"The Video for "Come To Daddy (pappy mix)" was my first exposure to Aphex Twin, and boy did it leave a scar. How the hell can this sort of music exist in the pop-culture vacuum that is the "backstreet boys era?" Upon picking up the CD, I was plesantly surprised about the variation of styles represented. Nay,I was stunned.I have, since then, been able to come up with a genre name for RDJ's music: "smart-as." Yes, that is the only way to describe what he does. Come to Daddy let him out-Prodigy Prodigy, Windowlicker let him out-blaxploit the rap community.. I shudder to think of what he'll do next.Flim and IZ-US are wonderfull... it harkens back to his Selected Ambient Work days, and "BBB" and "Funny Little Man" have that "RDJ Album" experimental-to-the-edge-of-sanity feel to them.My girlfriend is mortified of the way he uses his/children's voices. I'm inclined to agree, but it's so tongue in cheek, it's silly. "CTD (pappy)" is like nothing he's ever done, and nothing he will ever do again. RDJ never has and never will take himself seriously. kudos for him.If you've never heard aphex, start here, it's a good introduction (and pretty cheap, too)."
Vintage RDJ
Bobby Laman | Greenwich, CT | 01/22/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Many of these reviews have made me angry. This is one of RDJ's best compiliations to date, despite it's status as an EP. I will go through each track and tell you why."Come to Daddy Pappy Mix" may come off as just a harsh rip-off of Prodigy at first listen, but the beats are great and the energy level is through the roof. The ending is the best part."Flim" is indeed an excellent song. When I first heard it, I was inspired by its melodic simplicty and its modified drumset beats. However, most of the reviews say this song is the highlight and it's not. After about 6 or 7 listenings, "Flim" gets a bit boring."Lord Fauntleroy Remix" is very cool. The beats are sort of like two-step hip-hop and the voices are infectious. I especially like the ending when you hear the low, man's voice get all waivery and choked up. It makes me laugh out loud when I hear it with my friends.The best song on this album is "Bucephalus Bouncing Ball." It is simply an electronic/percussive marvel. The song is structured so it has distinct sections, not unlike a classical composition. All the rhythms are created by RDJ bouncing different sized balls into a modulator. For those of you who like the beginning of this song and dont like the "noisy" 2nd half, screw you all. The 2nd half is sublime. If you people had any sort of internal beat, you would notice that the time never stops. Try tapping your foot to the tempo throughout the whole song and you'll see what I mean. I am a drummer and to me, this is pure genius."To Cure a Weakling Child" is sorta cool but I've heard it before on Richard D. James. Many people like this tune but the melody just doesn't do it for me, although I still listen to it in it's entirety."Funny Little Man" is very interesting at first listen. The harpsicord and weird bass line is harmonically complex and the child's voice is disturbing but very melodic, almost like a horn. It does get very tiresome after a while. I admit that i skip over the track when I hear it."Mummy Mix" is really cool. I know I'm one of the only ones who thinks so but hear me out. Depite the absence of melody, the rhythms are just awesome. The high pitched sine waves that can be heard towards the beginning create this soundscape that makes me close my eyes and rock my head to the beat. Also, like "Bouncing Ball" you can't appreciate these rhythms without keeping an internal beat or tapping your foot to the song. The only drawback to this song are those loud 4 in a row pulses that appear halfway through until the end. Other than that, good tune."IZ-US" is a great way to end the album. It is a big change of pace and is very mellow for RDJ. It sorta reminds me of something off of Moby's "Play."
This EP is an important aspect of RDJ's work. It is just as innovative as his self-titled effort but he tones down the harsh chirps and squeeks so that the music can be appreciated without lowering the volume. Go out and buy this now!"
Richard D. James is ahead of his time
Matthew Wilcox | Lansing, MI | 10/15/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"In comparing Aphex Twin with Underworld, both transmit flashes of genius. But Aphex Twin goes off into territory that has never even been imagined; mostly techno, though some borders on (believe it or not) contemporary classical. Hey, the guy collaborated with Philip Glass ... how far off could I be? In any case, the real prize in Come To Daddy is the companion video of the title track, produced by Chris Cunningham (Madonna's "Frozen", Squarepusher's "Come On My Selector", and Aphex Twin's "Windowlicker"). If you have not yet seen it, go check it out. No other director has interpreted a nightmare onto film in such a short time span quite like Cunningham (RDJ's roommate). The rest of the CD delivers, and leaves you craving more new material ... stay tuned ..."
About Flim
Pithy Commentz | CT | 07/17/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If any of you cats got the vinyl of Come To Daddy, put song 02- Flim on slower speed (which on a normally 45 speed LP would be 33rpm), I swear it sounds so much better. It's almost as if RDJ intended it to be that way but released it faster to trick his fans. The rest of the (cd) album is great, the cd has more songs, some of the best songs. Mummy remix is terrific, Contour Regard fantastic, Iz-Us compelling."
I don't think that this album should be taken too seriously
JLS | USA | 07/22/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"With all of the material that elevates Richard D. James into the realm of "musical genious", this album only further supports that claim. Whereas in most of James' albums, he pushes towards either artistic perfection or tries to relate to people on a personal level, on Come To Daddy, he merely seems to be letting off some steam and having fun. The first track seems to be a comedic onslaught on the various agro-techno groups that were being formed and pushed into the mainstream whenever this album was released. The rest of the tracks each have their own appeal. The main thing that makes this more of a comedy peice than any of the other albums in James' catalogue are the voice samples he uses throughout the album. Who can't laugh or at least chuckle at the vocal samples in the song Funny Little Man?? This is a nice change of pace for James. It wouldn't be a good thing if he stayed with this style of music for an extended period of time, but after the deep and intense emotional struggles of I Care... and Selected Ambient Works Vol 2, and the classical methodology placed into the Richard D. James Album, it is nice to have an album that you can just cruise around in your car and bob your head to (or perhaps put the first track on loop while wearing make-up to frighten small children that are playing on the street). As with all of James' work, many will find this album frightening and hard to listen to. Others will most certainly find charm in the playful melodies and rythms that occur after the first track. Perhaps those of us who have a smile on their face while listening to this album are sick and twisted individuals, but at least we have fun. Sometimes, even with all of the artsy and emotional music in the world, it is good to have a little fun every now and then. Too bad that the majority of the "fun" music that is played on the radio can't be arranged and produced this well and will long be forgotten while this album remains, willing to entice the cold-hearted to wear a smile every now and then."