Howdo, this kinda talkin makin me wanna put on that there Key Dime Try and sat out in da front lawn watchin da overgrewd kids play in the babypool with my Pabst in one hand and my lit Marl-red in the other. Ah! Ain't needin no sun lotion.
― michael g. breece, Sunday, 1 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― DeRayMi, Monday, 5 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
Although I've heard them all before, I've fallen in love all over again. Wonderfulness abounds.
― J (Jay), Friday, 15 November 2002 21:50 (twenty-one years ago) link
― TMFTML (TMFTML), Friday, 15 November 2002 23:02 (twenty-one years ago) link
― David Allen, Saturday, 16 November 2002 18:28 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 16 November 2002 19:22 (twenty-one years ago) link
― matt riedl (veal), Friday, 21 February 2003 18:14 (twenty-one years ago) link
― schnell schnell, Friday, 21 February 2003 18:19 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Aaron W (Aaron W), Friday, 21 February 2003 18:26 (twenty-one years ago) link
i like david lowery's songwriting, but i think a lot of people would view cvb lyrics as too "quirky." actually, a classic bit of david lowery is the hidden track on the second cracker record. i presume it's called eurotrash girl.
― jq higgins, Friday, 21 February 2003 18:34 (twenty-one years ago) link
― dave225 (Dave225), Friday, 21 February 2003 18:45 (twenty-one years ago) link
I'm a Key Lime Pie man myself. Sure I love "Skinheads" et al but listening to the honey tunes of KLP takes me straight back to a glorious summer of love during my college years in England. Had the great tunes, harmonies and the barbed lyrics - bittersweet in true indie tradition.
― SteveT, Monday, 22 November 2004 12:35 (nineteen years ago) link
― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Monday, 22 November 2004 16:09 (nineteen years ago) link
― myopic_void (myopic_void), Monday, 22 November 2004 16:37 (nineteen years ago) link
― adam (adam), Friday, 21 January 2005 18:30 (nineteen years ago) link
― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Friday, 21 January 2005 21:07 (nineteen years ago) link
― adam (adam), Friday, 21 January 2005 21:25 (nineteen years ago) link
― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Friday, 21 January 2005 21:45 (nineteen years ago) link
― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Saturday, 22 January 2005 00:30 (nineteen years ago) link
― Nag! Nag! Nag! (Nag! Nag! Nag!), Saturday, 22 January 2005 01:22 (nineteen years ago) link
― ooga booga, Saturday, 22 January 2005 01:26 (nineteen years ago) link
What a crazy little song about stalking a girl. Classic.
― brontosaur, Saturday, 22 January 2005 01:52 (nineteen years ago) link
There are a million live CVB shows at archive.org, also.
― Ernest P. (ernestp), Saturday, 22 January 2005 18:39 (nineteen years ago) link
― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 11 January 2006 18:17 (eighteen years ago) link
― Daniel Peterson (polkaholic), Wednesday, 11 January 2006 18:25 (eighteen years ago) link
― Shakey Mo Collier, Friday, 16 March 2007 17:52 (seventeen years ago) link
― sleeve, Friday, 16 March 2007 18:02 (seventeen years ago) link
― city worker, Friday, 16 March 2007 18:15 (seventeen years ago) link
― Shakey Mo Collier, Friday, 16 March 2007 18:17 (seventeen years ago) link
― nabisco, Friday, 16 March 2007 19:19 (seventeen years ago) link
― Mr. Que, Friday, 16 March 2007 19:28 (seventeen years ago) link
― darin, Friday, 16 March 2007 19:30 (seventeen years ago) link
― nabisco, Friday, 16 March 2007 19:38 (seventeen years ago) link
― Mr. Que, Friday, 16 March 2007 19:53 (seventeen years ago) link
― Mr. Que, Friday, 16 March 2007 19:54 (seventeen years ago) link
― Shakey Mo Collier, Friday, 16 March 2007 20:00 (seventeen years ago) link
― Mr. Que, Friday, 16 March 2007 20:01 (seventeen years ago) link
― Mr. Que, Friday, 16 March 2007 20:03 (seventeen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 16 March 2007 20:04 (seventeen years ago) link
― Pye Poudre, Friday, 16 March 2007 20:34 (seventeen years ago) link
― souldesqueeze, Sunday, 18 March 2007 04:11 (seventeen years ago) link
― Tim Ellison, Sunday, 18 March 2007 05:51 (seventeen years ago) link
― sleeve, Sunday, 18 March 2007 17:17 (seventeen years ago) link
― clotpoll, Monday, 19 March 2007 10:08 (seventeen years ago) link
― killa bee, Tuesday, 20 March 2007 02:18 (seventeen years ago) link
― killa bee, Tuesday, 20 March 2007 02:25 (seventeen years ago) link
― killa bee, Tuesday, 20 March 2007 02:32 (seventeen years ago) link
― killa bee, Tuesday, 20 March 2007 02:42 (seventeen years ago) link
― Jazzbo, Friday, 27 April 2007 13:07 (sixteen years ago) link
Original liners are pretty funny
― Ayn Rand Akbar (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 24 January 2014 23:13 (ten years ago) link
New ones not funny, but pretty solid, anyway. Also, they reprint the original liners, too.
