lambchops's Full Review: It's A Shame About Ray by The Lemonheads
Listeners should beware when a CD’s most popular song is a remake.
The Lemonheads are mushy alternative rock. Their sound is often bland and uninteresting at best. When lead singer Evan Dando’s face hit the cover of every magazine from the U.S. to England the world understood the band’s real focus. The Lemonheads were an obvious booster seat for Dando’s blossoming career. Too bad the seat wasn’t pushed quite close enough to the table…
The band was formed in the late 1980’s. Their sound was instantly convoluted, and with each release of an album the focus changed. It went from hardcore to pop to alternative. The Lemonheads never carved out a musical niche. Dando also didn’t have a clear cut goal. The band broke up on occasion and he pursued his solo career on other occasions. They released their major label debut Lovey on Atlantic in 1990.
By the time the band released what would become their breakthrough album, Dando was the only remaining member. He recruited fellow angsty-songstress and friend to contribute bass guitar and vocals. Also added was drummer David Ryan. But the spotlight remained on the golden-tressed Dando with It’s a Shame About Ray. Not a soul bought the 1992 release until a barely-recognizable mashing of ”Mrs. Robinson” written by talented Paul Simon hit it big. The title track also became a surprise minor hit.
The band (or what was left of it) went on to record another album, 1993’s Come on Feel The Lemonheads. Who knew that Dando was suffering from drug addiction (come on, can’t you buy something better than crack with your earnings)? The band’s celebrity fizzled and by the time 1996’s Car Button Cloth was released, the band had been reformed and nobody could’ve cared less.
It’s a Shame About Ray is probably the band’s best selling album to date. It’s a sad exclamation point to a career of ellipses. With thirteen sound-alike songs (and the positively atrocious remake of ”Mrs. Robinson”, there is no good reason that anybody should enjoy this album nor spend the $3 to get it out of the bargain bin at the used CD store. Dando was just too self-obsessed for his own good, relying what are positively mediocre talents.
Not one of the songs is special. How can that be? Well, each of them sounds very much alike. Dando’s guitars are always just about the same. Each is about the same annoying mid-tempo (one of my musical loves or hates depending on the rest of the song’s merit). Dando’s ‘blah’ voice is drowned out by ‘blah’ music even on songs like ”It’s a Shame About Ray”. The songs are all very short, ranging from just a minute and a half to three and a half minutes. And believe me, you’ll want out of those three and a half minute tracks much sooner.
As I already mentioned, each song sounds too much like the next. There’s a rough acoustic (or electric guitar), an uninteresting drum, and a low bass. Nothing outstanding, nothing special, nothing interesting. Dando’s songs writing skills are less than stellar (okay, they suck). Hatfield’s talents are underutilized. Ryan can’t drum his way out of a paper bag. In all, these thirteen songs are rotten examples of alternative music and narcissism gone very, very wrong. And who could forget the crime committed by attempting to do ”Mrs. Robinson” justice…that is one song that didn’t need to be remade. One good thing is that Dando sure can sing those di-di-di-di parts well. That aside, don’t even attempt a listen unless you want a full frontal assault on your ears.
The track listing (if you care) is as follows:
1. Rockin Stroll
2. Confetti
3. It's A Shame About Ray
4. Rudderless
5. My Drug Buddy
6. Turnpike Down, The
7. Bit Part
8. Alison's Starting To Happen
9. Hannah & Gabi
10. Kitchen
11. Ceiling Fan In My Spoon
12. Frank Mills
13. Mrs. Robinson
This is the first album I’ve reviewed that deserves just one star. It’s bland and typical. Dando shows zero talent…something that I only have come to expect from the worst boy bands and girl teenyboppers. Sure, he wrote his own songs but if he can’t write and he can’t perform, what does that matter? I’m almost embarrassed to own this album, it is worthy of nothing but the garbage can. So, I give it just one star. It’s a Shame About Ray is pure, unadulterated c-r-a-p.
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