Customer Reviews

Gorilla

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

 

 

If you aren't afraid to plunge head first into the cheerful insanity that was the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band (they were the unquestioned musical bridge from Peter Sellers' Goon Squad routines to the hydradimensional Monty Python), their first album is also their best. Generously endowed with horn players as brassy as they were witty (leader/trumpeter/tubist Vivian Stanshall and saxophonists Rodney Slater and Roger Ruksin Spear, both of whom doubled on assorted madcap sound devices), the Bonzos mashed old-time radio music and British music hall verve into a modern pop casserole that was so far ahead of its time - partly because, unlike other music satirists, the Bonzos never suggested they held their sources in contempt; they genuinely loved those sources and weren't ashamed to let it show - you wonder whether anyone even thinking of musical satire these days could possibly catch up.

The sleeper of the set: "Death Cab for Cutie," which millions have heard without knowing it for what it was: that was Stanshall warbling the slow grinder in the tent, behind the stripper, as the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band played for the Beatles' amusement in "Magical Mystery Tour". (Imagine Raymond Chandler having written "All Shook Up" for Elvis Presley, and that's "Death Cab For Cutie," Stanshall's basso warble, Neil Innes's loping, ether-boogie piano, and all.) And if you can listen to "The Intro and the Outro" and not appreciate that the Bonzos accomplished in barely over two minutes what Frank Zappa couldn't in most of a career (the Bonzos, unlike Zappa and the Mothers, knew when the in-jokes and the topicalities had hit their limits), sounding just as fresh now as in 1967-68, more is the pity. This troupe was a gift to contemporary music. And though you'll never see them reunite for even a one-off shot anymore (Stanshall's tragic death almost a decade ago - he died in a fire - makes it impossible for it to be anything close to the same, anyway), this and damn near the entire Bonzo catalogue need no reunion gigs to affirm its significance or its entertainment. Or, its art.

The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band may have been the musical version of Monty Python (pianist Neil Innes has gone on to do a lot of work with the Pythons), both taking comedy kicking and screaming to places it hadn't gone before. This is their first album, from 1967. "The Intro and the Outro" is probably their best-known piece, as Viv Stanshall introduces all the band members, including John Wayne, General de Gaulle, the Incredible Shrinking Man, etc. "And looking very relaxed, Adolf Hitler on vibes." "Jollity Farm" and "Mickey's Son and Daughter" are terrific songs done in a 20s style. Other great cuts include the film noir "Big Shot", the Beach Boys-ish "Piggy Bank Love", a jaded "I'm Bored", and "Look Out, There's a Monster Coming". If you've ever wondered where the band Deathcab for Cutie got it's name, this is the place.

As stylistically varied as the Beatles WHITE ALBUM (well, almost), GORILLA adopted the musically perverse side of the Fab Four and ran with it (think "Honey Pie" meets "You Know My Name," stretched out to album length) and, as a result, continues to amaze. The Bonzos captured a certain retro-Dada spirit few others of their generation could, and this album in particular has aged beautifully. Highlights? "Death-cab For Cutie," "I'm Bored," and "Look Out, There's A Monster Coming." Underrated, to say the very least.

I was listening to a very unformatted FM radio station in the Los Angeles of 1970. (what a time! never to be seen again) With my friend, avant garde artist SKOT ARMSTRONG. They played a song called "Here Comes the Equestrian Statue" by a band called the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band. I ended up buying this record down at the local rekkid stow, Jeremiah McCains. It had bought one of the great works of modern art because of it's lamest song. I think the song in question had been produced or even secretly written by Lennon and McCartney. the rest of the record is so good it's almost unbelievable. (and I LOVE the Beatles, but my art belongs to DADA)

The Bonzos have a kind of Trad Jazz gone sour sound and an art school sensibility. They are marcel duchamps meets mickey mouse. The Trad Jazz is devoted, this time around, to a couple of precious (but sincereley bent) kids tunes from the 1920's (by the sound of it--here's the opening lyric of one.)

OH THERE'S A PLACE CALLED MISERY, BUT OF THAT WE'LL HAVE NONE
BECAUSE WE KNOW OF ONE, THAT'S ALWAYS LOTS OF FUN (HA! HA!)
AND THIS ONE'S NAME IS JOLLITY, BELIEVE US FOLKS IT'S GREAT
FOR EVERYONE SINGS OUT TO US AS WE GO THROUGH THE GATE...

Now where are you going to get lyrics like that? This record goes on to songs that stay funny through a hundred or more playings. And the songs are in so many different styles.

SKOT and I became rabid fans. He collected the whole set available back then--I probably scratched more than a few of them up (SKOT--I can get you new copies any time if you like) I waited twenty years to get serious about collecting them and have paid a lot to get the original pressings.

Buy this record, play it with the lights down low. Pay attention.

We are priveleged to live in the time of such genius. The time of the Bonzos is almost over. Listen now while you still can.

persevere

I am glad to see this reissued as a single album even though all its tracks appear on the important Cornology box set.

These songs have a strong doo-wacka-doo flavor to them. In 1966, there was apparently a market in England for American music from the 1930s and 1940s - Dixieland and old-timey show tunes. The Beaux Hunks' recent recreations of music from the Little Rascals caters to the same taste, as did the Temperance Seven when they were active.

Well, the Bonzos performed in that style but went beyond it, into dadaist drama and later Rock. It's hard to explain just how brilliant Gorilla is. For your own sake, buy it and find out.

Look out there's a monster coming is worth the price of the CD. Gotta have it in your life.

the bonzos...marvalous memories for me growing up listening to neil innes's 'equestrian statue' and more on this great piece of unforgettable british sixties history.charming,catchy,hilarious and ecentric summed up for me the legend that was the bonzos.neil innes talent for pop melodie and craftmanship and the late dear viv stanshall's gift for vocal talent made this band and album one of my favourites along with admired python and the fab four

THIS WAS A REAL DESCOVERY - AFTER SO MANY YEARS STILL SO FRESH AND BRITISH-, AND A VERY FUNNY INTELLIGENT RECORD.

I first became aware of the Bonzo by accident way back in the early seventies when I bought a used album of theirs I never heard a note by them the only reason I bought it was because I read somewhere they were featured in the Beatles Magical Mystery Tour Movie that I hadn't seen at the time but anybody associated with the Beatles had to be okay in my book !!! So looking at the album cover I assumed these guys were Rock N Roll by their looks( I think the album I picked up was Tadpoles) but when I played it was something that I never would imagined in all my years I couldn't figure it out it was so Bizzare , I never heard anything like them in my life I couldn't believe that this stuff was recorded back in the 1960's no other band was doing stuff like this at all!!( This was way before Dr. Demento was on the Radio)I was so mad I wasted my Money on it but then I started listening to it more and more and thought these guys are really good musicians just a little different I soon became a fan of theirs soon I had to look for some more material of them in which later I did !!! Of all their albums Gorilla to me is one of their best Starting with The Intro and The Outro theres not one bad track on here also included is Death Cab For Cutie in which they performed in the Magical Mystery Tour Film !!!
If you want to learn about the Bonzo's this is the album to start with you won't be dissapointed !!!

This is a lot of fun. Kind of a combination of Spike Jones, Mothers of Invention, and a little Beatles. Current rock group "Death Cab for Cutie" got its name from a song on this album (an Elvis Presley takeoff). Musically a lot of fun. Great saxophone work. Some songs almost a musical joke in themselves.