Customer Reviews

Gorilla

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Having heard most of the Bonzos' catalog (or catalogue, if you're in the UK), off of assorted collections and the Cornology boxed set, I leaped at the chance to own the original CD's (and this was the last one I purchased), because of the bonus tracks. As always, Neil Innes provides sharp and witty banter recounting the history of how the Bonzo tracks came into existence, and the music never fails to delight, especially 'The Craig Torso Show' where I would have nearly fell about laughing if I wouldn't have been in the car ('Craig Torso smells wonderfuuuuuuul'). Minus one star for again mis-labelling Sidney Nicholls (aka Big Sid, the guy playing banjo in the numbered group shot) as Vernon Dudley Bohay Nowell.

This is probably my dad's and my favorite album that we own simply for it's ridiculusness. Some background:
The Bonzos were the "house band" for Monty Python's predicessor, a silly British tv show called "Do Not Adjust Your Set." Since they were that house band, you can't expect their music to be all that serious. If you listen closely to the lyrics, the songs are downright hilarious. I do not reccomend listening to this while doing homework, though. I just finished an essay that would've nomally taken me about one hour to write, revise, and edit, but instead it took me about 1.5 hours because I was listening to Gorilla. It's good for leisure time, but not for homework. In short, I love the Gorilla album.

Two years ago saw the release of what was left of the proto-Python series Do Not Adjust Your Set, along with At Last the 1948 Show whose merits I've triumphed earlier. With the recent reunion of the Bonzos with British comic stars like Steven Fry and Ade Edmondson standing in for the late Viv Stanshall (trading one Viv for another in the case of the latter), following Neil Innes' recent solo tour (a really nice guy to have played a character named Nasty "all those years ago," he signed all my DVDs and put up with my jabberings quite patiently), interest has been revived enough to see the original albums put out with bonus tracks. Considering this album came out at the time they were providing music for the above mentioned show, it should be no surprise that songs like "Equestrian Statue" and "Look Out There's a Monster Coming" along with their version of "The Sound of Music" got airtime and appear here. If you liked them, if you like Python, and have a love of British dancehall music, you should pick this up. Even if you get no other Bonzo release (and your life is the worser for it), buy this in Viv's memory.

Signed,
The Urban Spaceman (er, epsteinsmutha)

This was the first album by the semi-legendary Bonzo Dog (Doo-Dah) Band. It is sublimely ridiculous. It features a mixture of bizarre original songs and cover versions of silly old songs from the '20s and '30s. It's quite enjoyable for fans of funny music, like myself. The cd adds several bonus tracks, which are also very funny.

First time I heard this decades ago it was just what I was looking for and totally out of left field. Still makes me smile today and led to an eternal love of their music. With or without the Doo Dah, they're supersonic guys.

The Bonzo Dog Da Da (Doo Dah) Band's first album with all the silly jazz tunes on 78s with funny titles they dug up at old record stores. They are truly unique in this as they are the only band to revive some of this music and present it to a new generation and make it hilarious besides. It's a shame they are considered a cult-followed band. They reallly should have gotten more exposure.

If you listen to this CD and you don't laugh out loud, Then JACK, YOU ARE DEAD!!! Better yet, just buy the entire collection on the 3 CD set called 'CORNOLOGY'.