Rodent Weekend '76-'96 (Approximately)

Tonio K | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 25, 1998)
• Original Release Date: August 25, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Gadfly Records
• ASIN: B000009Q08
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #210,913 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #62 in Music > Indie Music > Christian & Gospel > Christian Contemporary Music

Track Listings

1. Funky Western Civilization Phase II

2. Hey John

3. You Make It Way Too Hard

4. Too Cool to Be a Christian

5. Baby Don't Do It

6. I'll Wait Here

7. Don't Talk to Me

8. Doggytown

9. Storytime

10. Fools Talk

11. New Dark Ages

12. Los Gringos

13. Mars Needs Women

14. Party on the B Ring

15. You're Never too Smart

16. The Hunter

17. Everything, Including You Disgusts Me

18. I'm Supposed to Have Sex With You

19. Harness the Hamster/Roden Weekend '76

Editorial Reviews

Twenty years, 19 tracks, a hamster named John Paul III. Gadfly Records is proud to announce the release of Rodent Weekend '76-'96 (Approximately), a 72-minute journey through some of the odder twists and turns in the career of cult rocker Tonio K.

This 19-track collection includes rarities, oddities and spare tracks from Tonio K., one of the country's most unique and biting singer/songwriters. Packaged with extensive liner notes and song histories from TK, this 'retrospective' includes several alternate takes from the long-lost EP La Bomba, Mr. K.'s biggest radio hit, I'm Supposed To Have Sex With You, and the much-sought-after track Hey John from TK's self-released vinyl EP. Other highlights are Funky Western Civilization, Phase II, Harness The Hamster/Rodent Weekend '76 and Everything, Including You, Disgusts Me.

Despite receiving massive critical praise for Life in the Foodchain (1978) and Amerika (1980), Tonio K. bounced around from CBS Records, to Arista, to Capitol-EMI (which resulted in the 1983 EP La Bomba), before settling into What?/A&M for his third and fourth albums: Romeo Unchained (1986) and Notes From the Lost Civilization (1988). Since being 'dropped' from A&M;, he has been one of the music industry's most successful songwriters, penning the most played song of 1993 (Love Is, recorded by Vanessa Williams and Brian McKnight), and placing songs with Bonnie Raitt, Aaron Neville, Al Green (from the 'Michael' soundtrack), and many others. A fifth album recorded with an all-star cast (Paul Westerberg, David Hidalgo, Peter Case, Bruce Thomas, and others) was canned by A&M but released by Gadfly Records (Olé) in 1997. All four of Tonio K.'s earlier full-length albums are available on CD from Gadfly Records.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mars does need women, June 8, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Rodent Weekend '76-'96 (Approximately) (Audio CD)

Much like the career of new wave/punk Steve Krikorian (aka Tonio K.), this compliation is an uneven collection of unreleased material. Can't blame Krikorian with this though, as he clearly warns you in the liner notes that this was material that was never good enough to make an actual album.

With that in mind, however, there are some superb songs that definitely make the album worth owning. The opening track, "Funky Western Civilization II" is a nice take on the original. "Too Cool To Be a Christian" rocks, but seems almost ironic now, considering Krikorian softened over the years after embracing Christianity. "Everything, Including You, Disgusts Me" (angry to the supreme) and "I'm Supposed to Have Sex With You" (his lone, unreleased 'hit' and most 80s-sounding) are groovy as well.

But for me, the two best tracks on this album are "Mars Needs Women" and "You Make it Way Too Hard." The version of "Mars" that appears here is an alternate take, complete with funky cow bell and bass line. His song writing here -- always terribly underrated -- is great: "Mars needs women/You should apply/Don't worry 'bout me baby/Have a good time."

Overall, this album loses a star because of simply too many throwaway songs. But if you want an album that fills in the blanks between Steve's other 'must-have' albums, "Life in the Foodchain" and "Amerika," then this will do nicely.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tonio K. is a true musical hero for our twisted times., June 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Rodent Weekend '76-'96 (Approximately) (Audio CD)

I haven't heard this cd in its entirety, yet there is previously released material that I own on vinyl that is just the coolest stuff out there. "I'm Supposed to Have Sex with You" from the "Summer School" movie soundtrack is amazing! This stuff is truly intelligent rock and pop.

2 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Doggytime, hampsers?, March 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Rodent Weekend '76-'96 (Approximately) (Audio CD)

And "everything, including you, disgusts me"? I'm buying this CD for the titles alone.