How Sweet to Be an Idiot
| How Sweet to Be an Idiot | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1973 (UK) | |||
| Recorded | March – July 1973 | |||
| Studio | Chipping Norton Studio, Oxfordshire | |||
| Genre | Pop/rock | |||
| Length | 37:56 | |||
| Label | United Artists | |||
| Producer | Neil Innes | |||
| Neil Innes chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Re-Cycled Vinyl Blues | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Studio album by Neil Innes | |
| Released | 1994 (UK) |
| Recorded | 1973 |
| Genre | Pop/rock |
| Label | EMI |
| Producer | Neil Innes |
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | [2] |
How Sweet to Be an Idiot is the first solo album by Neil Innes, formerly of the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, and was released in 1973.
Release
The title track was released as a single (with B-side "The Age of Desperation") but failed to chart. It was a more instrumented version than on the album, arranged by Richard Hewson.[3] Its melody was borrowed by Oasis for their single "Whatever", released in 1994; Innes claimed plagiarism and as a result received royalties and a co-writing credit.[4][5]
The album was re-released by United Artists in 1980 under the title Neil Innes A-Go-Go[6] and by EMI in 1994 with additional tracks – most of which had been released on singles – under the title Re-Cycled Vinyl Blues.[2] This edition of the album was dedicated to Ollie Halsall, who had died in 1992, and former Bonzo Dog bassist Dennis Cowan, who had died in 1972;[7] it featured a guest appearance by Michael Palin on the title track.[2]
Innes later said of this time the album was recorded,
United Artists had been very kind to me ... In my own way, I wanted to repay them – by making a bunch of silly singles at a time when the music industry still seemed to have a sense of humour. Wrong again.[6]
Innes performed the title song on Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl and on Monty Python Live at Drury Lane.[1] Surviving members of Monty Python performed the song for Terry Jones's funeral at Golders Green Cemetery.
Reception
Stewart Mason, reviewing the album for AllMusic, described it as "split between tongue-in-cheek parody and straight pop songs" and containing "solidly melodic Beatlesque pop", but was critical of the "unfortunate sterility to Innes' self-production".[1]
A review of the release by Mark Deming of AllMusic was more appreciative than that of his predecessor, saying that "most [of the tracks] walk a graceful tightrope between sly humor and solid pop-friendly rock & roll" and recommending that "anyone who digs a great hook played with heart should get to know the music of Neil Innes".[2]
Track listing
- All songs written by Neil Innes
- How Sweet to Be an Idiot and Neil Innes-A-Go-Go have identical track listings
Side one
- "Prologue" – 0:49
- "Momma Bee" – 2:47*
- "Immortal Invisible" – 4:04*
- "Topless A-Go-Go" – 4:08
- "Feel No Shame" – 6:12
Side two
- "How Sweet To Be An Idiot" – 2:45
- "Dream On" – 3:04 [listed as "Dream" on Neil Innes-A-Go-Go]
- "L'Amour Perdu" – 2:10
- "Song For Yvonne" – 2:52*
- "This Love of Ours" – 2:57*
- "Singing A Song Is Easy" – 5:08
Track listing for Re-Cycled Vinyl Blues
- "Re-Cycled Vinyl Blues" – 3:33
- "Angelina" – 2:50
- "Come Out into the Open" – 3:42
- "Prologue" – 0:51
- "Momma Bee" – 2:54
- "Lie Down and Be Counted" – 3:09
- "Immortal Invisible" – 4:12
- "Age of Desperation" – 2:34
- "Topless-A-Go-Go" – 4:04
- "Feel No Shame" – 6:24
- "How Sweet To Be an Idiot" – 2:51
- "Dream On" – 3:05
- "L'Amour Perdu" – 2:17
- "Song for Yvonne" – 2:57
- "This Love of Ours" – 3:04
- "Fluff on the Needle" – 5:36
- "Singing a Song Is Easy" – 5:04
- "Bandwagon" (Live) – 4:31
Personnel
- Neil Innes – vocals, guitar, piano
- Andy Roberts – rhythm guitar
- Mike Kellie – drums
- Dave Richards – bass guitar
- Ollie Halsall – lead guitar, organ
- Gerry Conway – drums on *
- The Mucrons – backing vocals[3]
- Dennis Cowan – guitar on additional tracks for re-release
Notes
- ^ a b c Mason, Stewart. "Review: How Sweet To Be An Idiot". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 August 2009.
- ^ a b c d Deming, Mark. "Review: Re-Cycled Vinyl Blues". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 August 2009.
- ^ a b "How Sweet To Be An Idiot". bonzodog.org. Retrieved 4 August 2009.
- ^ "Oasis – news, pictures, reviews, biography, videos, best songs, discography, books, DVDs, concerts, gossip, pictures and tour dates". NME. Retrieved 4 August 2009.
- ^ Michaels, Sean (6 October 2008). "Have Oasis plagiarised Cliff Richard?". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 4 August 2009.
- ^ a b Barbour, Danny (November 1994). "Neil Innes". Record Collector (183): 148–149.
- ^ "Dennis Cowan". neilinnes.org. Archived from the original on 2 December 2000. Retrieved 4 August 2009.