Customer Reviews

The Craig Machine [Explicit]

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I own Stephen Lynch's two previous CDs and while they have some great songs on them, there are a few misses on each CD. With "The Craig Machine" though, Lynch has put out the damn near perfect musical comedy CD. And it's obvious now that everyone in the audience is on the fact that these sweet sounding love songs are anything but (check out how the audience reacts after he sings the first line of "Love Song"). "Craig," "Voices in my Head," "Beelz," "Baby," and "Vanilla Ice Cream" are the standouts on the CD, but I'm sure everyone will find all the songs as entertaining as I did. Be careful when listening to the CD though, because you'll be surprised what will get stuck in your head. I've been singing "I'm the only French bum in New York" for two days.

This album was definitley worth the money. Stephen Lynch is one of the funniest comedians I've ever heard. Only down side, in my opinion, is that lots of the songs that were repeated from the "Live In El Ray" DVD released a while ago were better on the DVD than this album. Individual song reviews:

1. Vanilla Ice Cream (8/10): Good song, catchy and funny. Love the beginning.. ending isn't that great.

2. Baby (8/10): The song is awesome, but the DVD version is way better. Some of the lyrical changes are great, but he just doesn't seem to get into it as much as he did on the DVD.

3. Halloween (9/10): Definitley a funny one. I like the fact that I've never heard it before from him... great concept for a song!

4. Love Song (9/10): I love the crowd reaction when he starts singing.. they know what's coming! This one's just as good as the DVD version, I think.

5. Craig (10/10): To be totally honest, I hated this song when I first heard it on the DVD. I thought it was boring. The more I watched the DVD, though, the more the song got stuck in my head. Then I bought this album this morning, and I haven't got the song out of my head all day. Such an awesome song... I have no idea why I didn't like it from the beginning.

6. Beelz (10/10): BY FAR the best song on this album, possibly one of the best songs Lynch has ever made. I absolutley LOVE the voices he creates!

7. Albino (7/10): Not as catchy as the other songs, but still funny. This is the song I skip through the fastest, though.

8. Mixer At Delta Chi (8/10): Maybe I just like this song because I'm in college... but it's good either way. Could be better... I'm not too hot on the chorus, but overall it's good.

9. Little Tiny Moustache (9/10): Not as offensive as it could have been, but the subject matter is great. I like the chorus a lot, too.

10. Pierre (6/10): It's a good thing that he gave an intro about how tough it was to write the song, because it's really not "Lynchesque". I only found one line particularly funny. The backup vocals were funny in the beginning, but got old quickly.

11. Whittlin' Man (7/10): Not the worst, it's a good song, but it's just not that funny. I know Lynch can do better than this song.

12. Classic Rock Song (9/10): This is one of my favorite Lynch songs, but this is another example of a better performance on the DVD. He changed the guitar intro on this album, and I think it used to be better. Also the singing just doesn't seem as emotional, which is a big part of the humor on this one.

13. Not Home (8/10): Good song, on the DVD too, I think the DVD version is better still, but only slightly. Even though I like the short songs, I do think this one may be a bit too short.. this song would be interesting if it were expanded.

14. Voices In My Head (10/10): I definitley LOVE this song. It seems so unconventional for Lynch, but it works incredibly well. The first time I listened to it, I honestly wasn't really listening to the lyrics much because they did such an awesome job with the backup vocals and style of singing. I can get lost in this song easily... definitley one of my favorites on the album.

15. D&D (Hidden Track) (8/10): This song was WAY better on the DVD, and better on the Superhero album, too. It's tough to say anything bad about the song itself, since it's awesome, but the performance just isn't as great. I do like the extended "D&D" at the end before the last joke, though.

Overall: (8.4/10 Average) This is not Lynch's best work, but it is still amazing. "Beelz" is worth the price of the whole album, though. Recommended for Lynch fans, but not as an intro to Stephen. For a better intro if you've never listened to him, pick up Superhero, or even better, the Live in El Ray DVD. Lynch fans enjoy, though! Hope this review helps!

This is by far one of the best albums that I've come across in the past few years. Since hearing this, Stephen Lynch has gone from just some guy I whose comedy special stuck out in my mind, to one of my favorite artists.

From a musical standpoint, this is a very good singer/songwriter album. Songs like "Litty Tiny Moustache" and "Vanilla Ice Cream" are written so well, that sometimes I find myself ignoring the words and foucsing in on the melodies. In fact, at certian points, I was almost a little dissapointed that these are joke songs. Quite a few of these tracks would have had the opportuinity to be in the same league with songs by artists like Simon & Garfuknel, Neil Young, and Johnny Cash.

There really isn't a low point to the album. Each song is consistantly different from the last, and the topics of each very in the same way. Everything from Jungle Fever to The Third Reich is satarized by Mr. Lynch. I highly reccomend this album to anyone looking for a laugh, a good acoustic album, or just something new.

Make sure to check out Stephen Lynch's preformance of Adam Sandler's character "Robbie Heart" in the Broadway adaptation of The Wedding Singer.

This CD will be a great addition to your comedy CD collection and is a must have for any Stephen Lynch fan. Personally I think this CD is better than his previous two. If you own the DVD, some of the songs you will already know...but the new ones add the normal Stephen Lynch shockers and lines that are unforgettable. You will be singing along with the CD in no time. If you do have a chance, check out his tour dates, because he is even funnier in person-www.stephenlynch.com to check out the details!

