Telephone Free Landslide Victory

Camper Van Beethoven

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 9, 1993)
• Original Release Date: 1985
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Capitol
• ASIN: B000000QGM
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #119,575 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
This is a manifesto of a strange sound that didn't last long enough. David Lowery's pre-Cracker days were spent with this semi-punk, semi-ska, violin-driven combo and their debut stunner remains a staple, mainly because of the now-immortal "Take the Skinheads Bowling." But with gems such as "Opi Rides Again" and a wonderful cover of Black Flag's "Wasted," the album begs for numerous listens. --Marc Calhoun

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just plain fun to listen to, December 30, 2002

By	D. Belden (St. Paul, Minnesota) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Okay, OBRS is great, II and III is very good and Key Lime Pie is growing on me. But this, Camper's first effort, is still my favorite. It took a little time, though. Like a lot of people probably did, I bought it because I heard Take the Skinheads Bowling and expected to get more of the same. Well, there is no other Camper song like Take the Skinheads Bowling. In fact, there are really no two Camper songs that are alike (although the intro to Key Lime Pie sounds suspiciously like "Devil Song"). So, this one sat in the case for a while before I started giving it a whirl all the way through. Once I did that a few times, something strange started to happen: I found myself really enjoying these strange, folksy, Eastern instrumentals and oddball-yet-not-too-smart-alecky lyrics. Songs like "Wasted," "Club Med Sucks" and "Ambiguity Song" are too bizarre to ever be mainstream, but it doesn't feel forced, and there's always a little bit of commentary in there. It's not just goofball for goofball's sake.

Some people say it's amateurish and poorly produced. So what? Being polished and pristine is not what Camper was about. These are not radio songs, and I don't want them to be. It's just good, unique, fun music full of enough variety and enthusiasm to keep you interested after 1,000 plays. It's one of those albums where you have a new favorite song every month -- Border Ska, Tina, Skinhead Stomp, Payed Vacation: Greece, Where the Hell is Bill, Balalaika Gap, Club Med Sucks, Wasted, and of course Take the Skinheads Bowling, which is still good enough that I'd buy the album for that song all over again.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Oatmaeal sucks, but not Camper, January 21, 2002

By	"gatzkeboy" (Spring Valley, WI) - See all my reviews

Telephone free landslide victory, indeed. Victorious on all accounts, even without the use of telephones. If ever I've heard an album that "just plain ruled", this was it. In fact, it was so different from anything I've ever heard before that calling it "original" doesn't quite do the trick. Camper's music is like a kid that likes to screw around in class, and doesn't care about the bullcrap repercussions. The vocals convey at least a hint of depression, but rather than whine about the suck of life or grunt out doom lyrics, Camper fools around with an oddball sense of humor about it all (i.e. "Where the Hell is Bill?"). Background vocals are, at times, of n mocking, deflated-Motown essence (a "yeah, yeah", "doo-wop" sorta thing). Most significanlty accompanying the vocals is a half-hearted violinist who could possibly be a sixth grader. The lyrics are refreshingly free of pseudo-intellectualism, and while a bit kooky, Camper doesn't test your patience with the goofballcy. Camper is authentic. One more thing.. I think that the first time you listen to this album, it carves a little attic up in your brain and monkeys around in there from time to time. If you have this album, you can vouch. Camper is sweet action (minus the cliche').

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I HAD A DREAM..., October 8, 2000

By	EriKa "E" (Iceland) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

I WANTED TO LICK YOUR KNEES! Yes, rely on CVB for these ridiculous sorts of lyrics. It is not quite the polished Camper of the later Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart. No, in fact this is very unpolished... but all the more lovable for its fun and impromptu feel. The album solidifies CVB's place as "wasted", melodic darlings for me. Fun instrumentals, very inspiring... and despite the oddities of some of the lyrics ("Where the Hell is Bill?" "The Day Lassie Went to the Moon", "Oh, No!", "Wasted" ("I was so gnarly and I drove my dad's car..."), or "Take the Skinheads Bowling" this music is really accessible to everyone. In fact, my mother loves this CD and listens to it all the time when she is driving. She gets a lot of strange looks when she is sitting in a parking lot with the windows down, playing CVB loudly...