Search - Pepe & Bottle Blondes :: Pambrosia

Great but not stellar

Jonathan Schaefer | los angeles, ca | 09/25/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Usually when so much time has lasped between releases one would expect more than, well, Pambrosia. It's wonderful in many ways -- great horns, very dancable and Pepes' voice is amazing; flexible, great tone and it's quite obvious he's done his homework. He is an accomplished artist and vocalist and only he could pull off Russian lyrics to a latin beat.



The first cut BOMBS as a list song about an ET. I don't know what is wrong with the first half of the cd but it just beats on and on with little distinction or variety. Most of the cd is over until Donde estabas tu, which is sublime and reminds you what P&TBB can really do. His female backup singers are EXCELLENT.



Everything is fine until the ending when for some reason they decide to take a jewel from the first cd and run it through the remix hades of commericalism. Were they looking for a radio hit? I don't know.



Something that has never been clear to me is the split Pepe made with Pink Martini after Pinks' first cd. I was so disappointed when Tomato came out and there was no Pepe, my god, were they nuts? In my opinion, he was the best thing, vocally, they had going for them other than their classical approach to arrangement. Ms. China is all well and good and serves Pink very well.



Thankfully I discovered Pepe and the Bottle Blondes and discovered where the heart and fun of Pink disappeared to. I think both bands are wonderful for entirely different reasons.



Pepe seems to be the personification of Puck and he seems more than generous in sharing the lime light with his band and back up singers. He's got the soul, the beat and pelvic thrust in his music. My only hope is that he keeps producing music. (ok, maybe 3.5 stars)"

Fresh, fun ....a new genre in the making

Brent D. Davies | Chicago, IL USA | 01/29/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The follow up to "Late Night Betty", while not as accomplished as Pepe's first release, Pambrosia continues do deliver the goods in this genre bending collection of rumba and intoxicating rhythms. Perhaps more than the first album, the horn section drives a bombastic line of musical mayhem. It's obvious that the creative behind Pepe & The Bottle Blondes is a hoot and this permeates virtually every song. This band is a "no questions ask", just buy it presence. Hopefully, unlike a good sitcom running out of ideas, they will retain the whimsical soul that separates them from the crowd and continue down the same road. That said, "you've never heard anything like Pepe & The Bottle Blondes"."

Is it as good as the first one?

Oded Zohar | 10/29/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Well,



"Latenight Betty" has been an enormous success, and everybody who listened to one or two songs immediately wanted the whole thing. I long waited for a second album and bought it with no delay the minute I saw it was out.



The first song "Outta This World" does hold up with the reputation, being unique, catchy and even funny, but then something happens. You expect to "stay up" but you get mostly empty handed. There are a few pretty nice songs that give you that old flare and grace; "On & On", "Donde Estabas Tu", "Sere serenito", but the others are mostly "okay". I swear one or two sounded like a hotel band.



Talent is not something that "Pepe & the Bottle Blondes" lack. I would definitely be interested in a third album, but I will listen to it before buying next time.



Oded Zohar,

Tel-Aviv.

"