Singing in the Bathtub
In the late '70s the Cheap Suit Serenaders--fronted by comix legend Robert Crumb but also featuring fellow old-time music artistes Robert Armstrong, Bob Brozman, Al Dodge, Tom Marion, and Terry Zwigoff (who would later produce a whole film on Crumb)--were the only group around who would even think about still producing 78s. After all, that's where all their favorite music came from. Those platters are now highly collectible, but their albums live on, reissued on CD.Singing in the Bathtubcollects some of their best work--humorous originals such as "Suits Crybaby Blues" and plenty of covers of tunes from obscure 78s. Their playing is flawless (you probably haven't heard the steel guitar, banjo mandolin, or musical saw played with such virtuosity as here), the tunes are mostly fun and spirited, and the music styles are varied. In the hands of the Cheap Suits, old-time music is alive and well.--Jason Verlinde