The Dandy Warhols – The Black Album + Come On Feel The Dandy Warhols

I have this very CD, which I bought off their website years ago. Mine however does not have the banana logo on the disc but rather a, "Beat the World Records" logo. Does anyone have any information on the difference between the two? Cheers and thank-you!!!

The Black Album / Come On Feel The Dandy Warhols is a complicated release, a double disc that was originally only available from the band’s website. Disc One brings together the band’s demos from the 1996 demo album, a release that was matter of factly rejected by Capitol Records and equally dismissed by the band as rather tragic. It’s worthy to note that the original outing contained the tracks “You Get High,” “Traci Lords,” and “Alien”, with the collection being known as the Black Album. Disc Two, known as Come Feel The Dandy Warhols, is a compilation of sorts, containing B Sides and covers that were heretofore unheard, and perhaps should have remained that way, though while these two collections in no way come off as formal albums, they do open a window into the minds of The Dandy Warhols, giving listeners a vision into their musical experimentations.

Disc Two is the most engaging, though musically it offers little as well, with the Crosby Stills & Nash number “Ohio” being the takeaway gem, a deeply moving and sonically intoxicating dark version of the song that the Dandy’s truly manage to make their own. I had rather high hopes for the cover of Bowie’s “The Jean Genie,” along with the Blondie cover “Call Me,” both of which brought nothing new to the table, especially after hearing “Ohio.” Other artists covered included Ted Nugent, though I’ll never understand why, AC/DC was right out of left field, and then there was Gordon Lightfoot. I suppose that the Dandy’s thought they could spark fresh life into some of this music, but alas, they don’t, even picking the obscure “Stars” by Brian Jonestown Massacre, with these tracks seeming to be nothing more than scripts they could not improve on, and perhaps made even worse.

If this music was designed to have been released, I would call the sets rather indulgent, though since it was one of those ‘never meant to see the light of day’ things, I can only infer that it is what it is … after all, the Dandy’s have always been music’s outliers, a fusion of pop, glam, rock and psychedelia; pretty much whatever suites their interests at the moment.

In short, it’s a fun listen, though I doubt anyone with spin these discs more than once, though will hopefully find a way of keeping “Ohio” and adding it as your own personal bonus track to the end of any other Dandy Warhols’ album, as it’s more than worthy for a place in your musical collection.

Review by Jenell Kesler

*** Another example of mediocre music that demands big buck$.