Customer Reviews

God Shuffled His Feet

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I took a short trip back a few years (a lot few), I was 25 and my favorite CD was God Shuffled His Feet by The Crash Test Dummies. This was the second offering from the band, and a great follow-up to their successful debut "The Ghosts that Haunt Me" which featured the hit Superman's Song.

Superman's Song was always a favorite, but tunes like God Shuffled His Feet, Afternoons and Coffeespoons, In the Days of the Caveman, Here I Stand Before Me, and many other tracks on this CD just connect with the wondering human being in all of us. They're songs filled with questions and concerns, but also filled with a fire that strikes a chord of life.

The musicianship is top notch, and production is clean. I favor the sound of a tight rhythm section with a crisp snare; there is no shortage of syncopation here, and the drummer is outstanding. Nice acoustic guitar tones, great piano, and enchanting harmonies. Brad Roberts is known for his deep vocals, and here he really leaves his mark, especially on the most popular tune Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm.

Lyrically this album is refreshing. The writing is humble, inquiring, and clever, and most importantly devoid of cliche. This is music that makes you think, helps you understand and gives you a boost.

I still find God Shuffled His Feet to be one of my very favorite CDs. If you're into interesting, original, and good music you won't be disappointed.

God Shuffled His Feet is an awesome mix of superbly-orchestrated rock/folk songs. The album manages to go from light-hearted T.S. Elliot tunes (Afternoons & Coffeespoons, When I Go Out With Artists), to more meaningful songs like God Shuffled His Feet, The Psychic, and possibly Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm (which is kinda weird, in the Crash Test Dummies sort of way). Brad Roberts does a wonderful job on the vocals, his deep baritone blends well with whatever the Dummies put together, and the lyrics actually have a lot of meaning (God Shuffled His Feet was awesome lyric-wise, and also The Psychic). I can only imagine how long it must've taken to write the songs.... I recommend this to any pop, rock, or even folk music fan! It's full of great songwriting and talent. -+SrCosmo

It just recently picked up this 10 year old album, and once I gave it a few spins I was thouroughly impressed. The songs are well crafted, smart catchy pop. Of course there's the singers deep voice too, which they're almost known for the most. This whole disc is good, but the first 5 tracks alone make this worth getting. It's actually hard not to smile and sing along to a few of them. This includes their biggest hit "MMM, MMM, MMM, MMM", but many of the tracks are like that one. I suspect this is the best cd from these dummies.

I got this on tape in '93 and lost it. I found it for really cheap on CD and decided to get it. It's a great CD with catchy lyrics and tunes. The quirkyness is missing for music nowadays.

A note to duanekill, Superman's Song isnt even on this CD. If you want to make a negative review, make it on the right album.

I'm a huge fan of the Crash Test Dummies first 3 albums. They were this band who started out with folk and then gave themselves a harder pop/rock edge. Brad Roberts, the lead vocalist with an unusual bass-baritone range to his voice, believes he looks like a pre-historic primate according to one of the songs, and apparently his body is awkwardly shaped and he spent half his life in hospitals. He's also extremely articulate and sophisticated, like some Edwardian dandy in a top hat. But his more "simple" fans must forgive him for using big words or phrases, after all, he was a Philosophy Major before he put all that time, hard work, and money of educating himself to suddenly decide he wanted to be a bartender instead. Unlike many singers, Brad Roberts writes very good, meaningful (sometimes funny and amusing) lyrics which only serve to enrich the already first-rate songs, as clearly evident on this album. Whether he's singing about literary figures, hospitals, Superman, UFO's, troubled romance, nostalgia for country life, death, the drawbacks of capitalism, philosophy, iguanas, God, travel, etc etc etc, his more serious material is lightened up with some humorous indulgances in juvenilia about kids who have unusual problems, camping, sucking on a woman's fingers, a woman getting a full beard, a boy using drastic methods to get his tooth taken out, a worm's life (literally), imagining one's enemies dressed up as furry little bunnies, getting electrocuted by a toaster, getting your tongue frozen to a stop sign, being outlived by a common little paperweight, rotting remains, an old scab, jungle lovers, an extremely intellectual dog, and absolutely *adorable* reminiscences about Grade One. But I need to shut up, I'm talking too much about another album. Anyway, curiously, here on "God Shuffled His Feet", Brad gives us a tiny little Chopin-esque instrumental on piano at the very end, which is apparently held by the band in such high regard that it's a completely "hidden" untitled track.

