Search - Tiny Tim :: God Bless Tiny Tim

No Novelty Act

plsilverman | USA | 02/25/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Tiny Tim's first album release was a major hit and his fans were pleased. The man himself was disappointed in the overall sound and in some of the material but still the public was impressed.
Most of the record buyers certainly hadn't caught Tiny in small clubs where he performed sans orchestration and *had* viewed him on "Laugh In" where outrageousness was the key. And with this heavily produced, Beatle-esque effort (from producer Richard Perry) they still hadn't heard the real TT.Despite such concerns, this album was no throwaway on a "fad". The performances are serious and determined to bring back the sound of the 1910 hand controlled music box. "Stay Down Here Where You Belong", the c. 1918 anti-War tune by Irving Berlin is a case in point. The vocal does not employ the trademark falsetto but a strong baritone. Tiny even manages to use the old-time vibrato. [Interestingly enough, this is perhaps the only "protest song" he ever did. There are numerous excellent tracks of songs like "Don't Bite The Hand That's Feeding You" and "What Kind Of American Are You?" on Reprise which display his Patriotism].
"Tip-Toe Through The Tulips", the single release, was a natural selection, a fun song to begin with, and given a bouyant arrangement. Ofcourse, it was his biggest-selling single of the four which made the charts. The vocal, however, is not as impressive as the one on the Berlin number.
Of the new material, "Raspberry Tea" was pertinent for the time and is worth hearing.
For those who enjoy their Tiny Tim "straight" [no dated pun intended], there are numerous releases which use minimal support and present the man in the way he wanted to be presented.
(footnote/tip-toe note): His follow-up album was just as good but failed to register commercially because (as Tiny and others believed) the concurrent issue of an album called "Concert In Fairyland" impacted the sales. It was produced from previously unreleased 1962 tapes of Tiny not at his best. Added to this, audience sounds were overdubbed!."

A Buried Treasure!

Smiddyboy | Sydney | 03/20/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This album was Tiny Tim's first and best release, and as far as I'm aware, was Richard Perry's first release as producer - At least with a major record company. Ocasionally Tiny takes a back seat to Perry's immense production and that is not a bad thing. In fact its good, very very good. The arrangements and production here are superb. 'This is all I ask' and 'Strawberry Tea' are worthy of a George Martin. Beautiful. Breathtaking.



Tiny, when left to his own devices, could drift a little too much into the aimless and obscure but with Perry at the helm, a good mesh of old and new was incorporated. Tiny's love of the old time, combined with Perry's choice of material from current writers of the time like Paul Williams, Diane Hilderbrand and Sonny Bono, created a diverse and satisfying album. Styles such as VAUDVILLE(Tiptoe thru the tulips) MUSIC HALL(Stay down here where you belong, Livin in the sunlight) COUNTRY(Then I'd be satisfied with life) POP(I'm a nut) and NOVELTY(The Viper, I got you babe) make this album a perfect release for the late 1960's. Throw in some psychedelia around the edges and you have a unique album by a unique and misunderstood artist.



If you're not a Tiny Tim fan, this just might make a believer out of you. And if this album doesnt do it ... nothing will!!"

A Quiet Genius

Amish Lover | Schererville, Indiana United States | 04/02/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I loved this album.....and this most gentle of men. I had this album in vinyl when it first came out....and played it over and over until my parents were sick of it. But it is representative of a simpler time....and a simpler way of life for me. Several divorces and moves later..and I lost my vinyl album....but I have it on cd...and it still fills me with the same pleasure and joy I experienced when I heard it so many years ago. I wish Tim was still with us....and at least with his music to listen to, he still is...and always will be. He was a true master and I miss him terribly."