Mercurial

Asylum Street Spankers | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 20, 2007)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Yellow Dog Records
• ASIN: B000MV9OL8
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #195,629 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pure, polished, irreverent fun., March 14, 2004

By 

Miles D. Moore (Alexandria, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mercurial (Audio CD)

The Asylum Street Spankers defy easy categorization. Sticking resolutely to acoustic instruments including clarinet, harmonica, banjo and at times even musical saw, the Spankers perform a bewildering array of songs in just about every popular style extant in America since the end of World War I. Though the band's lineup changes with each recording, the two leaders have remained constant: Christina Marrs, whose vocal tone and range remind me of Barbara Cook with touches of Aretha Franklin and Betty Boop, and Wammo, who is truly one of a kind. The Spankers' MO is to take absolutely nothing seriously except their musicianship (which is polished to the point of glowing) and to celebrate all forms of pleasure, not excluding those that are generally considered to be either immoral, illegal or fattening. (For their sake, I hope John Ashcroft never gets hold of a copy of "Spanker Madness.") Their new album, "Mercurial"--so named for Mercury Hall in their home town of Austin, where this CD was recorded--basically is a sampler of everything that makes the Spankers great. They perform everything from true old-time numbers such as "Shine On Harvest Moon" and "Digga Digga Doo" to a hilarious cover of the B-52's "Dance This Mess Around." Christina Marrs lights up the torches in such down-and-dirty blues numbers as "Got My Mojo Workin'" and "Sugar in My Bowl," but it's Wammo who is the album's standout in his wonderful original, "Hick Hop," best described as a rumble between the posses of Toby Keith and Snoop Dogg. Sadly, "Mercurial" probably marks the last appearances of Stanley Smith and Korey Simeone as regular Spankers--Smith quit the band because of ill health, Simeone to pursue an acting career--but the new touring group of Spankers is as tight an ensemble as ever, and bodes well for the band's survival as a living monument to the Pleasure Principle.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My 'New" favorite record, February 23, 2004

By 

"avonne" (harrisburg, pa United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mercurial (Audio CD)

This is the next best thing to a live performance. The recording at the Mercury Hall lends wonderful acoustics and I truly hope they record there again. Unlike most albums, where there is usually at least one bad or so-so tune, Mercurial is, from first to last track full of excellent music. Having seen the Spankers live on many occasions, the only thing missing is seeing them perform and watching the sparks fly. For those who are uninitiated to the wit and charm of the Spankers, this is an excellent first pick. Mojo, alone, is worth the full price. For those of us who are among the Spankers' growing list of fans, it's their best yet.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars On a roll!, February 12, 2004

By 

margaritaking "brdavis" (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mercurial (Audio CD)

This album continues the legacy of the Spankers, a well known Austin favorite. If you liked "My Favorite Record" you'll love this one too. More of the same stuff that makes them the top all acoustic band around. Whether just plain fun, or superb musiscianship, they cover it all. "Got My Mojo Workin" comes a long way from Muddy Waters, but has a great groove. "Dance This Mess Around" takes the B52's into uncharted waters. "Hick Hop" combines "gansta rap and country murder ballads" to create a unique vibe. ("Play some Skynrd man!") These guys take no prisoners, everyone is fair game for a satirical take on their songs. Oh yeah, and they can flat out play!