Search - Uncle Bonsai :: Sponge Boy

A classic Uncle Bonsai performance

Michael B. Carroll | Pete Townsend, WA USA | 06/07/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

""Sponge Boy" is some 15 minutes of Uncle Bonsai teaching their audience a 3-part sing-along chorus, for a 3-minute song that Andrew Ratshin (the primary Uncle Bonsai songwriter and the person responsible for Sponge Boy) has said isn't that good - in fact, Uncle Bonsai never performed this song again. While it's true that the lyrics aren't up there with the classics, such as "Gopher's Lament", "Day Old Whale", and "Penis Envy", it's still a good song and a fun performance.The performance is classic Uncle Bonsai: an off-beat song, intricate harmonies and rhythms, wise-acre chatter among the band members, and a general sense of enjoyment.However, if you're new to Uncle Bonsai, I suggest you try one of their full-length albums instead, to get an appreciation of the full range of the group's abilities. (Or better yet, make Ashley, Arni, and Andrew happy and buy the boxed set!)This is a live performance, salvaged from a "lost" recording, and the sound is good but not great. That, and the fact that 15 minutes of Uncle Bonsai just isn't enough, leads me to give it 4 stars."