Customer Reviews

Tock

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

 

 

A great new album from David Yazbek: intelligent, poetic, and trenchantly funny lyrics ("Schmuck in a Vacuum" is a tour de force in this regard) and music so energizing that it will have you dancing, even if you are sitting down. The music has elements that will remind many of XTC (and Andy Partridge actually co-wrote "You are Here" with Yazbek and does vocals and guitar on that cut on this album). There is a deep sophistication to the music, with an instrumental improvisation that reveals deep connections to jazz --particularly in Yaszbek's keyboard work.

This disc is definitely in my top 10 of all time. I think I've played it more in the last year and a half than any other of the many discs that come and go every year. Irresistable pop music, great songs, great fun stuff! What you'd have if you crossed Ben Folds with XTC. Andy Partridge guests on a song or two. More accessible for me than XTC. More fun and less quirky tha Ben Folds. Buy the companion piece first album while you're at it, and you WON'T be disappointed!

One day as I was driving home from work, NPR used Yazbek's song "Here come the Ducks" to segue out of a story on autumn. I pulled the car over and listened till it was done, then drove home, got on the internet and ordered this album from Amazon.com. I've never done anything like that before. Now, having heard the entire album, I must say that this is an artist out ofhis time. In some of the songs one hears what could only be called echos of Donovan "wired". In other places there are shades of the "Dead." The orchestration and use of instruments in places is vaguely reminiscent of Jethro Tull. I suspect you won't like all the cuts; I don't -- but buy it for "Here come the ducks" alone. It is a minor masterpiece.

Piano-based trio utilizeds extensive orchestration for rich, power-pop effect. Yazbek's lyrics are wry, occasionally vicious, very adult, and he writes killer comps with minimum three chords per song. Compares favorably with Ben Folds Five.

This is a cd that wont be getting major airplay, no big label push, or a hot new video on mtv. What this does have is great songs, great playing and great arrangements. This album is proof positive that theres no reason for major record labels, as the cretins who work for them have no ears. This album reminds me of a great xtc crossed with Thelonius Monk album. If you can dig that dig this. A little word of advise to the a and r reps who turned this down, get familiar with the phrase, "and will you have fries with your order".

Yazbek is best known (arguably) for co-writing the theme song to the kids' game show "Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego." But under the innocent visage is a sarcastic, wry lyricist with a penchant for music with hooks. Tock is a great album, hands down. Think Elvis Costello meets Joe Walsh without the rock-star ego.