Search - Harpers Bizarre :: Anything Goes

Great overlooked sixties group

Tarheel | Carrboro, NC, USA | 11/23/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Harper's Bizarre combined many of the best qualities of the Beach Boys and the Beatles, and it's a shame they aren't more appreciated. The intricacies of the production and vocal harmonies on this album rival those of Pet Sounds. The wistfulness and beauty of the songs resonate with songs such as Fool on the Hill and Eleanor Rigby. Like the Beatles (Your Mother Should Know, Honey Pie), HB liked to juxtapose retro-sounding songs with more modern fare. They share Randy Newman's sly sense of humor and observation. This album was in constant rotation with Simon and Garfunkel's Bookends album on my record player when it came out. This is a highly recommended artifact from a more innocent (but not as innocent as they sound) age."

Bizarre harper's

paulkristi | Mount Prospect, Illinois United States | 12/14/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Well I won't go on too much about this album the reviewer before me did a very good job covering it. this collection of songs is a strange echo of much earlier decades, yet its all done with a 1960's syles. One of the most interesting songs is definitly "Louisiana Man," a blue grass type folk song which was also recorded excellently by The Seekers."

Classic Sunshine Pop/Rock

Boomertunes | Illinois USA | 12/25/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If any group and song was the prototype for sunshine pop, it would be Harpers Bizarre and their hit version of "Feelin' Groovy". Their high range choir boy harmonies, positive themed material, and sophisticated arrangements were all part of the genre's model.

Along with Spanky and Our Gang, The Association, The Sunshine Company, The Free Design, The Cowsills, and the Fifth Dimension, Harpers Bizarre produced music that poured out of AM radios in the 1960's.

"Anything Goes" was the second LP release for the group and the second release in the Sundazed CD reissue series of the group. The complete fourteen song track list is intact and includes two bonus cuts.

As usual, regardless of the song style, each song is gussied up in the Harpers Bizarre sound of Ted Templeman and Dick Scoppettone's voices singing soft and high; lush background harmonies weaving in and out of orchestration with strings, flutes, oboes, horns; and John Petersen drumming with brushes to tie it all together.

The title song reached #43 on the charts and its follow up, "Chattanooga Choo Choo", made it to #45. Other tin pan alley standards ("Two Little Babes In The Woods" and Pocketful Of Miracles")are blended with the work of composers like Van Dyke Parks("High Coin"), Randy Newman (The Biggest Night Of Her Life")and Doug Kershaw ("Louisiana Man").

Special highlights include their own "Hey, You In The Crowd" and a beautiful impressionistic Newman composition, "Snow".

Bonus tracks include Kenny Rankin's folky "Cotton Candy Sandman"(in a different version than the one found on HB 4), and a TV special theme "Malibu U"."