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Product details
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Track Listings
| Disc: 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. The Intro & The Outro | |||
| 2. Rockaliser Baby | |||
| 3. Sport (The Odd Boy) | |||
| 4. Noises For The Leg | |||
| 5. King Of Scurf | |||
| 6. Labio Dental Fricative | |||
| 7. Hello Mabel | |||
| 8. Look At Me, I'm Wonderful | |||
| 9. Canyons Of your Mind | |||
| 10. Jollity Farm | |||
See all 18 tracks on this disc
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| Disc: 2 | |||
| 1. I'm The Urban Spaceman | |||
| 2. Bad Blood | |||
| 3. I Left My Heart In San Francisco | |||
| 4. Tent | |||
| 5. Can Blue Men Sing The Whites? | |||
| 6. 9-5 Pollution Blues | |||
| 7. Big Shot | |||
| 8. Release Me | |||
| 9. We Are Normal | |||
| 10. The Sound Of Music | |||
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See all 17 tracks on this disc
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Product Description
Album Review
Originally released in 1974, two years after the greatest comedy rock band in history discovered that, contrary to the title of their reunion album, they couldn't make up and be friendly, The History of the Bonzos has long been one of the most fondly remembered compilations of the age. Like the Beatles' red and blue collections, the Rolling Stones' Hot Rocks, and the Who's Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy, albums that so effortlessly absorbed the oeuvre that a discography seems incomplete without them, the two-album History of the Bonzos was conceived, designed, and universally lauded for delivering precisely what it promised, a seamless history and a priceless artifact. Drawn from (but not restricted to) across the Bonzos' years with Liberty, which in turn sums up their entire career bar three odd singles at the beginning, History runs from the psycho-sleaze drama of "Big Shot" to the compelling inanity of "Jollity Farm," from the turbo-charged psychedelia of "Mr Apollo" to the fey denouement of "Narcissus," and onto a selection of post-split singles by Viv Stanshall, Roger Ruskin Spear, and Neil Innes. And it is nigh-on perfect. Obsessions trail like running jokes -- a hint of music hall madness, a healthy disrespect for cabaret, a tearful, fearful recollection of school, and a positive hatred of societal stereotypes. The sneering athletics master who torments the odd boy who doesn't like sport, of course, is the same ghastly being that dwells on the far edge of the drainpipe's pink portion -- the kind of person who would never have his hair sculpted in the shape of the Queen Elizabeth ocean liner, who would never think of rhyming "we want our freedom" with "we dig Bert Weedon." Like the best of Monty Python, the most obvious of their disciples, the Bonzos were funny not because they made you laugh, but because they could also make you feel very uncomfortable about your fellow man. The original vinyl release cannot be recommended too highly. The Beat Goes On CD reissue, however, is deeply flawed, and that despite retaining the original booklet and liner notes. Almost every track on disc one loses a fragment of its fade-out, while "Noises From the Leg," "Narcissus," and (on disc two) "Rhinocratic Oaths" not only appear in the same inadvertently clipped format, they also lose their very punch lines. And, while the Bonzos never relied purely on humor for their impact, it does still help to hear it. --Dave Thompson, All Music Guide
CD Description
A collection of some of the Bonzos' finest moments between 1966 and 1970, released as a double CD. Compilation put together by Andrew Lauder.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Brilliant songwriting and wit from Viv. and the boys. Each track is how it should be -- total nonsense , and extremely amusing . Clasics such as "Intro/Outro" show not only humour , but great musical skills - they played each of the real ( and made up ) instruments - including the Suzaphone ! "Big Shot" typifies the quick wit, and one liners that often need 2-3 listenings to appreciate fully. i.e. "Have you got a light Mac?" answer: "No, but I've got a dark brown overcoat!" simply wonderful. Of course, clasics such as "Jollity Farm", and "Mickys Son and Daughter", hail back to the Bonzos early "20's - style" music when they even dressed up in striped blazers, curly moustaches etc. --You can listen to these tracks and think of concerts in the park on a sully day, and 1920's "Flappers" doing the Charleston ! "The sun has got his hat on; hip, hip, hip hurray!" And no Bonzo collection would be without "Death Cab for Cutie" ... Of course, the Bonzos always threw in odments such as "Noises from the Leg"-- very weird , but somehow satisfying! As an album without the "Thump-Thump", or whining of modern music; this is a must, and will bring cheer to evryone from 3-63 years old !