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 25 January 2014 00:53 (ten years ago) link
OK, seeing them tomorrow night. When they tour in tandem with Cracker, who generally goes on first?
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 6 January 2017 17:33 (seven years ago) link
I just saw them, Cracker closed. boardid=41&threadid=102871
― Bee OK, Friday, 6 January 2017 17:38 (seven years ago) link
The Camper Van Beethoven Albums Poll
― Bee OK, Friday, 6 January 2017 17:40 (seven years ago) link
I like this thread better, dammit! Anyway, thanks, allows me to enjoy CVB and consider bailing on Cracker in real time.
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 6 January 2017 17:41 (seven years ago) link
there's some good stuff on Cracker's first album (Dr. Berenice felt like a Key Lime Pie b-side). I stopped paying attention after that.
― Οὖτις, Friday, 6 January 2017 17:43 (seven years ago) link
Kerosene Hat was huge for me. I was disenchanted by "I Hate My Generation" but listened to it again recently and think I could give Golden Age another chance someday. I dipped back in with their Countrysides album, which in retrospect didn't sound so good, but introduced me to Terry Allen.
― how's life, Friday, 6 January 2017 17:47 (seven years ago) link
I recall liking Golden Age a lot. And I heard their new double album is really good.
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 6 January 2017 17:57 (seven years ago) link
Some of the Cracker stuff on the most recent double disc thing was actually very good
― Wimmels, Friday, 6 January 2017 17:59 (seven years ago) link
I saw one of Cracker's very first (maybe even the first?) shows in Santa Cruz and the most entertaining part of the show was when they broke into a Massive Attack cover, which Lowery seemed to think no one in the crowd recognized
― Οὖτις, Friday, 6 January 2017 18:07 (seven years ago) link
https://archive.org/details/cracker1991-11-10-flac
― how's life, Friday, 6 January 2017 18:19 (seven years ago) link
haha wow yup that's it
― Οὖτις, Friday, 6 January 2017 18:39 (seven years ago) link
i dont' know how it is that I've never seen CVB live. I miss these shows with cracker every year for some reason or another.
― akm, Friday, 6 January 2017 19:54 (seven years ago) link
what a band
― Οὖτις, Friday, 22 September 2017 19:43 (six years ago) link
So classic. And ended on top. Hmm, I wonder how many band's first and final* albums are equally classic?
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 22 September 2017 20:11 (six years ago) link
Zeppelin lol
― Οὖτις, Friday, 22 September 2017 20:12 (six years ago) link
they reunited tho! sellouts
― ice cream social justice (Dr Morbius), Friday, 22 September 2017 20:15 (six years ago) link
Hmm, LZ1 and In Through the Out Door equally classic? Don't know about that. Equally good, perhaps!
xpost In their defense, reunited Camper albums are weird and intentionally erratic.
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 22 September 2017 20:17 (six years ago) link
Don't think I agree with that re. New Roman Times (which I like a lot), but I know they took a different songwriting approach on the two California-themed albums. Still have not dug into those too much.
― timellison, Friday, 22 September 2017 21:33 (six years ago) link
Well, all I know is that I don't listen to them, because I liked them only about as much as I liked the Camper Van Chadbourne albums. Which is an exaggeration, maybe, because I don't listen to those either, and can't remember if they're that good or not. Anyway, the last two CVB albums, they're fine, but they don't feature much of anything akin to what I love from literally everything the band did from Telephone to Key Lime Pie. New Roman Times, I can hum a song or two from that one, but as far as similar concept albums go, I think at the time I was focusing more on the Thermals record.
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 22 September 2017 21:44 (six years ago) link
"51-7" might be their best song ever!
