quasar's Full Review: Meet the Babes: Four Bitchin' Babes in Concert
Meet the babes. The Four Bitchin' Babes, that is. Founded by Christine Lavin in 1990, the lineup of the group changes frequently (in fact, only two of the four babes on this DVD are still with the group) but a few things remain constant: the group always consists of four women from different parts of the United States, the women have separate careers in their own right, the women have quirky senses of humor, and the women's voices meld into a lovely four part harmony.
The group as featured in this concert includes Debi Smith, Megon McDonough, Sally Fingerett, and Camille West. Their set is short (barely over an hour) and includes mostly solo numbers featuring different members of the group (the others may harmonize or join in on the chorus) sandwiched between a few groupsing numbers.
I was familiar with Megon and Sally before (mostly from older Babes CDs) but Debi and Camille were new to me. All four are excellent singers and good songwriters, but I have to admit Camille absolutely stole the show. She has a positive gift for intelligent parody and satire; she can exaggerate to great effect. She replaced Christine Lavin in the group and it's easy to see why. They're very similar in style and tone (although Camille may be slightly more outrageous). They even look alike (is this what Christine's clone* does in her spare time?).
Camille's first solo number "Toe to Toe with the HMO" tells of the growing frustration and rage HMO companies can engender in even the most mild and meek of patients. It moves quickly into the absurd, but works so well because there's a grain of truth at the core of the story. Who can't identify and laugh at lines like the following:
"As for my coverage, they say no
This is a pre-existing toe
My policy excludes
All things pre-existing
So if I want the claim approved
The toe will have to be removed
Which they believe may keep
The problem from persisting"
It is West's second song, though, that's the true showstopper. Partially modeled after and definitely paying homage to "30,000 Pounds of Bananas" by Harry Chapin, "Viagra in the Waters" is a rollicking, racy punfest that imagines the consequences of a truck filled with viagra crashing into a town's water supply. The lawyers filled out their briefs, the students outperformed themselves because they studied hard, and those who chose to be anointed were pointed straight to hell. I can't remember the last time I laughed so much.
Debi Smith has a knack for being poignant yet funny at the same time; her song "Mother's Hands" about how it feels to realize you're just like your mother almost managed to make me laugh and cry at the same time. She also amuses in "My Kinda Man", a song co-written by Tom Paxton about finding the perfect man who can cook. The other Babes play along on the grater, pans, and other kitchen percussion instruments.
Megon McDonough is one of those pristinely perfect people and it shows in her dainty movements and careful gestures. Her music is a bit more scattered, a mix of new age oddness and sort of hopeful dreaminess. I really liked her last song "If I Were Brave" but it's perhaps a tad too serious to fit in with the rest of the show.
Sally Fingerett is the most reserved of the quartet and doesn't really seem to fit in with the rest of the crew. Her lovely, haunting, serious folk song "Home Is Where the Heart Is" simply didn't fit in this show and she seemed uncomfortable in her few attempts to ham it up on other songs.
The show starts and ends with some groupsing numbers. The opening number, "Oh No" written by Christine Lavin, is one of those songs that finds the quiet humor in everyday life. It's sung in perfect four part harmony and is quite lovely as well as amusing, but it's one of those songs that needs to grow on you. I was quite ambivalent the first time I heard it but I like the song more every time I hear it.
The final two songs are oldies, "Wild Thing" and "Dedicated to the One I Love". I quite like them. They use funny voices and zany antics, really going wild on "Wild Thing" all while turning it into a slightly jazzier but still energetic version of the original. "Dedicated to the One I Love" is played a bit straighter and again shows off the fantastic harmonizing. However, the Babes don gigantic blonde and pink foam hats that give them gigantic exaggerations of sixties girl group hair. It's a fun way to end the show.
While I didn't like every song or every Babe, I enjoyed much of Meet the Babes. Camille West, in particular, was a hoot and real treat. Debi Smith also had some great moments, and the Babes were wonderful when they sang together. Sally Fingerett was a bit too serious to fit in and Megon McDonough sometimes got a little too new agey for my tastes, but for the most part this concert works. Check it out for yourself.
* See Lavin's song "They Think Alike, They Walk Alike..." if you're confused
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