"Biff Rose was one of those rare performers that immediately strikes you as a true original. In the late sixties the guy was everywhere, but his idiosycratic style went right over the heads of most folks. As a songwritter, he deserves to be placed among the elite of story telling writters like Randy Newman, Harry Nilsson and Harry Chapin. The clever word play of his lyrics were reminescent of e.e. cummings poetry. He possessed an astonishing command of the piano and sounds as if he was classically trained. He sang/talked in an intimate conversational tone and he often jumped into a child-like falsetto, as a smirking aside to the listener. Biff composed in odd time signatures and often would abruptly shift tempos in the middle of his songs. His topical songs aimed a biting satirical arrow at bigotry, consumerism and political extremism. Biff also wrote beautiful love songs. I'm not sure what happened to Biff Rose, but this C.D., "Biff Rose", does not contain his best work. His masterwork, "Children of Light" is one of the finest releases of the late sixties and it remains unavailable. I've downloaded most of "Children of Light" on Audiogalaxy.com. Someone tell me where to send Biff payment, because I would gladly buy the C.D., if those boneheads in the recording industry would deem it worthy of release."
Biff is ambivalent, but i love it...
peter smith | st petersburg, fl United States | 05/23/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"if you go to biffrose.net, you will find one of the oddest singer-songwriters extant. (biff is still making recordings -- bone again and the elizabethan period are available at his website as is the thorn in mrs. rose's side/children of light.) biff and i have discussed this album (he was unaware that this cd was released) and he says it's white people's music, but in fact it is biff music, a little more lush than he may care for today, but simply beautiful, intelligent and a delight from beginning to end, with debussy-on-drugs piano interestingly discordant strings and biff's inimitable voice. i am playing it on my computer as i write this, and i am smiling."
Well, biff seems to like it...
peter smith | st pete fl usa | 09/29/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"i was talking to biff rose about this album, and at first he disparaged it, said it was white people's music, but he seems to be a bit more kindly disposed towards it these days. i myself have always loved it. the strings are beautifully arranged (if lush), and the songs are among biff's best. if you don't know biff rose, this is a lovely album. and get ye hence to biff's webpage for other biffrecordings, as essential as sunshine."
There's only one Biff Rose -- no one else even comes close!
J. Leebron | 01/17/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I've been in love with everything about Biff's music since first hearing him back in the mid 1960s on one of the late night talk shows (Johnny Carson, maybe). He's a unique pianist. At first, one might think it's as though his hands just play whatever pops into his mind at any given second, but therein lies his talent. Many of his lyrics may lead you to feel the same way about them at first. But then you realize he has this incredible talent for saying exactly what he means, and feels, while letting it sound like gibberish to the untrained hear. This album seems to come in between his earlier "protest" songs and before some his absolutely hilarious lyrics later on. And the man has a wonderful since of humor. Take, for instance, "The Shah's Embroidered Pants" on a later album. I have at least 4 of his albums. Throughout all of them, he maintains his own unique keyboard style; but the style and topic of the lyrics change, I guess the same way Biff changed, the same way we all change in how we view and deal with the world (while our most inner self -- who we are -- like Biff's piano playing, remains constant). If I ever run across a 5th one, rest assure I won't need to hear it before I buy it. I've had a 35 year love affair with this man's music. Oh, who am I kidding. I love you, Biff Rose."
I wonder where the weird folks are
J. Leebron | Franklin, TN USA | 09/01/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I read the reviews of others regarding this marvelous album and to my amazement, I found out where the weird folks live. I cannot say to whom they were listening, nor can I say that their taste in music is challenged. What I can say is that Biff Rose was a singular person whose music haunted me for years. My vinyl album long since warped, saddened me that I could not hear what my heart wanted to hear. With the new release, excellently redone with K2, gave me hope. This is one of the few albums to which I can listen over and over and never tire. My wife is of the same opinion. So, to those who gave scathing reviews, please go back to your hip hop and leave the rest of us alone."
Track Listings (14) - Disc #1