Brad Roberts Live Singing Your Favourite Hits - Crash Test Dude

Advantages: Whimsical lyrics
Disadvantages: Whimsical lyrics don't always appeal

...was relishing the thought of some enforced quality time because I was to be made redundant at the end of the year. Remember the song about the kid who was in a car crash and his hair turned white and the other one whose plight was that his parents shook and lurched in church that was around at the time? "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" it was called and was a global hit. Brad Roberts is the bloke with the unfeasibly deep voice who both wrote and sang it. The band? Crash Test Dummies. They came largely unannounced out of the heaving rock and roll cauldron that is Winnipeg, somewhere in British Canada in the late 80s and the album this track is taken from was their second, "God Shuffled His Feet". The first one was "The Ghosts That Haunt Me" in 1991 and was fairly well received; "God" sold millions. Rightly so, too. It's quite possibly one of the best collections... Read review

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Advantages: Quirky, thoughful lyrics, Innovative sound
Disadvantages: Nothing

...There is no rating high enough for this amazing cd. But I will give it the highest possible. The Crash Test Dummies' follow-up to the good-but-not-as-good 1st album, The Ghosts That Haunt Me, combines quirky pop-rock songs with Brad Roberts' deep barritone voice, Ellen Reid's mesmerising back-up vocals, fantastic harmonica and bass, courtesy of Ben Darvill and Dan Roberts, and very wierd lyrics. Well produced by Jerry Harrison, of the Talking Heads, with a rich, full sound. They must have taken hours to rehearse all of this. The Dummies have won multiple awards, especially for this album and songs like MMM MMM MMM MMM, Afternoons And Coffeespoons and Swimming In Your Ocean. The best track, according to not only me, but all the fans is Afternoons And Coffeespoons.But the others come extremely close. Their music can not be compared to any... Read review

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Advantages: As Perfect As Music And Lyrics Can Be!
Disadvantages: Maybe a little bit too folkish for fan's of 'God Shuffled His Feet'

...Before they became massive with the 'God shuffled his feet' album the then unknown canadians released this criminally neglected album. Brad Roberts' voice is unique and the sound of him singing his way through this album of somewhat country/folk/irish sounding songs is a joy to behold. Every song has the band's unique and sometimes comedic view on life. It is like listening to poetry but not some morbid or romantic prose but something so fine and at times hilarious that you can't help but listen to all the songs again and again. From the opening track of 'Winter song' through to 'Superman's song' [which puts forward the thought what if Superman had used his powers for evil instead of good?] and the dramatic 'Androgynous' [which again is an odd tale of a man who feels he is in the wrong body] you can't help but feel compelled... Read review

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