Search - Richard Cheese :: Viva La Vodka

Viva Richard Cheese

The Delite Rancher | Phoenix, Arizona | 08/29/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Sadly, Richard Cheese will soon hang-up his leopard skin tuxedo jacket for good. As the Martini Hero tour wraps up, we have to come to the conclusion that nothing can make the party giggle and swing as hard as Lounge Against the Machine. Keep those eyes dry because our favorite lounge singer isn't stepping off stage without leaving us a final party favor. While we have a large body of studio work by Lounge Against the Machine (LATM), the band's hilarious live shows have gone undocumented . . . until now. As a live album, "Viva La Vodka" is a splendid parting gift. And a wonderful swan song it is. For the uninitiated, Richard Cheese performs lounge versions of popular hip-hop, pop and indie rock songs. While campy, Cheese is a genuinely talented singer and his band is fabulous. While LATM's studio work is strong, half the fun has always been their live performance. Like a Rat Pack era crooner, Richard Cheese walks through the crowd and interacts with the audience. His irrelevant and crude banter is gut-busting. At one point, the smooth talker orders a cocktail at the bar. For the first time on CD, we can hear his impersonator act. At another point, Cheese goes off into a Britney Spears shtick. Recorded in five cities between 2000 and 2008, the recording quality is excellent. The song choice is another strength of "Viva La Vodka;" it plays like a greatest hits album. The disc opens with Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit,' which is followed by the Beastie Boys' 'Brass Monkey.' One of his most humorous renditions is 2 Live Crew's 'Me So Horny' which invites crowd participation. A lengthy story leads into Radiohead's 'Airbag.' The band throws in a couple of TV theme songs with 'Three's Company' and 'WKRP in Cincinnati.' 'RC On The Air' is an odd collection of snippets from various radio interviews. During one part, Richard Cheese is interviewed with regards to the 2003 Siegfried & Roy tiger attack. The album cover is a parody of Coldplay's "Viva La Vida." So it is appropriate that this album closes with that album's title song. So LATM will soon leave the building for good but in addition to comical studio albums and the memory of side-splitting live shows, we have this musical memento. (We've also been promised a couple of 'posthumous' releases.) Here's a final toast to Richard Cheese and his Lounge Against the Machine!"