Crash Test Dude
Encyclopedia
Crash Test Dude: Brad Roberts Live Singing Your Favorite Hits is a live album
performed by Crash Test Dummies
lead singer Brad Roberts during his solo acoustic
tour following the Give Yourself a Hand
tour. The album was released, along with an accompanying rockumentary
film, exclusively through the MapleMusic.com e-commerce portal.
film. The film features a candid, behind-the-scenes look at Brad Robert's solo tour across Canada and the Northern U.S.
' Baby One More Time following a poem titled Circumcision is neither funny or ironic. It is plain pathetic. And his rants between songs are just the ramblings of a drunken performer (he makes it clear that he continues to drink throughout the show)."
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
performed by Crash Test Dummies
Crash Test Dummies
The Crash Test Dummies is a Canadian folk rock/alternative rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba, widely known for their 1993 single "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm".The band is most identifiable through Brad Roberts and his distinctive bass-baritone voice...
lead singer Brad Roberts during his solo acoustic
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
tour following the Give Yourself a Hand
Give Yourself a Hand
Give Yourself a Hand is the fourth album by the Crash Test Dummies, released in 1999 through ViK. Records. It is their final album for BMG. The album spawned a quirky hit "Keep a Lid on Things"...
tour. The album was released, along with an accompanying rockumentary
Rockumentary
The term rockumentary is a neologism denoting a documentary about rock music or its musicians. The term was used by Bill Drake in the 1969 History of Rock & Roll radio broadcast, and by Rob Reiner in the 1984 mockumentary film This Is Spinal Tap....
film, exclusively through the MapleMusic.com e-commerce portal.
Track listing
All tracks written by Brad Roberts, except where noted.Disc one
- Introductory Remarks – 1:52
- "Understand Your ManUnderstand Your Man"Understand Your Man" is a 1964 single by Johnny Cash. The single went to number one on the country charts for six weeks.. "Understand Your Man" also crossed over to the Top 40, peaking at number 35....
" (Johnny CashJohnny CashJohn R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
) – 3:05 - An aside regarding prostitution – 1:09
- "AndrogynousAndrogynous (song)"Androgynous" is a song by The Replacements featured on their album Let It Be.The song was covered by Crash Test Dummies and released as the third and final single from their 1991 debut album The Ghosts That Haunt Me. Joan Jett also covered the song on her 2006 album Sinner.Towards the end of the...
" (Paul WesterbergPaul WesterbergPaul Westerberg is an American musician, best known as the former lead singer, rhythm guitarist, and songwriter of The Replacements, one of the seminal alternative rock bands of the 1980s. He launched a solo career after the dissolution of that band...
) – 3:38 - "I Want to Par-tay!" (Brad Roberts, Greg WellsGreg WellsGreg Wells is a multiple Grammy nominated musician, record producer and songwriter based in Los Angeles. Wells has produced and written hits with Adele, Weezer, Pink, Theophilus London, Deftones, Katy Perry, Rufus Wainwright, The All American Rejects, OneRepublic, Mika, Aerosmith, Burt Bacharach,...
) – 2:52 - Oral sex is proffered by Mr Roberts in order to compensate a customer for the high ticket price – 0:35
- "Cocaine" (Gary DavisReverend Gary DavisReverend Gary Davis, also Blind Gary Davis, was an American blues and gospel singer and guitarist, who was also proficient on the banjo and harmonica...
) – 4:14 - "Give Yourself A Hand" (Brad Roberts, Greg Wells) – 3:28
- "Trident Gum Theme" – 1:33
- "Da Do Ron RonDa Doo Ron Ron"Da Doo Ron Ron" is a 1963 hit single by The Crystals, produced by Phil Spector in his Wall of Sound style. The song was written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich and Spector. The drummer was Hal Blaine....
" (Jeff BarryJeff BarryJeff Barry is an American pop music songwriter, singer, and record producer.-Early career:...
, Ellie GreenwichEllie GreenwichEleanor Louise "Ellie" Greenwich was an American pop music singer, songwriter, and record producer. She wrote or co-wrote "Be My Baby", "Christmas ", "Da Doo Ron Ron", "Leader of the Pack", "Do Wah Diddy Diddy", and "River Deep, Mountain High", among many others...
