Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bravado & Beats, July 8, 2005
These intoxicating tunes from the up-and-coming "Superstar" have been the only sounds blaring out of my car stereo for the past two months. Recorded by an excellent new producer -- John "Strawberry" Fields -- this album is incredible. It combines lewd lyrics, resembling those of gangster rappers and R. Kelly, with a smooth delivery that's one part Stevie Wonder and one part Jamiroquai. Take those two elements and add the atypical, non-pop star "look" of Har Mar -- a fat, white, almost insane-looking man with hair going anywhere it wants, an outfit that fits (spandex pants and tighty-whities), and an abundance of confidence -- and you have yourself a musical Molotov cocktail.
With friends like Ben Stiller, Owen Willson, Karen O, and many others, his personality must be as funny and engaging as it comes off on this record. While most R&B albums get stuck in a stylistic rut, "The Handler" offers a lot of diversity. Admittedly, rump-shaking tracks like "DUI" and "Transit" are what Har Mar does best. And there are quite a few upbeat dance numbers here, including "Cut Me Up" with the aforementioned Karen O. He also throws in an amazing cover of Gilbert O'Sullivan's classic "Alone Again (Naturally)" which ends things on a poignant note. Every song on the album is filled with hooks and perfectly produced. If this guy isn't a household name in a few years, I'll be pretty sad.
Buy "The Handler," and you'll understand what I'm talking about.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
pretty good music, April 23, 2005
I would recommend listening to Har Mar Superstar if you like some upbeat music with some catchy tunes.
However, If you are at all uncomfortable with middle-aged balding men with beer-guts stripping on stage and humping walls, I would not recommend seeing him live. It was quite the...interesting experience, but it was worth it to see the amazing Ben Lee.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Har Mar Gets Serious, September 20, 2004
For those of you who haven't heard "The Handler" yet, Har Mar has taken his music to another level. While 2002's "You Can Feel Me" was a breath of fresh air and boasts fine songs like "Power Lunch," "We Could Be Heavy," "Freedom Summer," and the immortal "EZ Pass," "The Handler" is a fully realized, diverse offering that virtually defies you not to shake your ass.
John Fields -- the man behind Andrew W.K.'s "I Get Wet" and Pink's "Try This," among other albums -- lends his production expertise, finally allowing Har Mar's music to sound as large as his persona, and an all-star stable of collaborators stop by to further class-up the proceedings. Appearances from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Karen O. & Nick Zinner, Northern State, Michael Bland (former New Power Generation drummer), Australian beauty Holly Valance, and Elvis Costello & The Attractions drummer Pete Thomas help the recording sound like an aural celebration.
Track-by-Track Commentary:
1.) "Transit" - A thumping bassline and Michael Bland's steady, solid drumming provide the foundation for Har Mar's call-and-response ode to burgeoning fame and the fast lane.
2.) "Body Request" - Sounding as if it were plucked from 1982, this shimmering disco song features backing vocals by Holly Valance and more drumming from Michael Bland. If this doesn't become a break-out hit, there's something wrong with the world! Reportedly, the song's name and chorus were inspired by a Japanese beverage of the same name.
3.) "DUI" - No, Har Mar is not glamorizing drunken driving ... he's merely acknowledging the mortifying but all-too-familiar practice of "Dialing Under the Influence" (aka "Drunken Dialing"). High, horny, and sounding like a Jackson 5-era Michael Jackson, he reminisces about being "a lonely man with a roaming plan." Holly Valance provides playfully chimpmunkized backing vocals.
4.) "Cut Me Up" - Hooky and beautifully sick, Har Mar and Karen O. huff, puff, and groan their way through this synthesizer-heavy tribute to sadomasochistic sex. Another track that sounds as if it were recorded in the early '80s.
5.) "Sugar Pie" - Stevie Wonder will either be flattered ... or furious that he didn't record this! Har Mar's vocal soar, and there's even a harmonica riff that pays homage to "Isn't She Lovely." Light as a helium balloon and sweet as cotton candy, "Sugar Pie" is bound to make many people happy. Arranged by Pete Thomas.
6.) "As (Seasons)" - Sharing a writing credit with Har Mar & John Fields, Nick Zinner plugs in his guitar & bass for this playful-but-steady dance track. Whether singing about moon boots, the beach, Halloween, or horny neighbor kids, Har Mar's sexual antics thrive in all seasons.
7.) "Save the Strip" - Living in Motley Crue's old apartment off the Sunset Strip has inspired Har Mar to fantasize about reinvigorating the street's legendary party vibe. The rap here is fun ... and filthy.
8.) "O" - While this ballad at first sounds spare and out-of-place, repeated listenings reveal its nuance and beauty. Har Mar sounds more sedate and thoughtful here, with lyrics like "These words are my son, this hotel room my wife." The song slowly builds, with a strumming guitar added to the mix during the second verse.
9.) "Back the Camel Up" - A spiritual sister of "You Can Feel Me's" "Elephant Walk" -- which was co-created by members of The Faint -- this infectious dance anthem features both Nick Zinner and Holly Valance yet again. Har Mar raps of his sexual endurance before the pounding "Chomp Chomp Spit" chorus forces your feet into motion. A Middle-Eastern riff also weaves its way through the proceedings, making this track as catchy as the plague ... but in a good way.
10.) "Bird in the Hand" - Northern State, the female rap trio from New York, join Har Mar, Nick Zinner on drums, and Brian Gallagher on flute. Har Mar sings about his lust for a materialistic "little girl." Northern State's playful interruption in the song's latter half provides a playful counterpoint to the loverman's lusty intentions.
11.) "Back in the Day" - Har Mar brushes off former friends and collaborators who turned their backs on him in the weakest track on the album ... which is to say it's still better than the weak tracks on most R&B albums. And besides, you have to love any song that namechecks Sisyphus.
12.) "Alone Again (Naturally)" - In another shocking bit of seriousness, Har Mar tackles Gilbert O'Sullivan's 1972 hit single. Updated with modern squeaks and skronks, Har Mar's pipes are clean and gorgeous, lending "the most depressing song of all-time" a newfound sense of poignancy.
Although it seems to be floating under the radar right now, "The Handler" deserves to be heard! Buy it, and I can almost guarantee it'll be the soundtrack for your next party.
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by Har Mar Superstar 
