Sometimes Mother Really Does Know Best

by Christine Lavin

Overview

Christine Lavin has gained a rep as a seriously funny gal, and Sometimes Mother Really Does Know Best, recorded live in Colorado Springs, will do nothing to change that. As with Subway Series in 2001, Lavin's heady mix of humor and intelligence works best before a live audience, sort of like a standup comic with a guitar. In fact, she mixes in spoken monologues between her songs, asking penetrating questions like -- why in the heck is a Bob Dylan song adorning a Victoria's Secret ad? Her satire on pieces like "Strangers Talk to Me" and "Wind Chimes" is more gentle than mean-spirited as she makes witty observations on her life as a traveling musician and the foibles of middle-class love. There's a bizarre a cappella piece titled "The Tocobel Canon" (read: Taco Bell), the type of choral piece Bach might have written had he lived in the 21st century and hawked his wares to the highest bidder. A number of these songs, like "Ballad of a Ballgame," have been drawn from earlier works (Beau Woes and Other Problems of Modern Life), while longtime fans will also enjoy new material like the title cut. The longest piece on the album is the epic "The Legal Ramifications of a Crackerjack Vendor Who Works in Yankee Stadium," the results of an attempt to honor the oldest Crackerjack vendor at the stadium only to be met with possible legal ramifications. For those who like their singer/songwriter observations laced with a big dose of humor, Lavin's Sometimes Mother Really Does Know Best will more than fit the bill. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford Jr.

Product Details

Release Date:	05/11/2004
Label:	Appleseed Records
UPC:	0611587107923
Rank:	204605

Tracks

1. Strangers Talk to Me in Colorado Springs on a Thursday Night
2. Rocky Mountain...Hi!
3. Wind Chimes
4. You Should Have Seen the Frightened Looks on Your Faces
5. What Kind of Ridiculous Glamour Trajectory Am I On?
6. What Was I Thinking?
7. Martha Stewart...Victoria's Secret...Bob Dylan...Pachelbel?
8. The Tacobel Canon
9. Steve...You Are So Busted
10. A Question of Tempo (When I'm Under Pressure)
11. Planet X
12. Planet? Planot? Goofy?
13. Who Are the Brainiacs in the House Tonight?
14. Bernice, Carol, and Tonight's Crowd Compete for the Science Prize
15. You Look Pretty Good for Your Age
16. Art Jensen, Mr. Colorado Springs, Your Life Will Never Be the Same
17. Flashback to 1956: How Do You Spell "Cassiopeia"
18. Boston Red Sox Fans: The Most Loyal, Most Tenacious, Yet Most Troubled
19. Ballad of a Ballgame
20. The Legal Ramifications of a Crackerjack Vendor Who Works in Yankee ...
21. Sometimes Mother Really Does Know Best

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Christine Lavin   Primary Artist,Vocals,Guitar

Technical Credits

Steve Rico   Composer
Johann Pachelbel   Composer
John Kuczala   Photography
Bill Douglass   Engineer
Christine Lavin   Composer
Phil Klum   Mastering