Search - Bonzo Dog Band :: Cornology [3CD Set]

Delightfully dotty dada stuff

Musicalia | United Kingdom | 09/26/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This set has almost everything you'll need by the Bonzos, an anarchic, daft, dotty, and hugely enjoyable set of art students who made a handful of albums and some memorable live performances in the late 1960s and early 1970s before they split and went their separate ways. This set has all their five albums, although the remixing is sometimes a bit odd (Tadpoles notoriously mixes Monster Mash into Urban Spaceman, and ditches the 'sequins' version of Canyons for a different one). You'll find 'Gorilla', 'The Doughnut in Granny's Greenhouse', 'Tadpoles', 'Keynsham', and 'Let's Make Up and Be Friendly', as well as the A and B sides of their first two singles from 1966 and some post-Bonzo solo work from Vivian, Neil, and Roger.



This is seriously good stuff, whether the jaunty pop stuff Neil Innes was so keen on (particularly coming to the fore on 'Keynsham'), or the slightly more edgy stuff which tipped from the increasingly unhinged mind of the multi-talented Viv Stanshall - together they were a fabulous combination to front a memorable band."

Why did I wait so long?

Mark Dillman | Topeka, KS USA | 12/24/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I can't believe that I waited this long (2005) to make an effort to listen to the music and comedy stylings of the Bonzo Dog Band. I've been a fan of Monty Python since the early 1970s. Neil Innes' musical and acting contributions to Monty Python have always been apparent. I loved the Rutles when the TV movie and LP came out. So here I am just now listening to this fine three CD set! Actually, what got me to purchase this CD set was the fact that the Bonzo Dog Band are a constant onscreen presence on the DVD release of the British TV show "Do Not Adjust You Set", which I purchased in order to see four of the six members of Monty Python. Thus, I had the extra bonus of seeing and hearing lots of the Bonzo Dog Band. At that point I felt it was finally time to hear their recordings on CD.



This group demonstrates a major developement in British group humor in that the previous noteworthy British comedy group, Beyond the Fringe, which had broken up just two years prior to Bonzo releasing its first record, was around just too early to have a psychedelic vibe whereas the Bonzo Dog Band is awash in it.



The British accents and references are so strong I get the impression that this group aimed at a domestic audience and may not have set sites on international acclaim. Dunno. Just an idea."

Absolutely Awesome!!!

Alvin Oliver | Las Vegas, NV USA | 03/16/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As a 13 year old in 1982, I had by chance tuned in to a local radio show that spotlighted an hour of music by the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band. I was in awe about their musical delivery, style, and humor. I learned a brief history of the band, and discovered that among the members was one Neil Innes, mastermind behind the music of the Rutles. I looked in vein for their studio albums, only to find 2 decent compilations that gave me different song line-ups of their "most popular" tracks. Although they were great to have, I always felt that there was more to the band than "Urban Spaceman" and "The Intro and the Outro." Cornology includes everything I had on those compilations, plus everything else from their studio albums. 24 years later, I have a more complete picture of the wonderful zaniness that was the Bonzos. The first 4 albums were a revelation in the songwriting skills of Innes and Bonzo madman Viv Stanshall. The two writers balanced each other very nicely. Innes provided twisted contemporary pop while Stanshall kept the band in its original roots of music hall tunes plus bizarre English humor. What a great combination. Their early singles (i.e. "My Brother Makes The Noises for the Talkies") and the first CD (Gorilla) are great examples of their original style, while "Doughnut At Granny's Green House," "Tadpoles," and "Keynsham" are excellent at showcasing the Innes/Stanshall balance. Although their last "band" effort is not as balanced, "Let's Make Up . . ." is worth more than a few listens.



Overall, this compilations bests all others, primarily because it fills in the musical blanks, and paints a more complete picture of this wonderful group of musicians. The most surpising aspect was definitely the sound. After years of scratchy vinyl, it's great to hear every nuance of their brilliance without the "rice krispie" effect. For those people new to the Bonzos, I would suggest "HIstory of the Bonzos," which is how I started so many years ago. But then, why go into the "kiddie" pool if you want to swim the ocean? Go for it! Get Cornology, and get slightly demented!!!!"