THE BEST YET from a killer band - Bettie serves indeed!
J. Niss | Western Mass | 10/03/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"ok. I admit that since their 1st album this has been one of my favourite bands, with some albums moving me more than others, as is only natural. But my desert island bettie serveert would now begin here. On a lot of levels it's simply more refined, and the acoustic underpinnings allow the songwriting to shine through on every cut. "Brain Tag" was brilliant the first time they recorded it, and remains so in this mellower setting.
If bettie serveert albums were bottles of wine I would say they were all good years, if recent, while this one has matured beyond it's years and become an almost miraculous vintage. These folks are producing music that is comfortably at the level of their heroes (yes, it's true). They are not in business to hide what's inspired them, but any obvious lineage is taken to a place that is very much their own. Reviewers who think this is just a light weight but enjoyable band are wildly missing the mark.
All the guitar work on the album is just beautiful, including some very fine bass playing that sweetens the pot considerably.
If bands were vacuum tubes I'd say Bettie Serveert had joined the ranks of Mullard, Amperex and Telefunkin - primo new old stock! I thought of that because sonically the cd is gorgeous - it's so good that I'm using it while auditioning headphone amplifiers. Dare I hope for vinyl...?"
A Gem From An Underrated Band
T. Anthony | Sonoran Desert, USA | 03/07/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Who is Bettie Serveert? I'm surely not the only one to ask that question when stumbling upon this band. If you don't know the answer to that question, then you don't know what you're missing and you need to buy this CD/DVD. If you do know the answer, then what are you waiting for?? Buy this disc now! I really enjoy the sound of this band--from Carol van Dyk's vocals to Peter Visser's guitar work, Bettie Serveert is a great listen. I can't wait for them to tour the U.S., because judging by the DVD (included with the CD), it would be one very enjoyable night out. This band is way underrated and underappreciated. You shouldn't pass up the opportunity to add a quality band to your collection. BTW, I also only recently bought Palomine, which I also like very much (its harder edge adds a nice contrast in sound to the mellower sounds on Bare Stripped Naked), and am adding Attagirl to my collection. Who is Bettie Serveert? A band that deserves far greater recongition--even if it only comes one Amazon customer at a time."