This is the last truly great Toy Dolls record. It could have been their best release, but it suffers from some odd production choices, mainly the drums sound like they were recorded in a drain tunnel. Later records have a definite formula to them (and a more hottt metal lyxxx guitar style). The band was still finding its sound here and the result is still within the realm of genuine punk rock. The title track, “Lambrusco Kid,” “Harry Cross,” and “Pete’s Practice Space” are all winners (better recordings of all these are on the Ten Years of Toys compilation).
Toy Dolls second album has a little more polish than the first and even includes a radio spot for that first LP! While every Toy Dolls album is guaranteed to have at least one classic song, this once again chock full of ’em: “She Goes to Finos,” “Carol Dodds Is Pregnant,” “Bless You My Son,” “We’re Mad” and “Florence Is Deaf.”
Toy Dolls skirt the edge of punk rock and novelty music. As such there will be some people who will find them very annoying, but I love them. Who could hate such happy, fun music? Dig that Groove Baby is probably my favorite release by the band. This was before they completely locked in on their formula. The songs are varied and have a rawness that is missing from most of their later records. “Dig that Groove baby,” “Dougy Giro,” “Glenda and the Test Tube Baby,” and “Nellie the Elephant” are each classics, and that’s just the first side of the LP!
There was a time in the early 2000’s when I thought I might be able to expand my electronica tastes beyond Richard H. Kirk. This was one of the CDs I got during that period. It’s alright. I appreciate the spacey noisiness of many of the tracks, but I was never excited enough to listen to anything more than this one release.
Admittedly, I didn’t finish this book. There’s a point about halfway through when he tells the casual reader that now would be a good time to bail; it gets pretty number-y from here on out. I tried to proceed but was lost. The book runs with a few ideas that Fooled by Randomness touched upon, mainly, the idea of the rare random event. I’m not sure I understood it all, but it was pretty interesting read filled with a decent mix of anecdotes, philosophy and statistics.
Another enjoyable read from Red Eye host Greg Gutfeld. The thesis as I see it is that liberals own the definition of cool, but the real cool people are those who go against liberal orthodoxy. I get his point but it felt a bit like whining over libertarians and conservatives not being the center of attention. Let’s face it, conservatism is dorky, boring and will never have that the more universal cool factor that liberalism has. But really, so what?
I understand that this game was originally a Nintendo 3DS launch title. So, by the standards of portable gaming, this is not a bad game at all. However, here on the PC it seems a little behind the times and blah. This criticism is mostly about cosmetics. Unlike the bright and diverse levels of Resident Evils 4 & 5 the game seems really limited to the samey-looking hallways of a dingy cruise ship’s interior. While you would think that they could use this environment for all its worth by, say, including the listing of the ship, bursting portholes, and other aquatic mayhem. Instead it’s your standard FPS hallway levels with a little swimming here and there.
Not to say that the game isn’t fun. Although they have toned down the gore quite a bit since RE4, the tried and true over-the-shoulder shooting mechanics, wacky plots and dialogue, and weird and horrific monsters are all still there. Also, they have thankfully gotten rid of quick-time events and tetris-style inventory management. As an aside, a genetic mutation that makes your heart protrude outside of your chest does not seem very evolutionarily viable?
Nobody needs to own more than one They Might Be Giants album. While I enjoy the “hits” on this record, for the most part it bores me. This is the duo starting to become a band at the expense of the wonderful quirkiness of their first effort. Ah, the joys of combining your record collection with your wife’s.
A dated and preachy science fiction story from the seventies about the last forest of earth being preserved in space ships. There are some neat robot costumes. But, overall, this was a boring slog with some horrible music choices.
Yeah, I get it. You went to art school you clever bastards. Fun, smart pop songs, it’s no surprise they have become children’s music superstars as of late. I prefer the homemade quality of this first record over later efforts and there’s only so much of this band that I can take. One record is enough.