, Phil SpectorPhil SpectorPhillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
) – 3:49 - A discussion of bowel difficulties during the performance – 1:06
- "Afternoons and CoffeespoonsAfternoons & Coffeespoons"Afternoons & Coffeespoons" is a song of the Canadian pop band Crash Test Dummies and is the third single from the 1993 album God Shuffled His Feet. "Afternoons & Coffeespoons" has been called the band's most popular song amongst fans....
" – 4:19 - A Poem, "Scientific Management", is read
- "Keep A Lid On ThingsKeep A Lid On Things"Keep a Lid on Things" is a song by Canadian group Crash Test Dummies and was the first single from their 1999 album Give Yourself a Hand. The song featured a new sound for the group, most notably Brad Roberts using falsetto vocals.-Track listing:...
" (Brad Roberts, Greg WellsGreg WellsGreg Wells is a multiple Grammy nominated musician, record producer and songwriter based in Los Angeles. Wells has produced and written hits with Adele, Weezer, Pink, Theophilus London, Deftones, Katy Perry, Rufus Wainwright, The All American Rejects, OneRepublic, Mika, Aerosmith, Burt Bacharach,...
) – 2:43 - A hilariously derisive account of my heritage ensues, as I banter on, ever more wittily, the scotch now coursing through my body as I experience an ever increasing alcohol-induced euphoria – 1:01
- "Superman's SongSuperman's Song"Superman's Song" was the first single of the Canadian folk-rock group Crash Test Dummies and came from their 1991 debut album The Ghosts That Haunt Me. The single was the group's first hit, charting in both Canada and the United States...
" – 5:00
Disc two
- Relation between bass baritone guitar and the penis is discussed – 1:23
- "God Shuffled His FeetGod Shuffled His Feet (song)"God Shuffled His Feet" is a song by Canadian folk-rock group Crash Test Dummies and was the fourth and final single from their 1993 album God Shuffled His Feet.The synthesized guitar solo is performed by guest artist Adrian Belew.-Music video:...
" – 3:52 - My Freedom from all STD's is firmly and self-servingly established – 1:04
- "A Cigarette Is All You Get" (Brad Roberts/Greg Wells) – 3:13
- "He Liked to Feel ItHe Liked To Feel It"He Liked to Feel It" is a song by Canadian group Crash Test Dummies and was the first single from their 1996 album A Worm's Life. The song and subsequent video generated some controversy for the band due to the subject matter about a boy, who experimented with different ways of pulling out his...
" – 4:09 - "The String Change Song" – 2:32
- "DelilahDelilah (1968 song)"Delilah" is a song recorded by Welsh singer Tom Jones in 1968. It was written by Barry Mason, with music by Les Reed.-Success:It reached No 1 in the charts of several countries including Germany and Switzerland. It reached No 2 in the British charts in March 1968 and was the sixth best selling...
" (Les ReedLes ReedLes Reed O.B.E. is an English songwriter, musician and light orchestra leader.-Career:...
, Barry MasonBarry MasonJohn Barry Mason is an English songwriter, originally from the village of Coppull, near Chorley in Lancashire....
) – 4:33 - "La GrangeLa Grange (song)"La Grange" is a song by the rock group ZZ Top from their album Tres Hombres, released in 1973. One of their most successful songs, it was released in 1973 and received extensive radio play, rising to #41 in the Billboard Pop Singles list in 1974. The song refers to a bordello on the outskirts of...
" (Frank BeardFrank Beard (musician)Frank Lee Beard is the drummer in the rock band ZZ Top. Beard was formerly with the bands The Cellar Dwellars, who originally were a three-piece band, The Hustlers, The Warlocks, and American Blues before starting to play and record with Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill as ZZ Top.Beard was born in...
, Billy GibbonsBilly GibbonsWilliam Frederick "Billy" Gibbons is an American musician, actor and car customizer, best known as the guitarist of the Texas blues-rock band ZZ Top. He is also the lead singer and composer for many of the band's songs. Gibbons is known for playing his Gretsch Billy Bo guitar and his famous 1959...
