THE COMMODES ARE AT IT AGAIN!
Their first full length effort, "The Kids are not bright" , will take you to a special place where toilets overflow, the girls are plentiful and the beer is stale. On this record, guitar player Steve "The Kernel" Crapper provides heavy rhythm with plenty of rock and roll solos plus a twist of hillbilly pickin'. Paul "The Big Ragu" Frigo shows his ability to keep time as well as preach the good word in the "Gospel" song. After visiting with the Maharishi, original keyboardist Dan "Koty" Kotheimer changed his name to "Angry Elmer". Besides his new, bad attitude towards life, Angry Elmer shows signs of greatness in his rhythm, soloing and strong vocal range.
I asked The Commodes, "What made this studio experience different from your last 3 song single sessions?" Steve "The Kernel" Crapper replied, "We came into this recording session with a more serious attitude about our music and the beer of choice for these sessions was Schlitz, as compared to Strohs in the years past."
From beginning to end, each number on "The Kids Are Not Bright" is well arranged, the lyrical content is insightful while at the same time somewhat educational, and the flow from song to song is as steady as the band's bar tab.
-Irving J. Banizzo
Music critic
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