Camper Van Beethoven - Self Titled continued the band's focusing
in on the proto indie rock sound, with touches of country and
featured outstanding tracks, such as "Joe Stalins Cadillac", and
a reverent version of Pink Floyds Interstellar Overdrive".
Following the third albums critical accl, the band public
notoriety grew massively with national tours with bands such as
R.E.M. and 10,000 Maniacs.
Review
------
continuing the blend of wistfully weird lyrics, any number of
musical touches from all over the and good-time vibes -- All
Music Guide
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From the Artist
---------------
"Pope Festival" - "The Pope visited the US in 1987. Victor and I
made Monterey Pope festival t-shirts with the Pope benedicting
(but we spread his two fingers) on a paisley background. The song
was a tribute to the shirt."
"Love The Witch (Camper Van Beethoven Version)" - "At this same
time I was starting work on my "Storytelling album (the -as
Spin magazine put it - "double album art rock horror"), I tried
several songs first with Camper on this record Your Own
Story, Still Wishing To Course, Love The Witch and something
else that I can't remember. All were rerecorded for
Storytelling, but only Still Wishing made it to CVB. Love
The Witch was a good rocker, but this version with David on
tremolo guitar, never made it to the CVB album."
"Deux Foises" "is tracks from une fois, reconstructed."
"Matchstick Men" - "This was our original and never duplicated
."
About the Artist
----------------
Tuesday April 27th sees the re-issue of four classic Camper Van
Beethoven albums "Telephone Free Landslide Victory"; "II &
III"; "Camper Van Beethoven" and "Camper Vantiquities". The
re-issues will include extra tracks (both previously unreleased
and re-worked versions) and also feature new inner artwork and
photos.
Camper Van Beethoven formed in 1983 in Redlands CA a hot and
dusty southern California town 80 miles east of Los Angeles.
Founded by vocalist David Lowery, guitarist Chris Molla, and
bassist Victor Krummenacher, they later moved to the seaside
college community of Santa Cruz, CA in 1983, a town that at one
point bore the unfortunate title of "the murder capital of
America". CVB soon added drummer Anthony Guess (real name!)
guitarist Greg Lisher and Jonathan Segel. The addition of Segel
on violins, keyboards and mandolin gave the band their unique
sound. Drawing together elements of ska, country, tex-mex, 60s
psychedelia and folk, the band aptly described themselves as
"surrealist absurdist folk, and quickly gained a reputation for
their bizarre folk versions of hardcore songs.
In June 1985, their debut album "Telephone Free Landslide
Victory" was released though Independent Project Music/Rough
Trade. Featuring the classic "Take The Skinheads ing" and a
cover of Black s "Wasted", the album became a college radio
ste and also made the Top 10 in many critics polls.
"II & III" and "Camper Van Beethoven" were released the following
year. "II & III" saw the band producing a proto indie rock sound,
with touches of country as evidenced in "Sad Lovers Waltz" and
their cover of Sonic Youths "I Love Her All The Time". "Camper
Van Beethoven" continued this vein and featured outstanding
tracks, such as "Joe Stalins Cadillac", and a reverent version
of Pink Floyds Interstellar Overdrive". The band also released
an EP "Vampire Can Mating Oven", a bizarre (and intended to be
not-so-nice) local nickname for the band. Around this time Chris
Molla (for the previous year an on again off again member) left
in the middle of a tour and was never invited back to perform or
record with the band. Chris Pedersen was now the permanent CVB
drummer.
Following the third albums critical accl, and national tours
with bands such as R.E.M. and 10,000 Maniacs, Camper Van
Beethoven signed to Virgin Records and released their major label
debut, "Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart" (1988) and their
final release "Key Lime Pie" (1989). Jonathan Segel, had by this
point, left the band and Krummenacher, Pedersen and Lisher left
during a 1990 European tour, effectively dissolving the band. In
1993, Krummenacher remastered "Vampire Can Mating Oven" added
some demos, b-sides, unreleased tracks and rare mixes, and
released them through IRS as "Camper Vantiquities".
In July 2002, CVB reunited for shows in New York, San Francisco,
and Los Angeles. Ostensibly to promote the release of their
"lost" 1987 4-track of Tusk. Yes a note for note cover
of the Fleetwood Mac record and the retrospective five cd box set
"s and Carrot Juice: the Santa Cruz Years"
The good times keep rolling as the band continues to tour and
will issue a new Camper record before the end of 2004.
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