, Joel Michael Dusty HillDusty HillJoseph Michael "Dusty" Hill is the bassist and vocalist with the American rock group ZZ Top.-History:Hill was in Dallas, Texas and grew up in the Lakewood neighborhood of East Dallas...
) – 2:54 - Torontonian's: Pro's and Con's – 1:10
- "Unbreak My Heart" (Diane WarrenDiane WarrenDiane Eve Warren , is a US songwriter. Her songs have received six Academy Award nominations, five Golden Globe nominations, including one win and seven Grammy Award nominations, including one win. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001...
) – 4:36 - My Reputation in the politically correct press as "Crash Test Drunkard" – 1:31
- "Betty Davis EyesBette Davis Eyes"Bette Davis Eyes" is a song written in 1974 by Donna Weiss and Jackie DeShannon and made popular by American singer-songwriter Kim Carnes.-History:...
" (Donna Weiss and Jackie DeShannonJackie DeShannonJackie DeShannon is an American singer-songwriter with a string of hit song credits from the 1960s onwards. She was one of the first female singer-songwriters of the rock 'n' roll period.- Life and early career :...
) – 2:53 - Another poem, entitled "Circumcision" is read – 3:33
- "Baby One More Time...Baby One More Time (song)"...Baby One More Time" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears. It served as Spears' debut single from her debut studio album, ...Baby One More Time . Written by Max Martin and produced by Martin, Denniz Pop and Rami Yacoub, "...Baby One More Time" was released on September 30, 1998,...
" (Martin Carl SandbergMax MartinMartin Karl Sandberg, known professionally as Max Martin, is a Swedish music producer and songwriter. Raised in Stenhamra, a suburb of Stockholm, Sweden, he broke through as a producer and songwriter in the mid to late 1990s after crafting a string of hits for pop artists like the Backstreet Boys,...
) – 3:29 - "Mmm Mmm MmmMmm Mmm Mmm Mmm"Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" is a single by the Canadian folk-rock group Crash Test Dummies, featured on their 1993 album God Shuffled His Feet.-CD maxi:# "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" — 3:53# "Here I Stand Before Me" — 3:07...
" – 5:27 - "Encore" (Superman's SongSuperman's Song"Superman's Song" was the first single of the Canadian folk-rock group Crash Test Dummies and came from their 1991 debut album The Ghosts That Haunt Me. The single was the group's first hit, charting in both Canada and the United States...
RepriseRepriseReprise is a fundamental device in the history of art. In literature, a reprise consists of the rewriting of another work; in music, a reprise is the repetition or reiteration of the opening material later in a composition as occurs in the recapitulation of sonata form, though—originally in the...
) – 0:51
Film
Crash Test Dude was also released as a rockumentaryRockumentary
The term rockumentary is a neologism denoting a documentary about rock music or its musicians. The term was used by Bill Drake in the 1969 History of Rock & Roll radio broadcast, and by Rob Reiner in the 1984 mockumentary film This Is Spinal Tap....
film. The film features a candid, behind-the-scenes look at Brad Robert's solo tour across Canada and the Northern U.S.
Personnel
- Brad RobertsBrad RobertsBradley Kenneth "Brad" Roberts is the lead singer and guitarist for the Canadian folk-rock band Crash Test Dummies. He sings in the bass-baritone range.-Career:...
– lead vocals, acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, bass baritone guitarBaritone guitarThe baritone guitar is a variation on the standard guitar, with a longer scale length that allows it to be tuned to a lower range. It first appeared in the classical music realm... - Murray Pulver – back-up vocals, acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
Reception
The album received mixed to poor reviews. Allmusic writer Aaron Badgley gave it 1½ out of 5 stars and states that "choosing to debut with a live disc was not a good idea, as this CD is full of Roberts' rants and childish cover versions. It is also the performance of an artist who does not seem to care a great deal about his audience. Sure, the Crash Test Dummies hits are here, in stripped-down, almost acoustic versions. And it is for those songs alone that CD even deserves a listen. The versions are nowhere near as good as the original studio recordings, but at least they have a form, are complete, and are listenable. His version of Britney SpearsBritney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
' Baby One More Time following a poem titled Circumcision is neither funny or ironic. It is plain pathetic. And his rants between songs are just the ramblings of a drunken performer (he makes it clear that he continues to drink throughout the show)."