― timellison, Friday, 22 September 2017 21:55 (six years ago) link
Well, that's not true, but it is the only song from that album I know off the top of my head!!
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 22 September 2017 21:57 (six years ago) link
Huh, there's a new Monks of Doom record.
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 25 May 2018 12:59 (five years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phMv_db7Mgc
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 25 May 2018 13:00 (five years ago) link
"Take The Skinheads Bowling" sounding really good to me today for some reason.
― Guayaquil (eephus!), Monday, 12 October 2020 20:34 (three years ago) link
Wish the last couple of albums had been better. New Roman Times was awesome.
― Cow_Art, Tuesday, 13 October 2020 01:18 (three years ago) link
I was blasting She Divines Water on the way to work last week. Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart and Key Lime Pie are where it's at.
― Cow_Art, Tuesday, 13 October 2020 01:54 (three years ago) link
Key Lime Pie is super underrated by the people who rate things.
― sarahell, Tuesday, 13 October 2020 01:59 (three years ago) link
Listening to those late 80s albums it’s noticeable how melodic and imaginative Victor Krummenacher’s bass lines are
― Master of Treacle, Tuesday, 13 October 2020 02:02 (three years ago) link
Not to mention Crispy Dersen’s drums! ESP on OBRS. Fuggin Xgau lambasting them for not having “chops”.
― The little engine that choogled (hardcore dilettante), Tuesday, 13 October 2020 02:07 (three years ago) link
All Her Favorite Fruit may be my all time Camper jam. But that changes a lot because they have many excellent jams.
― Cow_Art, Tuesday, 13 October 2020 02:19 (three years ago) link
Saw them playing a split gig with Cracker a couple of years ago and they've still got it. Very good show. It was just weird seeing Camper open for Cracker when we know who the better band is.
― Cow_Art, Tuesday, 13 October 2020 02:20 (three years ago) link
Anyone who has ever heard the Monks of Doom know these guys have chops. I got to see one of their shows to, like, 20 people a couple of years ago, and it was a blast.
Who underrates Key Lime Pie? Maybe by indie snobs because it was the breakthrough "hit," but it's great, maybe my favorite. I think it's such a cool sounding record, and Pedersen's drums in particular are crazy good.
I'm trying to think if I'd consider any of their (prime) albums underrated. They're just all so full of good stuff.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 13 October 2020 02:40 (three years ago) link
3rd, 4th and 5th albums are my faves, but yes this band is all time to me, two of the best live shows I've ever seen
― sleeve, Tuesday, 13 October 2020 03:02 (three years ago) link
I have to shout out Anthony Guess's drumming on Telephone Free Landslide Victory, which I'm weirdly obsessed with. It's a small kit--I just hear snare, kick, and hi-hat--but the drumming is super-tight and dynamic, and my GOD the fills! Especially on the ska instrumentals like Yanqui Go Home, Border Ska, etc. Every time I listen I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for the next drum fill, and every time he just nails it in the tastiest way possible:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWIbHcHDuIIThis is such fun music!
― J. Sam, Tuesday, 13 October 2020 03:06 (three years ago) link
Is he the only drummer on the first one? I think Lowery and Chris Molla play drums on some stuff, too.
I was just driving around and heard this hit by the Village Stompers and suddenly had CVB deja vu!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBOT6dfnerc
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 24 November 2020 14:54 (three years ago) link
These guys have been my favourite "new-to-me" discovery this year. When I Win the Lottery is my most played song of 2020 according to Apple Music.
― triggercut, Tuesday, 24 November 2020 15:10 (three years ago) link
There's not a stinker in the catalog all the way up to their breakup. The only challenge is navigating the various Pitch-a-Tent reissues, since there are so many different track lists and bonus cuts.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 24 November 2020 15:16 (three years ago) link
Is there worthwhile stuff on the bonus tracks? I've got everything they put out and when they reissued those I didn't bother. But it itches at me that there's more stuff out there that I haven't heard.
I like everything up to La Costa Perdida.
― Cow_Art, Wednesday, 25 November 2020 15:58 (three years ago) link
Oh, belatedly, yeah, there are all sorts of good nuggets hidden in there. Lotta goofs, medleys, covers, different versions. The reissue sequencing is indeed a mess, though.
I just came across this great profile of the band in Rolling Stone in 1988:
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/camper-van-beethovens-notes-from-the-underground-82927/
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 2 January 2021 14:39 (three years ago) link