Friendly Rich and the Lollipop People

Dinosaur Power

BY Scott A. GrayPublished Jul 26, 2008

If one is not familiar with Friendly Rich’s particularly peculiar brand of eclectic, progressive, vaudeville folk, the start of album opener "Gentlemen’s Club” can trick the listener into expecting jovial big band lounge, that is until the Lollipop People start flexing their Dinosaur Power. Taking traditional cultural music motifs, mostly European, and warping them with Rich’s demented storytelling, theatrically comical voice and his band’s dexterous handling of complicated arrangements, Dinosaur Power is the most confident release yet for these Bramptonian performance artists. They put a freaky waltz "Fatwa” on you one song and somehow make a cover of the Littlest Hobo theme cool the next, then disintegrate into bursts of free jazz for the title track and creepy French uncle crooning for "Me n’ Mom.” Fans of Zappa, Beefheart and Tom Waits will find a lot to like about Dinosaur Power. It’s the kind of zestfully wacky, scatter shot release that’s impossible to take seriously and even more impossible not to enjoy.
(Pumpkin Pie)

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