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
My dad introduced me to the bonzo's mad world and i fell in love with it immediately. They are such wonderful musicians and yet they can make tracks that you would think were made by a year 7's music class in a bid to impress their friends. That is probably why i feel so attached to them. Only truly brilliant musicians could probably get away with such awful music! The guitar solo in the middle of "Mr Apollo" sounds like it was played by a five year old. But this doesnt detract anything from the song!
Some tracks on the CDs don't do anything for me, such as "Hello Mabel" but these are few and far between! The good stuff really outweighs the bad here, with songs ( i use this term advisedly) such as "Hunting tigers out in Indiah", "The Intro and Outro", "I'm the Urban Spaceman" and my personnal favourite "Labio Dental Fricative".
"Noises for the leg" is something special, everyone should be made to listen to it, to show them music needn't be pop or hiphop.
Remeber everyone what the bonzos once said (well, i dont know what they ACTUALLY saod, but i gt the jist) - if you want real music, listen to mozart and bach. if you want to have FUN, listen to the bonzos.
Some tracks on the CDs don't do anything for me, such as "Hello Mabel" but these are few and far between! The good stuff really outweighs the bad here, with songs ( i use this term advisedly) such as "Hunting tigers out in Indiah", "The Intro and Outro", "I'm the Urban Spaceman" and my personnal favourite "Labio Dental Fricative".
"Noises for the leg" is something special, everyone should be made to listen to it, to show them music needn't be pop or hiphop.
Remeber everyone what the bonzos once said (well, i dont know what they ACTUALLY saod, but i gt the jist) - if you want real music, listen to mozart and bach. if you want to have FUN, listen to the bonzos.
33 of 42 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I got this as a present as I'm a known Bonzo fan and after reading the Amazon reviews I was quite keen. But I have to say, this is a disappointing package. It's as if they picked the tracks out from their 5 releases at random, without any regard to the quality of the titles. What we have here are diamonds amongst rocks, Rembrandts' amongst Pollocks'. If you want the full nine yards, then get the albums; 'Cornology' puts the lot on 3 CDs. The whole point of a Bonzo compilation is to pick out their best so that you don't have to keep skipping tracks or changing CDs. This, like so many other Bonzo compilations I've heard, fails miserably. My recommendation is therefore is to just get their 3rd album 'Tadpoles' which was by far their best. Every track's a classic and it contains 75% of their best material anyway. The cheapest way to get it is to get 'The Outro' (Volume 2 of 'Cornology' box set), a single CD, which comprises 'Tadpoles', and their 4th album 'Keynsham' for the price of a single CD (so in effect, you get 'Keynsham' for free). The bulk of the remaining 25% of their brilliant work can be found on 'Gorilla' (their debut). As before, the best way to acquire 'Gorilla' is to get 'The Intro', which comprises 'Gorilla' and 'Doughnut in Granny's Greenhouse', again, for the price of a single CD. It's a shame that there isn't a single CD compilation that brings Gorilla and Tadpoles together.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
If you not heard of the Bonzos ....
The Bonzos are an essential part to anyone's music collection, and this being the History is as good a place as any to start. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Barnet 88
Hello... and how did you find yourself this morning?
Bonzo Dog fans may argue over whether this really is "the best" but one thing's for certain - it's as good an introduction to their erratically and often brilliantly bizarre world... Read more
Published on 1 Dec 2005 by nicjaytee
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