Search - Bob Rivers :: Best Of, Vol. 02

Bob Rivers is the comedy king of the 1990's and on

Daniel J. Hamlow | Narita, Japan | 07/02/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Well, I finally found out why Weird Al Yankovic's creative output has diminished from say, 1993 to 1999, and I was laughing hard as a result. Al's position as parodymeister has been supplanted by Bob Rivers. I have a few of his Rivers' Twisted Tunes CDs and the 1990's were his decade in comparison to Weird Al, who had the 1980's as his heyday. Rivers seems to have a head start on 2000 as well. Clinton, O.J. Simpson, and the Balkans were his big targets. Dated true, but fun for nostalgia's sake.His takes on songs go further than Weird Al did, which is, tastelessly non-PC at times and yes, twisted. He also has vocalists imitate the originals if possible, so that makes the parody funnier. Another difference between him and Yankovic is that the songs are one to two minute snippets. And the songs sometimes has profanities."Beat Up Old Jetliner," a take on the Steve Miller song, is about a decrepit airplane. It ends with the pilot announcing, "Ladies and gentlemen, I just turned off the no-smoking sign. "I figure, the plane's smoking so why shouldn't you?" Whoa!The funniest song is a send-up on the Doors' "Hello, I Love You." That song becomes "Hello, I Love You (Let's Get Tested)" For what? AIDS. Now that's funny! Joan Osborne's "One Of Us" becomes "What If God Smokes Cannibus?" Key lyrics: "And do you think he rolls his own." "And when the saints go marhcing home, maybe he sits and smokes a bowl."Now, I really enjoy KISS so I can appreciate the parody of "Rock And Roll All Night," which is "I Used To Rock And Roll All Night." Basically, it rips on KISS for reuniting and going back on the road with makeup. "We're putting on the makeup again/it covers up a bunch of wrinkled skin" And the chorus: "I used to rock and roll all night/but now my hair's turning gray/"I have to get to bed by nine/rub in a tube of Ben Gay." Now that's really funny!Two Beatles tunes are ribbed--"Getting Better" becomes "Getting Fatter All The Time" and "Eleanor Rigby" becomes "Officer Fuhrman"--"Heeee likes to set up coloured people." This is another highlight.Speaking of O.J., "OJ's Trial Thing" is a take on Sam Kinison's "Wild Thing" which was of course a classic Troggs hit, full of Kinison's (his imitator, I mean) manic yelling.I didn't take things too personally when Weird Al ribbed some things I liked, and the same goes for Bob Rivers. I figure, "hey, it's just a song, right?""

So-so production

Brendan Collins | Tulsa, OK | 11/09/1998

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Not the best of Bob Rivers, unfortunately... The O.J. jokes are quite dated by now, yet there are several on the album. My copy was stolen by accident, and while I would love to have it back, it isn't worth paying for it full price a second time."

Very funny CD

Melinda Passmore | Placerville, CA | 04/28/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Very talented people creating very talented music. Truly enjoy listening to this CD over and over again!"