Comments on: The Good Feeling Music of Dent May & his Magnificent Ukulele

By: jane

jane — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:50:48 +0000

i think there’s a sadness to the album beneath the humor…

how can you post “girls on the square” and say there’s no emotional core to the album? the songs are funny and sad and a bit confusing all at the same time, which is why i dig them.

By: Sean

Sean — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 04:26:11 +0000

Thank you for so succinctly explaining why I was totally put off by this. I could barely even bring myself to listen after hearing the band name or looking at the record cover. Once I did listen…well, I wasn’t particularly happy.

By: Tart

Tart — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 15:44:12 +0000

I’m glad you said that, Johnny. And that’s the thing, maybe it’s my heritage, but I can never tell if Mr. May is being funny on purpose. And then when I convince myself he is, it’s just not that funny. There, I’ve done and been mean to him. I’m sorry now.

But having just seen The Lovely Eggs, I can tell you that when they pull it off, they are brilliantly funny. It’s Holly’s level of charm that does it, as you rightly note.

By: Smileyjonny

Smileyjonny — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:19:04 +0000

Wholeheartedly agree on the shortcomings of over-ironied songs. I find it quite difficult to listen to most tunes that aim at chuckles, whether it’s knowing cover versions or actual comedy songs. I like comedy fine, as well as comments wry, ironic, knowing and/or funny, but I think it does come down to wanting something different from music. The folk that can pull it off need to have absolute masses of charm and some real feeling behind it- like their mariachi cover of Blue Monday was just bursting out of them.

By: Drunk Country

Drunk Country — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 03:01:52 +0000

I think the same thing infects The Ukulele Orchestra Of Great Britain — it’s a kind of Middle Class party favour slant to the voices that every now & then reminds me I’m listening to a shared in-joke.

By: Matthew

Matthew — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:53:59 +0000

I actually enjoyed the gig, and I also think he has some good tunes. I don’t hate the music at all, it’s just that one aspect of it which is quite widespread and is really getting on my nerves at the moment.

By: Drunk Country

Drunk Country — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:48:51 +0000

Not yet famous? He’s pretty well known as far as I am aware. His gigs tend to either reach capacity or there’s always a bloody good presence at them. I unfortunately missed him when he played Cardiff last (as the main act, with a fairly well known Welsh band in support) as I was away in the US; we were planning an interview him but TWoTH chickened out because I wasn’t there

By: voldermania

voldermania — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:37:03 +0000

If anything, he sounds like a braying donkey at times (although nails on a blackboard = braying donkey [?] so I can kind of see your point.)
Still, ’26 miles, so near yet far…’

I think it’s insightful stuff.

By: Tart

Tart — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:21:17 +0000

He DOES have a rather large following here, I have to say. The crowd was huge for the venue (150 capacity and I think it was near to sold out) and rowdy for him, singing along and very appreciative! So, it’s not him I think, it’s me.

By: Tart

Tart — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:19:38 +0000

I despise speaking ill of the not-yet-famous-enough and I saw the band and the man play live here recently and chose to not review. That says enough if you know me at all.