Search - Robyn Hitchcock & Egyptians :: Respect

Long Lost Love

InsectGirl | Between DC and Baltimore | 03/02/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Am I the only one who fell head-over-heels in love with the song "Wafflehead"? It's saturated with sensual, poetic imagery that draws you into a tub of maple syrup and dances across your skin. At least, that's what it did to me when I first heard this album as a radio jockey at my college. It still does that to me. RESPECT was, by far, the best album by Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians. What makes this album so special is twofold: it's the product of the evolution and maturation of a prolific artist and, it's layered with fantastical storytelling. If you're new to Robyn Hitchcock's tricks, I would urge you to first start with FEGMANIA! or GROOVY DECOY or GLOBE OF FROGS before getting your hands sticky with this one. You'll love every nibble you take..."

An under-appreciated Hitchcock gem

Scott Richardson | Chicago, IL USA | 09/11/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What frequently happens to me in regards to Robyn Hitchcock is that I'll listen to an album and then forget all about it. When I rediscover it months or years later, I find myself thinking "Wow, I'd forgotten this song was on this album!" Some of his songs stick with me long after I've forgotten about the albums they're from. This happened to me most recently with Moss Elixir.Respect is another one of those albums. I re-discovered it recently and found myself saying "Huh, I'd forgotten that this was the album 'Arms of Love' was on." Respect has some classic Hitchcock tracks ("The Wreck of the Arthur Lee," for example, and the aforementioned "Arms of Love"). While it contains some overly silly material ("The Yip Song" and the utterly bizarre "Wafflehead"), its true value is on Hitchcock's more somber, thoughtful side ("Then You're Dust," "Serpent at the Gates of Wisdom").This isn't necessarily an album for fans of Hitchcock's sillier "Balloon Man" side, but it is an excellent showcase of Hitchcock's songwriting ability. It's out of print, but it's definitely worth tracking down."

RESPECT YOURSELF

Guy De Federicis | east of here | 12/10/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A kinder, gentler, Robyn Hitchcock and The Egyptians album, (save the nursery rhyme-like, "The Yip Song", and the grunting, lecherous, "Wafflehead"), with respect due, according to the liner notes to Raymond Hitchcock, (father?), and John Lennon. The partiarchal inspiration is evident in the soft bongo and acoustic driven transcendence of generations in "Railway Shoes", a slice of lazy day sunshine in brand spanking new shoes, - "the ghost of your father is right by your side, he's so close to you that he's almost inside, he's guiding your head and he's guiding your limbs, but he isn't you, and you know you're not him, in your railway shoes." Beatlesque influences filter throughout, with Asian-Indian "Baby, You're a Rich Man", sounds in the hallucinogenic, "When I Was Dead", - "When I was dead, I wore a strong perfume...". Hitchcock embraces Lennon's crusade for love and peace, without Audrey Hepburn's tentacle feelers and other morphing metaphors, in honest and global love songs that are surprisingly deft and touching. "Arms of Love", is more emotional than anything U2 might plead by, and 'Love' is lost like a ship downed at sea, in "The Wreck of The Arthur Lee", a seeming reference to Arthur Lee's prog rock ensemble, "Love", and his abandonment of humanist spirituality in favor of a more conventional Christian belief. But, there's more. "The Moon Inside", is a spooky, multi-layered techno rock haunt of mortality and demise, and "Driving Aloud (Radio Storm)", is a rewarding, joyous, pop stomp of heroic, life saving radio waves. Given Hitchcock's penchant for borderline bipolar observations, "Respect", is like an escape from the ward, for a few rationale moments of love and respect."