Search - Robyn Hitchcock :: Storefront Hitchcock

Don't take it so seriously man - and trim your nose/ear hair

Zen Vulture | Chicago | 11/03/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This one is going out to those uncertain about getting this CD as well as those who wrote the low ranking reviews who seem to take this CD (and themselves) too seriously. Boo Hoo I was alive in 1974 too, so the song must be about me as well (this song is actually not a very good RH song - there are far better songs here: I'm Only You, Glass Hotel, Freeze, Alright Yeah, The Wind Cries Mary...). The between song chatting ranges in humor, but so what?! If you don't like Hitchcock's thinking, of course you're not going to find what he says of any interest or content. This CD is not his strongest and not recommended for the newcomer (start with Black Snake Diamond Role, Fegmania, Invisible Hitchcock, Eye, and everything by the Soft Boys - all 10 out of 5 stars for me). When the time is right, you can give a hairless ear to this CD."

The old curiosity shop

brad lonard | Sydney, Australia | 06/27/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It's ironic that the publicity surrounding the film Storefront Hitchcock (and this soundtrack album) will introduce a lot of new listeners to this wondrous English singer, because really, this set is probably best appreciated by long-term fans who have spent time acclimatising themselves to the man's peculiar world view; newcomers expecting something a little poppier and ingratiating might well be put off, which would be a shame. (They can simply go straight to I Often Dream Of Trains, which showcases Robyn the semi-folkie, or Gotta Let This Hen Out!, which features the Egyptians at their exhilarating live best; both of these would be a better introduction to the Hitchcock ouvre.) If you're already in love with Robyn's songs, though, you'll enjoy this a lot. There's a number of strong new songs, probably the best being 1974, an ode to that most reviled of rock years, where genres such as prog/glam/metal/funk/roots rock were collapsing upon each other (an era when it was possible to love Roxy Music, King Crimson, Little Feat, Labelle and Captain Beefheart all at once). Unlike some reviewers, I don't think it's an attack on the generation which grew up in the 1970s so much as Robyn gently poking fun at his younger self (he was one of those obsessed teenagers, after all), and bemoaning the ageing process -- it's *his* hair growing in his ears and nose that he's complaining about. The rest of the set is quite strong (apart from The Yip Song, which is terminally annoying -- which was the point of it, I suppose). So the Storefront turns out to be a bit of a curiosity shop; but there's more gems than junk to be found if you're prepared to look."

Hello? you ...

richlatta | "The War Zone" ABQ, NM | 12/04/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I think this is a very strong set from Robyn. I don't understand why anyone would complain about it - unless they simply don't like Robyn Hitchcock in which case I say, "Buzz off! go listen to something you do like and leave behind what you obviously don't get." Of course, everyone's entitled to their 2 cents, but come on, this is a cool album that even includes classic off-the-wall Hitchcock banter. He shreds on "Glass Hotel" and the Hendrix cover (I've never heard a cover of "Wind Cries Mary" before) is very cool, too.What I think is a real shame is that Amazon.com is not selling my favorite album he did with the Egyptians: QUEEN ELVIS. Not the most popular one, but it oozes creativity with some very impressionistic, evocative and bizarre songs. I wonder about Hitchcock fans who don't like this one, or STOREFRONT HITCHCOCK for that matter."