Customer Reviews

I'd Like a Virgin

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This guy and his band are fantastic! I have hard rock/alternative tastes, however, I have been known to listen to Frank Sinatra in private too. Richard Cheese (aka Mark Jonathan Davis) has a voice as good as old "blue eyes" and the arrangements of the songs somehow all improve or compliment originals. Give this CD a try -- it will really grow on you. Now to the songs:

Gin and Juice -- better than the Snoop Dog version 4/5 stars
Yellow -- Good...very catchy piano riffs (4/5)
Girls, Girls, Girls -- Funny and very swingy (4/5)
Butterfly -- extremely catchy and an improvement (5/5)
Hey Ya -- allright, but a little too "loungified" :) (3/5)
Beat It -- Hilarious, with a kids chorus (4/5)
Milkshake -- Mindless and inane, mercifully short (2/5)
Personal Jesus -- Very catchy beat and good swinging (4/5)
Material Girl -- another funny one, perfectly sung (4/5)
War Ensemble -- Original lyrics add poignancy (5/5)
Stand Up --lyrics are hilarious when sung to swing (6/5)
Feeling This -- superb Tom and Mark would @#%$, then laugh(5/5)
Rock the Casbah -- a little too campy (3/5)
Longview -- another smash, only complaint - too short! (6/5)

You will like this album if you liked any of the original hits he has loungified. I can't think of a single thing wrong with the album, except that when my kids are around I can't listen to a lot of the songs, oh yeah...he throws in a lot of exerpts from actual shows to make you feel like you are sipping a martini, watching his show. Even his CD cover has some hilarious stuff to read (like the letter from a recording mogul). Count me as a fan of the Cheese! I love Dick (Richard Cheese - that is)!

I am a huge fan of Richard Cheese but was a tad disappointed in this album. It's lacking compared to the first two albums, especially Lounge Against the Machine. However, the humor is still on target. While some of the songs do seem like filler, his takes on "Gin and Juice," "Yellow," and "Longview" are absolute classics. If you're already a fan, grab this one; otherwise, I'd recommend his other albums.

Richard Cheese does very clever, hilarious renditions of popular songs in a lounge format. It's refreshing and it's funny. Definitely worth a listen.

Good "bad" covers. The clean simple approach to these heavy dirty songs opens them up in a new and interesting ways. It's easy to see why his cover of Down With the Sickness was used in Dawn of the Dead.

I bought this CD today, and was excited. A few weeks ago, my friend played the Tuxicity CD, and I thought it was hilarious. He was particularly good at converting metal and hip-hop songs to witty lounge covers. So I expected the same on the new CD.

In the previous albums, the pace always seems accurate, and there are tons of funny moments. The lounge versions are pleasantly incongruent with the source material. However, I ask whether the song choices were fortunate accidents.

On 'I'd Like a Virgin', many songs are far too slow -- and although they try to make me laugh, I am bored to tears. Jet's 'Are You Gonna Be My Girl' is slowed to the pace of a snail, as is Ludacris' 'Stand Up'. Other covers are simply uninspired -- Snoop Dog's 'Gin and Juice' has been done before, and better by The Gourds.

Finally, Cheese's ego is apparent, with way too many publicity clips from radio announcements, live shows, and endorsements by Dick Clark.

The CD has its moments. During Motley Crue's 'Girls, Girls, Girls', there are some amusing quotes from 'Brown Eyed Girl' and the song from The Beastie Boys of the same name. His 'Milkshake' is even faster than Kelis' original -- is better because a man sings it.

I'd picked up the CD downtown because I didn't want to wait for Amazon to send it to me. I opted for the newer stuff because Tuxicity wasn't available in the record stores. But after listening to it, I wished I'd had some patience and ordered it at Amazon.com.

Wow, I love this CD! This Richard Cheese guy is the swankiest! I think everyone should buy all of his CDs! Yeah!

-- Richard Cheese
www . iloverichardcheese . com

This is probably Richard Cheese' best album. The band sounds amazing and his vocals are spot on. As much as these guys come off as a gimmic, they are totally professional with what they do. This album proves it. The songs they've selected and arranged for their sound are second only to the originals. And there are a couple that actually sound better (or are easier to listen to!) than the orignals. If you're just discovering this band, this is THE album to start with.

I ordered this cd for my husband at christmas time and it got here very fast. And is in great condition.

This album features several excerpts from live shows including when Dick and LATM visited Carson Daly. Sometimes they really work (Dick can be quite good with his improv bits) but other times it just seems self-indulgent and actually detracts from the album. Their version of "Rock The Casbah" isn't really humorous, it's just a straight-ahead lounge cover of the song.

The band is best when they cover Hip-Hop and Rap (Gin & Juice and Milkshake are outstanding on this album), and when they cover songs using an inverse tempo (such as on Coldplay's "Yellow", applying a very upbeat, happy tempo or, conversely, when slowing JET's "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" to a melodic crawl.)

When Mr Cheese and the Machine are on, they are freaking dead on. When they're not, they're just ok. Fortunately this album is mostly great with only a few "meh" moments. For new listeners, I recommend you start with "Aperitif" from the previous year. For initiated Cheeseheads, this is a must-have for your collection. Not to be missed.

Another great CD by RC. The review of the album by the person named Blues Rev below is from someone who obviously did not even look at what he was buying at all. The music that Richard Cheese lampoons are not some songs that he just makes up with dirty words or anything trying to be funny that way. He takes real, everyday hits that are being played by real people every day, and does them in a lounge style. So, if the song has cursing or whatever in it (like alot of music does nowadays, especially the rap music) then it will be in the loungified version on the RC album as well. That is part of what makes it funny! The lounge style takes all the angst and bite out of the cursing and other stuff. Also, if you can't appreciate the cheesiness of lounge acts in the first place, then you probably won't really be able to buy into and enjoy this album either. However, if you like the lounge act style, and at least recognize the songs being done by RC and the major difference between the original version and the RC version, then you are in for a treat. As long as you know what you are getting into before you buy it, you shouldn't be disappointed!