This one hit it on the head. Superhero was great, but there were a few debatable tracks (Bowling Song, Country Love Song) that, while good, were slightly lacking. The Craig Machine has it all, Nazis, the Devil, Baby hating - and that's just the first half of the CD. Get this album while your local album store has some still in stock, or just buy it here. Whichever will get it in your hands fastest is your best bet. Buy this album.

Stephen Lynch was Variety Playhouse in Atlanta on 11/05/2005, I bought my copy of this album from the show. As with his previous albums this one was from start to finish funny. Again, I'm thrilled to have it in my collection.

"The Craig Machine" is the latest comedy CD by novelty song writer/singer Stephen Lynch. This is the third CD for the artist & his second live album (the previous two albums being "A Little Bit Special" & "Superhero", which was also a live album).

Unlike "Superhero", which basically was a live version of "A Little Bit Special", with some original bonus tracks added, "The Craig Machine" contains 14 all-new songs plus a bonus track, a revamped (3-player game?) version of the song, "D&D", a song about the game Dungeons & Dragons.

As with his first two albums, "The Craig Machine" is loaded with hilarious, and sometimes envelope-pushing, songs. One of those songs is "Halloween", about a maniac, who eats 'Trick-or-Treaters'.

Another song is "Craig", about Jesus' non-miracle performing brother Craig Christ.

A third song, "Beelz", features an effeminate Beelzebub talking about himself & his interests.

So, if you haven't figured it out by now, this CD is NOT for children. Only people aged 18 & over should purchase/listen to this CD, because of language & content.

The only complaint I have with "The Craig Machine", has nothing to do with the music, which is fantastic; it's about the packaging, which is horrendous. The CD doesn't come in a traditional, plastic case, it comes in a double-flip, cardboard case. Not only that, but the CD sleeve is only big enough for the CD itself; the song booklet, that comes with it, simply falls out, the second you take the plastic off of the case.

Over all, "The Craig Machine" is an enjoyable, funny comedy CD. A must have for any Stephen Lynch fan.

Stephen Lynch is a genius. I think from all the other reviews and by having a clue who he is you already know that he's hilarius, a comedic genius. But the thing that makes Stephen special is he's a musical genius as well. He's an amazing singer, and juxtaposes his soft, angelic voice with his offensive or extremely perverted lyrics. The CD opens with the very funny "Vanilla Ice Cream." The next two tracks, "Baby" and "Halloween" are more of the same. "Love Song" follows a different pattern, he uses some soft, beautiful lyrics to build up to a hilarius twist at the end of the short song. Next are the two gems of this album, the hilarius and offensive "Craig" and its contrasting song, the suprising "Beelz." Albino is funny and clever but very short. "Mixer at Delta Chi" is probably a weaker song, but is still moderately funny and Stephen's voice makes up for it. Most people don't like "Little Tiny Moustache," but I find that it is one of the funniest on the CD, as well as being a great song. "Pierre," isn't really anything special, but "Whittlin' Man" is a completely different feel. Its not funny at all, but its an awesome and catchy song. "Classic Rock Song" is a great song, followed by "Not Home," which is very average. "Voices in my Head" is great and extremely creative. "D&D" is an alright ending, nothing too great. All in all, this is a must have if you want to laugh, but even if you by some miracle don't find it funny, you'll still enjoy many of the songs.

Another great album from Stephen Lynch. I had heard several of the songs before, from "Live at the El Ray" but I was still laughing so hard I nearly peed a little bit. The songs are what we've come to expect from Stephen. He has an absolutely beautiful voice with the comedic timing that isn't often seen these days, especially amongst other comedic musicians. He doesn't fail to offend, and that is what makes him so funny.

Other Lynch fans I know have said this album isn't as good as "Superhero", but I respectfully disagree. I think it's just as good as both "Superhero" and "Little Bit Special" if not better. The songs on "The Craig Machine" that aren't quite as funny as others are still just great songs to listen to. Musically, they're great.

"Classic Rock Song" is one of the most beautiful, if not incredibly crude, songs on the album. Currently, I think "Beelz" is hysterical. Especially considering it follows one of the most 'offensive' songs on the album, "Craig." I, however, fell in love with "Craig" from the "El Ray" DVD.

Basically, if you like anything you've ever heard by Stephen, this CD is worth the money. You'll laugh until you cry the first few times you year it, and then just enjoy the music every play after that.

Sometimes I wish Stephen weren't a "singing comedian" (I use 'singing comedian' as a loose term, cause I think Stephen is a musician first, comedian second...but what do I know?) because I enjoy his voice so much, I'd like to hear it on the radio now and again. On the other hand, I don't think there is a comedian out there that makes me laugh as hard as Stephen...catch 22.

as the title implies, do just that. its true a couple of the songs on the cd arn't funny but I give him credit just for putting them out there and trying something new. If all he did what his fans wanted would he have written his first songs "of a questionable nature"? probably not but constantly changing their acts and going on what they feel is funny rather than just the tried and true is where comedians like Robin williams acts get old after seeing acouple shows knowing that it will just be the same re-hash with new ppl in the jokes. His inovativeness is what keeps him on the top of my favorite comedians list along with Dane Cook. Well There's my two cents you can find this useful or not, I already own the cd and find it quite hard to supress a laugh at nearly each song and sing along with all of them.