Customer Reviews

Happy Feet

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I first saw, and absolutly fell in live with, 8 &1/2 Souvenirs on PBS's Austin City Limits. They performed most of the material on the CD HAPPY FEET. Having now purchased everything they have released [Souvonica & Twisted Desire] I can only hope and pray the group returns to their "Happy Feet" roots; for this CD really proves the groups incredably unique sound and astounding talent. A "Euro Swing Band"[they sing in a number of languages] from Austin Texas playing fresh invigerating music with enormous heart. Olivier Giraud's sweet french voice is spell binding, not to mention Glover Gill's piano playing [is it Jazz, Ragtime, or Prokofiev revisited?]and of course Chrysta Bell's beautifully styalized voice, which has never sounded better. I usually stick to Rachmaninov and the boys, but HAPPY FEET brought chills to my spine, and tears to my eyes,to think such music may be gone for now.

Picture Django, Les Paul, and Cole Porter shoe-horned into a Rio dance hall in, say, 1937. Picture the floor worn bare from dancing. That's only a pale idea of this CD's creativity and outright fun. Chrysta Bell's smokey voice sounds a little like Anita Baker's, and she more than does justice to a snappy version of Porter's "It's All Right With Me", a highlight of this CD. And you'll be sifting your dog-eared French and Italian grammars and bellowing "Yo lo Visto" down the freeway in no time!

I have my aurally-challenged husband to thank for this jewel...he said, "Ya oughta check out this song, "Happy Feet". I think it's one of the most fun songs I've ever heard." Boy, was he right!

Très sophistiqué, multi-lingual, fast and furious, "Happy Feet" makes me awfully glad they're American (mostly)! After all, don't even we deserve a little Continental charm? This stuff is Good Medicine for jaded hearts.

SAW THIS GROUP ON AUSTIN CITY LIMITS AND WAS AMAZED AT THE WONDERFUL SOUND. THIS IS A REALLY UPBEAT ALBUM. HOPE THERE IS MUCH MORE COMING FROM THIS GROUP.

Having heard Twisted Desire, I had a twisted desire to get 8-1/2 Souvenir's first album, Happy Feet, a more upbeat jazz effort than Twisted Desire, with more piano and guitars. Happy Feet is slightly better than its successor, but by a hair. It's the kind of music one hears at a classy French nightclub, drinking mocha, espresso, or something exotic flavoured with Kahlua. A thin line would be sitting back and listening to the music or dancing to it with someone special while the band plays.

The jazzy title track sets the standard of tasteful, fun, and classy music. Songs are in Italian, French, and English. The instrumentals are just as peppy, such as "Kazango" and "Place de Brouckere." "Blues En Mineur" is a slow jazz number with a wandering piano backed by a stomping bass.

Chrysta Bell's sensuous and vital vocals are best represented in Cole Porter's "It's All Right With Me" and the bubbly "Botch-A-Me." She doesn't get to sing much here, the majority of songs being vocalized by Olivier Giraud (I presume) or being instrumentals. If a lack of record sales causes the group's dissolution, I would buy any solo albums she puts out as a showcase for her splendid voice.

Much of their cover influences are French jazz and pop from the 1950's. They cover Django Reinhardt's "Place de Brouckere," "Blues En Mineur," and "Minor Swing," the latter which is the tune that the revellers dance to in the movie Chocolat. Two Serge Gainsbourg tunes are done here: "La Poinconneur des Lilas" and the moody "Black Trombone." Hearing their cover of "Brazil" finally gave me the name of the tune that Something Weird Video plays in the opening trailers of their feature film videos.

All I need is the criminally hard-to-get Souvonica and I will have all 25 & 1/2 souvenirs.

I think this song is just cool and yet wierd, and yet I like it! I think it's really good and funny. I think "It's Alright With Me" is cool, too. I mostly like when Krystabelle sings--her voice is really nice. I think "Black Trombone" is really interesting, too. I think kids will like this CD, not just adults. I'm eight years old, and I mostly like Krystabell's voice AND the tunes! My favorite one is "Botch-a-me, botch-a-you and Everything Goes Crazy". It's a good jazz song, and I think this is a very good jazzy dance CD. It makes me feel very happy and goofy!

The cover's correct now-thanks for the "Happy Feet"! We love the cover almost as much as we love the CD!

This album is a local gem that spent a long time on the Waterloo Record's top-ten list.

Strongly influenced by Django Reinhardt, it shines with amazing guitar-work and it includes excellent vocals and a strong band. Unlike many of the modern swing bands, it feels new and vibrant - the band places its own stamp on traditional standards and adds some of their own.

Check out the title track 'Happy Feet'. Their version of 'Brazil' is stunning. This is also an excellent live band.

Have seen these folks in concert twice. REally wild combination of parisian with a persian touch, a hint of the casbah, lots of energy. Fantastic piano, percussion makes you stomp your feet, guitar like Willie on speed. Buy it, you'll like it.

I received the CD as a gift from a colleague, and I played it so much in the office that she and I could almost sing harmony. This is a really hot album with a lot of energy -- lots of swing, a bit of humor, a good dose of, uh, happy feet! Nice blend of old and new tunes done up with style.

>>>>> Happy Feet from 8 1/2 Souvenirs is a relaxed tour d' force, giving you pleasure in the Music part of your brain long after the stereo is shut off...I found myself humming a few of its melodies even after a few days of not hearing the album(cd)...I especially like the way they blend the french phrasings and neo-Swing music---A few of the songs are very good in and by themselves, but the best impression of Happy Feet is as a Whole Performance, like seeing a good movie. "happy Feet" can be imagined as a kind of "Today's -World Soundtrack"---(4 1/2 Stars).<<<09/12/99.