David Rehak
author of "A Young Girl's Crimes"

i bought this cd having only heard one song, MMMM...you know that one. when i listened to the whole cd i was amazed at the different sound Crash Test Dummies possessed. the lyrics are so absurd when compared to any other song you've ever heard, but if you really listen there is such a clear point being made in each song. most songs in the world are about love or sex, but these songs are about the questions, concerns, and mysteries of life. i'm so excited i got this cd because when i listen to the music i have so much fun with the images the songs create. definitely get this cd. no doubt, you'll love it!

I bought this CD back in 1994 when I lived in the dorms. Wherehouse had a used copy and I decided to give it a try. I am very glad that I did! God Shuffled His Feet, Counting Crows August and Everything After, and Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle turned out to be THE three albums of the year for me. Most people only remember Mmm, Mmm, Mmm, Mmm and would call the Dummies a "one hit wonder", but these people haven't heard the rest of the album and are, of course, speaking from pure speculation. The title track is very funny, especially if you don't take your religion too seriously. The Dummies treat God almost as if he were a human character who is trying to pull a fast one on his first creations. The people ask him "If your eye gets poked out in this life, will it be waiting up in heaven with your wife?" God responds by shuffling his feet, glancing around and telling a vague parable. Most of the songs on the album are very similar to each other but this is okay, because they are all good songs. Despite the lack of stylistic variety, the creative lyrics prevent you from becoming bored with the album. Get this album now!

Sometimes, when you are just looking for a gold coin, you find out a huge treasure. It was my case with this album. At first, I was only interested in 'Mmm...' because I often heard it on the radio and found it cool. Since I didn't success to buy it as a CD-Single (I must say I am 6 years in late), I ventured into purchasing the complete recording. And what a stroke of luck!! This Crash Test Dummies's jewel is... a jewel! It's plenty of good mood, dancing rhythms, intelligent lyrics, even more intelligent when you read in between the lines. I love 'God shuffled his feet' with his funny scratched-like background and its crazy words, 'Afternoons and coffeespoons' is very joyful in spite of the serious subject (old-timers in hospitals), 'In the days of the caveman' is lively and cheerful, 'Swimming in your ocean' is soooo cute :-) Oh, God! From this point, the music slightly falls off, that's why I only gave 4 stars instead of 5. It's not a tragedy, though. It's all the less a tragedy as the inspiration revives with songs like the soft and mysterious 'The psychic' and the happy ballad 'Two knights and maidens'. After a short silence, Brad Roberts ends the album with an out-of-this-world instrumental for piano. I'm impressed to hear how he created with a few notes such an aerial and unreal atmosphere! An excellent ending for an excellent album! Bravo!

I purchased this album back in 3rd grade when the single "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" was released around 1993. I am now 21yrs old and still listen to this album from start to finish. I am disappointed with their work after this album and wish they released another album with this kind of sound. Being from Brooklyn,NY I don't really like the folk rock/country genre being another album I listen to throughout is "Notorious BIG- Ready To Die". Having very broad musical taste and knowledge I would say this is one of the best non pop albums I have came across. I believe most people did not listen to it fully before reviewing it. I check crashtestdummies.com every so often to find that they aren't do much which is a shame.

I've had this CD for a long time now and listen to it often. Unfourtunatly, my 2 year old saw fit to use it as a frizbee so I'll have to get another since It's horribly scrached now.

I remember back in 93 or 94 when they were playing "MMmmm MMMmmm MMMmm MMMmmm" absoutely to death on the raido I never thought I'd like this CD so much. I think the fact that song was picked to play to death was the reason this wasn't such a popular group. Of all the interresting songs on this CD, that's actually nowhere near the best. Personally I found 'Two Knights and Madiens'...'God Shuffled His Feet'....and several of the others to be my favorites. This is a group of songs where you really need to listen to the lyrics to fully enjoy it.