Sniff

The Legendary Jim Ruiz Group | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 7, 1998)
• Original Release Date: July 7, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Minty Fresh
• ASIN: B000007SPB
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #270,162 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Last Time

2. Last Summer

3. Big Foot

4. Baby Where Art Thou?

5. Until I Met You

6. Katerine

7. Uncle Wieney

8. Goodbye to All That

9. Without You, Gurl

10. My Foolish Heart

11. Bigfoot (I Remember Wes)

12. Sound of Music

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ultra-sublime, April 6, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Sniff (Audio CD)

For those deep in the syrupy slop bucket of lounge music, this CD will not disappoint. Adorable in its subtle referentiality to such genres as jazz samba (Gilberto), Hawaiian tiki-lounge, Mariachi, surf rock (ala Beach Boys on Pet Sounds), late-1970s AM/easy listening (Burt Bacharach), and even new wave shlock (Aztec Camera), TLJRG have proven to be a major force in this new hybrid of lounge rock. This CD only raises the stakes. More vibrant than groups like the High Llamas and Aluminum Group, TLJRG demonstrates how easy-listening pop doesn't always have to put you to sleep.

5.0 out of 5 stars Minneapolis' buried treasure!, February 1, 2001

By 

Jonathan J. Casey (the twin cities) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sniff (Audio CD)

Guests abound on this second outing from the LJRG, from Danny Siegelman's groovy timekeeping (poor guy was briefly replaced by a drum machine) to the horns of Mpls. band Florida. All rough edges have been smoothed over on this fine recording, most of which was done by John Crozier at Third Ear in Mpls. His brilliant guitar work (see early Hang Ups, Ninotchka, and Ninian Hawick) decorates "Sniff" like a crooked string of Christmas lights.

The pseudo-disco of "Last Time" is kind of a shocking departure from the group's more bossa-nova influenced first record. It made me uncomfortable the first time I heard it. Actually, much of this album seemed kind of schlocky, but I have since warmed up to it. The varying styles work well when heard in the context of the whole album, from "Last Time" to the mariachi inspired "Uncle Wieney" to the country swing of "My Foolish Heart." Anyone who jumped on the lounge music bandwagon of the late 90's would benefit from picking up this record, which dabbles in cocktail-tomfoolery without betraying a much deeper emotional level. Even if Jim's voice isn't always dead on the mark, it's hard not to be touched by his nostalgia in "Goodbye To All That," where he name-drops the pop loves of his youth, from Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt to Orange Juice. Even French pop chanteur Katerine appears in his own namesake song for a brief spoken interlude. What makes this record so special is that it is clearly a labor of love. Love of life, love of pop music. You can feel it all the way through.

"Oh Brother Where Art Thou" is a less-produced but even more emotional affair, highly recommended. Also seek out the "Mij Amsterdam" 7" which features the sweet little ode "Minneapolis" and the compilation "Stuck On AM 2" with "Bobby Stinson's Guitar," capturing the band in a rougher (but no less great) live performance on Radio K.

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Summer Album, August 3, 2000

By 

Max Frost (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sniff (Audio CD)

Sniff is a quirky, fun, sweet and innocent blend of 80's pop/light jazz/bossa nova. But here's the catch--TLJRG doesn't play pop well, they don't play jazz well, and they don't play bossa nova well; but somehow...it works! Picture the Go Betweens giving Jonathan Richman a ride to a party at Astrud Gilberto's house. Definitely worth a listen.