By 

G. Sawaged - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Famous Rich Beautiful (Audio CD)

How can anyone not love The Philosopher Kings? Their wonderful blend of rock/alternative/pop/soul/r&b and jazz is awe-inspiring. This album contains the hits 'It hurts to love you', 'I am the man', 'You stepped on my life', 'You don't love me (like you used to)' and the wonderful cover of Godley and Creme's 'Cry', which I think is even better than the original. Listen also to the jazzy sax ending to 'I am the man'. Perfect! In fact, as you listen to the whole album, listen to the background music not just the vocals. The arrangemants are truly brilliant.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding, January 11, 2002

By 

M. Morse (New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Famous, Rich and Beautiful... (Audio CD)

The Philosopher Kings' sophmore CD effectively displays what many have feared for some time now: that the majority of the music buying public are willfully stupid. How else to explain the lack of an American release for Famous, Rich and Beautiful; and album which deserves to be in heavy rotation on your stereo right this very moment.

Yes, you.

Stretching musical chops even further than on Charms (their debut, and only album available in the states), this record finds the Kings in the mood for 70's style funk. While it loses some of the intimate cool that pervaded the first album by trading soulful jazz licks for rougher funk riffs, the transition is a smooth one. Gerald Eaton is the greatest non-famous (at least here in America) singer i've ever heard, and is backed by solid music from the band. Though there are a few missteps (the tinny, "Why did they think this was a good idea?" sound of Little Rosey, responsible for four stars instead of 5 almost singlehandedly) it is hard to fault the group for attempting a creatively challenging or innovative moment at a moment in time when music is to innovative as dog is to thermonuclear device.
The most impressive (and most haunting) track from Famous, Rich and Beautiful is the piano driven New Messiah. An almost baroquely classical piano riff echoes endlessly as Eaton murmurs "I'm letting you go to my head....like a bullet to the brain" and the sound of a heart monitor keeps the tempo. Its an effective, almost chilling portrait of new love verging into obsession. And its damn catchy.

Also of note: the complete 180 degree turn the band makes for the last track-it's straightforward jazz that might sound right at home on the early recordings of the Nat Cole Trio, and an indication of the depth and bredth of this collective's talent.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thoroughly pleased with my selection., December 7, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Famous Rich Beautiful (Audio CD)

If you like your music with a bit of edge, enjoy a bit of jazz with your rock, you'll love them. I bought the first cd with few expectations, I tracked the second down with great effort. It was well worth it.