Customer Reviews

Future Fossils

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

 

 

This is the disc that got her career going, mainly for the funny tracks. Her style is very sedate, and her songs are usually either very funny, in her own quirky way, or sad and contemplative. Most songs are about relationships, sex, and food, and not too bashful about either, though she never goes beyond the bounds of good taste.

This is a CD for you, which contains many hidden gems.

Cold Pizza is a fun little ditty, about the night after a one night stand, and what is available for breakfast.

Bag Ladies Ball is very reminiscent of Shel Silverstein. It is quirky, and if you like Shel's offbeat style of poetry (and his occasional recorded readings of them), this is a song you have to check out.

The Dakota. This is a very emotional song to listen to if you are a John Lennon fan. To people of my generation, "Where were you when Lennon was shot" is the same as "Where were you when Kennedy was shot" to my parents. What makes it even better is that John Lennon is never actually mentioned in the song. This makes it thoughtful and introspective rather then exploitive.

As a side note, my fiancee had this song on a tape for over 2 years, and loved the song. But she is 8 years younger then I am, and had no memory of John Lennon or his death. I had to fill her in on the true meaning behind the song.

While the entire CD is great, The Dakota is a must have for any true John Lennon or Beatles fan. It is a very touching and personal look into how this event affected Miss Lavin.

If you already like her, you have to buy this one. If you are a beginner with Christine, this is also a good choice. The four songs I like best are "Damaged Goods", "Regretting What I said", "Ramblin' Waltz" and "Rituals." The first is poignant and true and will hit those of us with the infamous condition "low self-esteem" right in the heart. The next is killer funny. The third title is a sad slice of life about the dark side of the traveling singer lifestyle, and the fourth one is trademark Christine, taking a common insight into the human condition and saying something new about it.

I remember the first time I heard this album 20 some odd years ago. It's a great introduction to Christine Lavin's music. Her music is a blend of wistful thoughts, humor, observation and contemplation. It's almost like a journal to listen to it, it feels very personal how she turns experiences and thoughts into song.
I like the whole album and my favorite song changes from time to time. This week my favorite song on the album is The Dakota which is about being in a cab late one night and passing the hotel that John Lennon was shot at and how it affected her.
I also really love Artificial Means which at the time seemed a very naughty song, but anymore it seems almost innocent, about a couple who uses marital aids instead of communication. It's funny but like a lot of her funny songs, it's also a bit sad.
Regretting What I Said is hilarious, Damaged Goods is heartbreaking.
One of the best folk albums of the 80s.