Ruby Vroom

Amazon.com
Where the '60s had a fair amount of great blue-eyed soul, the 1990s had been remiss in offering up first-rate, blue-eyed hip-hop--until Soul Coughing came along. Frontman M. Doughty shied away from the label, dubbing the quartet's music "deep slacker jazz," which actually kinda fits tracks like the film noir homage, "Screenwriter's Blues." Doughty's acerbic, often hilarious (see "Casiotone Nation") rhymes--which never sound like he's trying to be too streetwise--float like butterflies over the sting-like-a-bee rhythm section of Sebastian Steinberg and Yuval Gabay. Add the unorthodox sampler technique of Mark de Gli Antoni, and you have a total package that you'll never tire of unwrapping. --David Sprague

Ruby Vroom,Soul Coughing,Warner Bros / Wea,Alternative Pop/Rock,Indie Pop,Indie Rock,Pop,Popular Music,Post-Grunge,Rock,Rock/Pop

Ruby Vroom

Average customer rating:

Like falling through Alice's looking glass...
Best Of Soul Coughing, And That's Saying Alot
Amazing.
Their best--no question.
Groovy beat (the poets) oriented "slacker jazz"

Ruby Vroom
Soul Coughing
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Post Grunge | American Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000002MUG
Release Date: 1994-09-27

Tracks:

Is Chicago, Is Not Chicago
Sugar Free Jazz
Casiotone Nation
Blueeyed Devil
Bus To Beelzebub
True Dreams Of Wichita
Screenwriter's Blues
Moon Sammy
Supra Genius
City Of Motors
Uh, Zoom, Zip
Down To This
Mr. Bitterness
Janine

Amazon.com

Where the '60s had a fair amount of great blue-eyed soul, the 1990s had been remiss in offering up first-rate, blue-eyed hip-hop--until Soul Coughing came along. Frontman M. Doughty shied away from the label, dubbing the quartet's music "deep slacker jazz," which actually kinda fits tracks like the film noir homage, "Screenwriter's Blues." Doughty's acerbic, often hilarious (see "Casiotone Nation") rhymes--which never sound like he's trying to be too streetwise--float like butterflies over the sting-like-a-bee rhythm section of Sebastian Steinberg and Yuval Gabay. Add the unorthodox sampler technique of Mark de Gli Antoni, and you have a total package that you'll never tire of unwrapping. --David Sprague

Customer Reviews:

Like falling through Alice's looking glass..........2005-08-25

I had just met in person the man I had been e-mailing for months. We had been swapping musical recommendations, along with the trivia and minutia that we both seemed to have an endless appetite for; he handed me a glass of wine, and went to his media center with a CD in his hand and said "This is my litmus test for anyone who claims to be someone of really broad musical tastes", and proceeded to put "Ruby Vroom" into the player. As "Is Chicago, Is Not Chicago" began, I could feel my eyes opening wider and wider, and I was smiling so big, it actually hurt my cheeks. I was taking an auditory ride equal to Alice's adventures in Wonderland, where everything had its very own perverse logic, thinking was circular, not linear, and the Mad Hatter had a new name--Mike Doughty. By the time I was boarding the "Bus to Beelzebub", I was completely hooked. I married the man with the CD, and we've shared many more glasses of wine, and many more CD's, and we've listened to Soul Coughing so often that my 17 year old son, whose personal tastes run more to Diatribe and Limp Bizkit, has memorized the words to "Bus to Beelzebub" and "Uh,Zoom Zip". We have the rest of Soul Coughing's discography, but this one, their first, is the definitive sound and psyche of these erudite innovators at their most scathingly observant.

Best Of Soul Coughing, And That's Saying Alot.......2005-05-06

Doing a quick glance over the various reviews of this album, i have noticed only one reviewer who even attempted to throughly criticize the hell out of this album. And a good job he did...for himself. But clearly, whoever recomended that he listen to Soul Coughing was glossly mistaken. Being the creepy stalker that i am, i read his other reviews to find that his primary musical interests center around 70s pop music, and while he may enjoy Cake, this is diffrent.

