An hour that is well spent
R. Wagner | Worthington, Ohio United States | 10/31/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is a great document of a night in 1976 when Tiny Tim performed his personal favorites for an audience of 3 teenage fans. The tunes were recorded in Tiny's motel room on a cassette recorder. However, through the magic of audio restoration the sound has been scrubbed and is more than acceptable. Tiny introduces his favorite songs with some information as to when they were originally recorded and the original performer. I only wish that more of his dialogues could have been recorded. This man was a true encyclopedia of music. This is not "Tiptoe Thru The Tulips" material. The songs are heartfelt and delivered just that way. The more I hear these "guerilla recordings" that have recently surfaced the more I admire the man. Many of the records he made in the later '70's and early '80's were based on the more humorous aspect of this performer. The songs contained on this CD are his personal favorites and are mighty obscure for the most part. The producer did talk Tiny into going into a ramshackle studio the next day to record four tracks which were recently overdubbed with backing musicians and singers and are a delight. Tiny also performs three original songs which are also quite good. This material has been released via Collectors Choice Music and they are to be commended for an excellent all around package. The cover says Volume 1 so here's hoping Volume 2 will not be far behind."
A tribute to the great songs of the acoustical era (except f
Steven I. Ramm | Phila, PA USA | 01/17/2010
(3 out of 5 stars)
"
This is definitely a quirky CD but most of it is a lot of fun. I won't go into details as to how it was recorded (you'll see that in other reviews) but will concentrate on the musical contents.
The always-eccentric Tiny Tim loves old songs and holds (well HELD, until he died) himself out as a walking encyclopedia of early Tin Pan Alley. He has the right enthusiasm but I'm not sure how much recording history he has read. So, first and foremost, don't count on Tiny's brief introductions to give you the facts. They are fun but when he announces the dates that a song was recorded, and the liner note booklet (with nice notes by producer Richard Barone) give the correct date as 3-4 years after Tiny's dates, And he erroneously states - and Barone repeats in the notes - that the song "Mr. Phonograph" was recorded in 1878 as the first cylinder record. (The song was composed for the piano, and was never commercially issued on a wax cylinder record. In fact, Edison's phonograph played a piece of tin foil and it was not until 1888 that the WAX cylinder record was developed.).
But back to the songs. Its fun to hear Tiny imitate Bob Dylan and Eddie Cantor and anyone who spreads the word about singer Billy Murray gets props in my opinion. The one song that is way out of place is "Dear Tuesday", an ode to cult actress Tuesday Weld. I gave that track one pass. I'm not sure this is a CD you will play a lot - and you have to listen to Tiny's introductions each time - but its fun the first time. And it's good to know its out there, and not just in producer Barone's cassette tape library.
Steve Ramm
"Anything Phonographic"
"
