Published on Apr 8, 1998
Sometimes, you hear a CD and you are compelled to listen to it
again. You get to the end and think, “Wow. That couldn’t have been
that good, so you listen again. The next thing you know you can hum
the melody to nearly all of the songs.
Waiting.
That’s what best describes what happened with Cousin Oliver’s
punk/ska slab of 37 minutes called
(818). Aside from giving me fits on how to punctuate the
parenthesis and quote marks, this release is almost always in my CD
player. Shamelessly plugging for this, buy this disc. It’s only $10
and even in the remote chance that you aren’t into music this good,
you might get a kick out of their alcohol and recording equipment
experiment. But that’s later.
First off, I get the impression these guys are horny bastards.
At least half are about sex, or a lack thereof.
The disc starts out with “Shot My Boss.” Granted, I thought this
was going to be a typical punk thrasher tune until the band slips
into a mid-tempo groove complete with horns and a keyboard groove.
While the lyrics are not my favorite, they are well-written and
sung with a lot of conviction.
I must be waiting.
Second track, “Share,” is about an interesting relationship:
She only loves me for my cash
I only lover her for that ass
She’s a whore but I don’t care
She’s a love I’ve learned to share
The straightforward delivery of these lyrics work. The guitars
are urgent and work.
Waiting for some chick.
The songs I enjoy listening to the most, though, are “I Didn’t
Know,” “Never Neverland” and “Head.”
“I Didn’t Know” displays the band’s best side of their sense of
humor. It’s about picking up a “girl” at a bar, giving her a ride
home and then . . ., well:
So I walk on in
I put my hands on her hips
Get close, giver her a little kiss
Oh My God
I didn’t know
That you were one of those
I didn’t know
That you had one of those
Poor guy.
To go down.
“Never Neverland” is an anthem for slackers. With the chorus
of:
I don’t want to grow up
I don’t want to be anything
Just lazy
I don’t want any responsibility
No way, that’s not me.
While it may seem like this review reads like a bunch of quoted
lyrics, Cousin Oliver do a good job of telling their story with
honest lyrics, something you don’t hear very often in modern
popular songs. While Cousin Oliver is probably not going to win a
Grammy (as though that award is something on which to base any sort
of opinion about a band), these are damned good songs.
On me.
The last of my favorite tracks is a song called “Head.” Take a
piece of scratch paper and write down the first three things you
think of when I write “Head.” I’ll wait.
Ready? Okay, here is what Cousin Oliver’s song “Head” is
about:
Waiting, I must be waiting / Waiting for some chick
to go down on me.
Did you guess? No? Well, go buy this CD as your punishment. It’s
only $10 and we both know you have that stashed in your couch
cushions or in unreturned beer bottles from last weekend’s
party.
In addition to the 12 tracks that are labeled on the outside of
the CD cover, there is a hidden track. A calm voice intones “The
following example is what happens when you mix alcohol and
recording equipment. Do not try this at home. Thank you.” After
which, the band, either drunk or acting drunk, plays a grotesque
song about a woman you might keep in your refrigerator. There are
some vague references made to Guns ‘N Roses which are
hilarious.
If for no other reason, Cousin Oliver will probably make you
smile and in the ho-hum world we live in, that is easily worth the
price of this CD.
I promise my next review won’t plug the CD as much as this one.
I am almost nauseated by the number of times I mention “buying this
CD.”
Rrrrrraaaaaallllllpppppppphhhhhhhhh!