Customer Reviews

Singing in the Bathtub

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

 

 

I have all three of the original vinyl LP albums and thought I'd never get to hear these wonderful tunes again when my turntable broke and I switched to CDs. Crumb & Company complain in their self-mocking Suits Crybaby Blues: "Nobody likes our music, they all want stuff that's loud". Whatever the market may be, this music makes my soul soar. It's not "Camp", that 60s fad where truly bad pop culture was held up as unconscious self-parody. These multi-talented, multimedia artists lovingly render these obscure, high-spirited and quaintly corny echoes from a more innocent era. Naive, a bit goofy, and even somewhat racist in an innocent way ( "Sing Song Girl" portrays cartoonish orientals)this music evokes the enthusiastic rowdiness of an America on a binge. Much like R. Crumb's comix, the stuff may be a bit politically incorrect and even grotesque, but it is raucously entertaining.

As if it weren't enough that Robert Crumb was one of the outstanding inventors of the 60's style underground cartoon art (often imitated, never duplicated .. remember Janis Joplin's first album cover?) .. this album has got to be one of the understated works of our time. Robert has an outstanding line up (for example, Brozman who is a slack key style player, and also appears as an instructor in Home Spun Video tape courses). I love this stuff! It makes me happy .. it's sincere and heartfelt .. qualities which are completely absent in so much of today's modern over marketed trend ridden music! This CD actually put me in touch with a part of myself that had been long lost .. experiencing the fun and enjoyment of listening to good music performed with spirit. -- Big Nick

I happen to own the original three records of Robert Crumb and his CSS. Grand is the only word to fill the title on this album.

An all too forgotten music brought back to life, by this amazing band of well humored and talented musicians. Find modern day albums are sufficently lacking in the playing of a saw?!! well search no further! This CD resurects instruments and music long past, but never out of style. Mr. Robert Crumb has certainly left his mark on this world in very unique ways :)

I agree, "grand" is just the word for this kind of music.

I'm surprised at myself for liking this CD as much as I do. Although I enjoyed (is that the word?) the film, "Crumb," and now some of R. Crumb's comic art, I didn't expect to enjoy his music so much. Sure I like different kinds of music, but I'm mostly a classical or classic rock 'n roll kind of guy.

Simply put, this music is a lot of fun. I don't know for sure, but it seems the vocals on this disc are a little better than the those on "Chasin' Rainbows" (judging from the RealAudio samples). Not that the vocals on this disc are great, but it's all great fun. Anyway this is a disc to put on when one needs cheering up (for me, Bach or sometimes Mozart can also help in this regard). Enjoy!

These guys tackled old time music with such enthusiasm, musical talent, and just plain "hep", this collection is entertaining without any sense of feeling like a museum piece. Their talent and pure love of music are unmistakable in the instrumentation and vocal work of these songs. If you think you are too cool to smile and sing along, maybe even dance around a little, then don't buy this cd.

R. Crumb and the Cheap Suit Serenaders were an "old timey" band fronted by the legendary underground cartoonist. This CD features their third (and last) album, originally titled "Number Three". On this album, the group was expanded from four members to six, which resulted in them having a "fuller" sound. The music here is a lot of fun and it's very well played. The CD is in mono, except for "My Gal Sal", which is inexplicably in stereo. If you enjoy "old timey" music, you will definitely enjoy this CD.

This is a great interpretation of some old treasures. The first (title) track will knock your socks off when Bob Brozman comes in with his Resophonic guitar. And there are some new(er) songs in the same vein, especially "Shopping Mall Blues". See also "Chasin' Rainbows". If you don't have both, take the buy-2 deal. You won't be sorry, except that you'll never get some of these out of your head.

I was in San Francisco 1976
and saw R Crumb live at the Palms
-playing "Dream of Heaven" - on this CD.
Nice moody song.