''Clownhead'' is the fourth studio album by American
accordion band
Those Darn Accordions
Those Darn Accordions, commonly abbreviated as TDA, are an American accordion band from San Francisco, California, originally formed in 1989 by Linda "Big Lou" Seekins.
Boasting several accordionists whose numbers have fluctuated over the year ...
, released on August 10, 1999 by Globe Records.
Overview
Like most of TDA's discography, ''Clownhead'' features an eclectic assortment of genres, ranging from rock and pop to
polka,
funk,
Tex-Mex
Tex-Mex cuisine (from the words ''Texan'' and ''Mexican'') is an American cuisine that derives from the culinary creations of the ''Tejano'' people of Texas. It has spread from border states such as Texas and others in the Southwestern United ...
and
tango
Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries as the result of a combina ...
, as well as covers of
War
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
s "
Low Rider
"Low Rider" is a song written by American funk band War and producer Jerry Goldstein, which appeared on their album ''Why Can't We Be Friends?'', released in 1975. It reached number one on the ''Billboard'' R&B singles chart, peaked at number s ...
" and
Devo
Devo (, originally ) is an American rock band from Akron, Ohio
Akron () is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Summit County. It is located on the western edge of the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau ...
s "Uncontrollable Urge". ''Clownhead'' was the final TDA studio album to feature band founder Linda "Big Lou" Seekins, who would leave the band to focus full-time on her other musical project Big Lou's Polka Casserole, as well as the last to feature longtime members Art Peterson and Clyde Forsman, who would retire from the band in 2000 at the age of 84.
The ''
Memphis Flyer
The ''Memphis Flyer'' is a free weekly alternative newspaper serving the greater Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the County seat, seat of Shelby County, Tennessee, Shelby County in the southwest part ...
'', in a positive review of the album, wrote of the accordion sounds of ''Clownhead'' as being "fully integrated as an organic component and no longer jumps out of the mix to call attention to itself. This smoothness adds more complexity to the overall aural picture of Those Darn Accordions! as musicians first, accordion players second. Head honcho Paul Rogers knows exactly what he's doing navigating through some tricky turf, leading the band to areas of respectability where accordions are rarely found", while also praising the humor of the band's lyrics.
Track listing
Personnel
;Those Darn Accordions
*Linda "Big Lou" Seekins - accordion, background vocals
*Patty Brady - accordion, lead vocals (9), background vocals
*Clyde Forsman - accordion, lead vocals (8), background vocals
*Suzanne Garramone - accordion,
bell lyre (7), background vocals
*Art Peterson - accordion, banjo (2), background vocals
*Paul Rogers - accordion, lead vocals (1-3, 5, 7, 10-13), background vocals
*Bill Schwartz - drums, percussion, lead vocals (4), background vocals
*Lewis Wallace - bass guitar, acoustic guitar (13), background vocals
;Additional musicians
*Lee Vilensky - guitar (6)
*Ron Borelli - accordion (6, 7)
*Laura Rogers - background vocals (12)
References
{{Authority control
1999 albums
Those Darn Accordions albums