Customer Reviews

Tadpoles

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Never has any group built their entire career upon the wacky nonsense of the Bonzo Dog Band (formerly Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band). When a song's lyrics include phrases like "The Shirt Event" and "The Electric Shirt Collar" you know it's something you just have to hear whether you really want to or not.

While this is not The Bonzo's greatest work (that title belongs to URBAN SPACEMAN, also known as THE DOUGHNUT IN GRANNY'S GREENHOUSE), it is, along with their GORILLA, among some of most innovative and hilarious musical satire ever produced. After all these years, this is not only still funny, it's actually quite enjoyable as music. The musicianship is deceptively complex and accomplished, while the lyrics rival anything to come out of British comedy, Monty Python included (various members of The Python and the Bonzo's worked on each other's projects). Although most of the songs are originals, there is one cover, 'Monster Mash,' which will be more familiar to some listeners (of a certain age) than the Bobby Pickett version. The eclectic range of music here, inspired by several decades of changing styles, makes this recording endlessly entertaining: We are transported to the Late 20's/early 30's ('Tubas In The Moonlight,' 'By A Waterfall,' 'Doctor Jazz') the late 50's/early 60's ('Monster Mash,' 'Canyons Of Your Mind,' the latter a cheeky Elvis send-up), and on towards the age of heavy metal (the guitar work on 'Mr. Apollo'). The Spirits of Spike Jones and His City Slickers are invoked by zany ditties such as 'Hunting Tigers Out In India' and 'Ali-Baba's Camel,' complete with sound effects and vocal asides. 'Shirt' pokes fun at man-on-the-street interviews, and 'Ready-Mades' would be at home on any number of '60's psychedelic rock albums (a strange combination of Bee Gees, Beatles and early Pink Floyd). Songs like 'Tubas' and 'Waterfall' seem to anticipate the rise of the more serious, reverential careers of Ry Cooder (his JAZZ album), John Fahey (OLD-FASHIONED LOVE and AFTER THE BALL), and Leon Redbone (his entire catalog). For fans of important memorabilia from the '60's and early '70's, British comedy up to the present, and musical parody of any kind, this is indispensible. It is becoming hard-to-find, so get it soon!

This album by the extremely English dada jazz-rock outfit contains some of their shiniest gems. This cover of the "Monster Mash" is probably the one that most people know, in which Igor is asked if he's watered the brains, and Viv laughs wonderfully demonically in the fade-out. The last two tracks are in a class of their own. Particularly if you can get anyone to air-guitar the solo on "Canyons"... (Thanks, Roj!).

Noone knows more about nor appreciates more than do I The Bonzo Dog (Doo-Dah) Band. Noone. I first became aware of the Bonzos when they made a cameo appearance in the Beatle's feature Magical Mystery Tour. I was disappointed to learn that John Lennon had objected to their inclusion, but, thankfully, Paul McCartney, who had "discovered" them, prevailed, and the Bonzos made it to the otherwise unimportant film's final cut. I had purchased all of the Bonzos' to-date released albums by the summer of 1971, when I was just 16 years old. I learned more of the Bonzos thanks to the eclectic programming of our local free-form FM radio station in Sacramento, CA, KZAP, and I attended their only concert tour of the US in 1969 when they opened for Led Zeppelin. Well after the band's breakup, I had the privilage of attending intimate performances by both Neil Innes and Vivian Stanshall during tours of their solo acts. I sat front row during a concert date on Elton John's US tour following the release of Honky Chateau when Elton featured "Legs" Larry Smith tap-dancing in ski boots atop the grand piano. I was a huge fan especially of Stanshall's, and in later years attended an exclusive Tokyo screening of the film version of Rawlinson's End, starring Trevor Howard as jolly, bucolic, old Sir Geoffrey. And for all of this, it is my highly informed opinion that of the Bonzos' many and extravagantly produced albums, Tadpoles is their finest work. Among the many gems on this album is the best-ever cover of a one-hit-wonder's hit, Billy "Boris" Pickett's Monster Mash, featuring Stanshall both out-Borising Pickett and out-Borising Boris Karloff, the original object of Pickett's impersonation. Typical of the genius of the Bonzos' their cover vastly surpassed the original--and featured the additional line "Igor! Have you watered the brains today, Igor?"--much as their musical parody of the Beatles on their final album, Let's Make Up and Be Friendly, vastly surpassed the Beatles. In fact, it is my unimpeachable opinion that the Bonzos were the original Beatles and that only after discovering the Bonzos, the Beatles were inspired to make their career-transforming leap from Mersey Beat to Psychedelia. Now if you'll excuse me, I have an auto da fe to attend in my tent.