Diffrent to say the least. Soul Coughing is one of few bands that cannot be accurately compared to anything else at all. Sure, you can pick out the influences, but the complete sound is unique. It's a little like morphine, with free-form poetry and some drum and bass. Or like some of Garbages older stuff, but less electro and a male vocalist. Truely, though, Soul Coughing is not a band you ought to recommend to anyone based one their appreciation of another band.

"Ruby Vroom" is in my opinion, one of the greatest albums to be made in the 90s. I'm sure that comment won't go over well with the Nirvana crowd, but it's true. From the flawless, almost techno-quality drums of Yuval Gabay, to the haunting and precise upright bass of Sebastian, to, best of all, the vocals of Mike Doughty. Doughty does not sing songs about specific stuff, like falling in love or how politics are in the toilet. He sings about things that, granted, do not make complete sense, but rather, convey a mood.

And "Ruby Vroom" is all kinds of moody. The combination of unusual vocals and the use of an upright bass gives the entire album a brooding and dark tone. The wall to wall "hits" include "Casiotone Nation" (a song who's lyrics change every time it is performed) "Bus To Beelzebub" (which opens with a sample from a 'Looney Toons' song) "True Dreams Of Wichita" "Mr. Bitterness", and best of all "Screenwriters Blues", a track i personally think could continue the length on an entire LP and not get stale.

My humble opinion, but by the looks of it, I'm in good company.

Amazing........2005-04-29

Like lots of folks, I first heard Soul Coughing on Songs in the Key of X, which had "Unmarked Helicopters" on it. I sort of forgot about them until they came up on a favorite website of mine and I decided to check them out. Simply put, this album is brilliant. Laid back, funky as all get out, quirky and original, Ruby Vroom is one heck of an introduction to Soul Coughing. The lyrics range from nifty to brilliant, mostly brilliant, and manage to be edgy and playful and (on a few tracks) just nonsensical enough to be interpreted several ways. My favorite songs are "Is Chicago, Is Not Chicago", "Screenwriter's Blues", "Casiotone Nation", "Uh, Zoom Zip", "Down To This", and the quirky but brilliantly played "Mr. Bitterness" (it's sort of like drum n' bass, but played with real instruments), which is a huge changeup and continues to grab my attention. I have been listening to this album nonstop for a week, and it has definitely folded itself into my music collection nicely. Highly recommended.

Their best--no question........2004-12-05

This is certainly my favorite release by this band. Soul Coughing has become one of my favorite bands--long after it has ceased to be. This CD is immediately enjoyable, and, if not, it will grow on anyone with an open mind for interesting, intelligent music. Their songs may not sound particularly subtle at first, but with repeated listenings, the depth and humor embedded in the lyrics and musicianship will be revealed. Nevertheless, I have to say that I take this potent stuff in measured doses. If you are new to these guys, you must hear this CD (or maybe "Lust in Phaze: The Best of Soul Coughing"). You may or may not regret it, but you will most certainly hear a bit of music to be found nowhere else.

Groovy beat (the poets) oriented "slacker jazz".......2004-11-16

Great term that, "slacker jazz" and it pretty much sums up this grooving smart alecky, acoustic bass driven outfit. Ruby Vroom is funny and strangely disturbing. Especially the first song "Chicago" which has the prophetic lyric "a man drives a plane into the Chrysler building", got the building wrong, but its spooky none the less. Lots of samples and texture on this record, combined with jazzy funk beats and sometimes sung, sometimes rapped lyrics/poetry. Nothing is too too serious, this ain't "Art" baby. What these guys do is drag pop culture through a sharp eyed postmodern woodchipper and remold the mush into some funky, spare (they leave space) trippy and clever hip hop pop. Fun stuff with a brain.

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