Editorial Reviews Starting from the premise that Beefheart made "dance music for people who REALLY know how to dance", Mama Kangaroos kicks off with a trio of dance/electronic tracks that neatly place the original material in an entirely modern context. But it can go retro, too - Big Mess Orchestra’s "Run Paint Run Run" layers a fractured big band under a vocalist reminiscent of Peggy Lee. Voices of Africa’s beatific, township-spirited version of "Abba Zaba", Beefheart’s tale of young simian love balances Jane Gilday’s poignant, wistful look back at love in her mountain-folk "Sugar Bowl". Faye Davis and Skip Heller mix equal parts Strawberry Fields and Quincy Jones on "Her Eyes Are a Blue Million Miles", and Nancy Falkow countrifies the intertwined, single line melodies of "My Head is My Only House Unless It Rains", while Mia Johnson’s "Crazy Little Thing" recalls a slinky Little Feat. Kiss Kiss Kill’s bossa-flavored "Lick My Decals Off Baby" presents an Andrews Sisters-on-acid fronting of a minimalist jazz trio. Former Mother of Invention Essra Mohawk thoroughly psychedelicizes "Party of Special Things to Do", and Hoppy the Frog’s "Safe as Milk" goes even farther out by channeling the Door’s "The End". Janet Bressler’s "Glad" crosses early Motown and the Beach Boys to create a pop jewel, followed by a trio of punk rockers highlighted by Beware The Blunted Needle’s Hell-Hath-No-Fury destruction of "Ashtray Heart". A pair of a cappella works from the Beefheart classic, Trout Mask Replica close things out. King of Siam recreates "Orange Claw Hammer" as Pogues-styled sea chanty, and Nou Ra with Interplay ends it all by turning "Well" into a free-jazz African dirge.
Mama Kangaroos: Philly Women Sing Captain Beefheart
Music Review:
Music Review
Dvorák: String Quartets 12 & 14
Dancin in Outer Space [Import]
Ci Sei Tu [CD-single] [Import]
Elvis By the Presleys (Bonus CD) [Original recording remastered]
Couldn't Have Said It Better (Enhanced)
Faith No More - Who Cares A Lot? The Greatest Hits
Steve Froy, Beefheart.com
"The best collection of covers of Don's songs yet released."
Gary Lucas, Magic Band/Gods and Monsters Guitarist
"A really wonderful record. What a pleasure to hear women's voices ringing new changes on the decidedly twisted Beefheart songbook."
Album Description
Mama Kangaroos features twenty female artists from Philadelphia performing the songs of Captain Beefheart, in a genre hopping set that covers material spanning his entire recording career.