Search - Stephen Lynch :: The Craig Machine

The Definitive Stephen Lynch

J. Grant | Central KY | 10/08/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I own Stephen Lynch's two previous CDs and while they have some great songs on them, there are a few misses on each CD. With "The Craig Machine" though, Lynch has put out the damn near perfect musical comedy CD. And it's obvious now that everyone in the audience is on the fact that these sweet sounding love songs are anything but (check out how the audience reacts after he sings the first line of "Love Song"). "Craig," "Voices in my Head," "Beelz," "Baby," and "Vanilla Ice Cream" are the standouts on the CD, but I'm sure everyone will find all the songs as entertaining as I did. Be careful when listening to the CD though, because you'll be surprised what will get stuck in your head. I've been singing "I'm the only French bum in New York" for two days."

Highs and Lows (Mostly highs, though)

R.J. LaCount | Washington, USA | 12/17/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This album was definitley worth the money. Stephen Lynch is one of the funniest comedians I've ever heard. Only down side, in my opinion, is that lots of the songs that were repeated from the "Live In El Ray" DVD released a while ago were better on the DVD than this album. Individual song reviews:



1. Vanilla Ice Cream (8/10): Good song, catchy and funny. Love the beginning.. ending isn't that great.



2. Baby (8/10): The song is awesome, but the DVD version is way better. Some of the lyrical changes are great, but he just doesn't seem to get into it as much as he did on the DVD.



3. Halloween (9/10): Definitley a funny one. I like the fact that I've never heard it before from him... great concept for a song!



4. Love Song (9/10): I love the crowd reaction when he starts singing.. they know what's coming! This one's just as good as the DVD version, I think.



5. Craig (10/10): To be totally honest, I hated this song when I first heard it on the DVD. I thought it was boring. The more I watched the DVD, though, the more the song got stuck in my head. Then I bought this album this morning, and I haven't got the song out of my head all day. Such an awesome song... I have no idea why I didn't like it from the beginning.



6. Beelz (10/10): BY FAR the best song on this album, possibly one of the best songs Lynch has ever made. I absolutley LOVE the voices he creates!



7. Albino (7/10): Not as catchy as the other songs, but still funny. This is the song I skip through the fastest, though.



8. Mixer At Delta Chi (8/10): Maybe I just like this song because I'm in college... but it's good either way. Could be better... I'm not too hot on the chorus, but overall it's good.



9. Little Tiny Moustache (9/10): Not as offensive as it could have been, but the subject matter is great. I like the chorus a lot, too.



10. Pierre (6/10): It's a good thing that he gave an intro about how tough it was to write the song, because it's really not "Lynchesque". I only found one line particularly funny. The backup vocals were funny in the beginning, but got old quickly.



11. Whittlin' Man (7/10): Not the worst, it's a good song, but it's just not that funny. I know Lynch can do better than this song.



12. Classic Rock Song (9/10): This is one of my favorite Lynch songs, but this is another example of a better performance on the DVD. He changed the guitar intro on this album, and I think it used to be better. Also the singing just doesn't seem as emotional, which is a big part of the humor on this one.



13. Not Home (8/10): Good song, on the DVD too, I think the DVD version is better still, but only slightly. Even though I like the short songs, I do think this one may be a bit too short.. this song would be interesting if it were expanded.



14. Voices In My Head (10/10): I definitley LOVE this song. It seems so unconventional for Lynch, but it works incredibly well. The first time I listened to it, I honestly wasn't really listening to the lyrics much because they did such an awesome job with the backup vocals and style of singing. I can get lost in this song easily... definitley one of my favorites on the album.



15. D&D (Hidden Track) (8/10): This song was WAY better on the DVD, and better on the Superhero album, too. It's tough to say anything bad about the song itself, since it's awesome, but the performance just isn't as great. I do like the extended "D&D" at the end before the last joke, though.



Overall: (8.4/10 Average) This is not Lynch's best work, but it is still amazing. "Beelz" is worth the price of the whole album, though. Recommended for Lynch fans, but not as an intro to Stephen. For a better intro if you've never listened to him, pick up Superhero, or even better, the Live in El Ray DVD. Lynch fans enjoy, though! Hope this review helps!"

Stephen Lynch just gets better with time

Jessica | Augusta, Georgia | 10/09/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD will be a great addition to your comedy CD collection and is a must have for any Stephen Lynch fan. Personally I think this CD is better than his previous two. If you own the DVD, some of the songs you will already know...but the new ones add the normal Stephen Lynch shockers and lines that are unforgettable. You will be singing along with the CD in no time. If you do have a chance, check out his tour dates, because he is even funnier in person-www.stephenlynch.com to check out the details!"