Give Yourself a Hand

Crash Test Dummies | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 23, 1999)
• Original Release Date: March 23, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Arista
• ASIN: B00000I9AR
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (92 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #107,413 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Avoid this one if you are on a budget, June 14, 2000

By 

Spock's brain "romab" (United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Give Yourself a Hand (Audio CD)

This CD came with a warning label to the effect that this is not your usual CTD recording. What an understatement! Unlike A Worm's Life, which I came to like after a second listening, this recording contains only a few tracks that I can listen to in their entirety. If you like street-language rap, graceless sexual references, songs which rely on a heavy beat to mask their lack of musicality and message, and are prepared for CTD lyrics to deliver a numbing lack of profundity, this CD is you.

P.S. I am sure the band had fun recording this one; it's just not much fun to listen to.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A real artistic achievement, November 26, 2003

By 

Ellen J Mahurin (Knoxville, TN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Give Yourself a Hand (Audio CD)

Everyone should give this album a serious listen. It reminds you that music is art, a product of creativity not marketing strategies. I was impressed with this album as the end point of much evolution in CTD. I didn't even recognize them upon listening to the first few tracks. I enjoyed the addition of new rhythms, sounds and, especially, of Ellen Reed's vocals to all the other good things CTD had going on. Also, my husband perceived the two vocalists as having a sort of conversation about their romantic relationship (which is in trouble). Listening to it that way gives me a whole new perspective.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Mixed Feelings, August 28, 2000

By 

"dr__zaius" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Give Yourself a Hand (Audio CD)

I suppose if 2 1/2 stars were "givable" I would give that. There appears to be a lot of back and forth argument between those who give 5 stars and those who give 1. My problem with it is not simply the drastic change in music style. This change should have been expected, since there is quite a difference between "The Ghosts that Haunt Me" and "A Worm's Life," for instance.

"Give Yourself a Hand" bothered me because the lyrics have become less clever and funny. And why aren't the lyrics included with the CD? They always did that before, and reading through them was almost as much fun as listening to the CD itself. The sexual references were kind of a shock too. I mean, they've always been present in their music, but they used to be more subtle.

I guess what summarizes my feelings about this album is that it makes me uncomfortable when I listen to it. I'm not saying the band should head back to their roots, necessarily. One of my favorite things about them is their ability to change. But please don't change everything. Hold on to the articulate and witty lyrics. CTD's progression seems to have gotten a little sidetracked