It’stime to say it: Camper van Beethoven was one of the great bands of the ’90s.They had a wacky sense of humor that sometimes delivered serious observations.They were a collective, a true band with various songwriters andmulti-instrumentalists contributing to a sound that couldn’t be categorizedbecause it took in so many influences.
Camper’snew retrospective CD shows the band in all its glorious, almost gonzodiversity. They recorded Balkan ska (“Skinhead Stomp”) and Mexican ska (“BorderSka”), psychedelia (“Circles”) and hardcore (“Club Med Sucks”), Appalachiancountry (“Sad Lover’s Waltz”) and violin-powered prog (“The History of Utah”).There was usually an exuberance underlying the irony, a yearning melody undergirdingthe comedy. Through it all, Camper van Beethoven managed to pull many thre
Surprise:The handful of re-recorded tracks on PopularSongs actually sounds pretty good, even if it could be a lame move to pushsales. Although Camper echoed the ethos of ’90s college rock, their songsremain timeless. The refrain of “Ambiguity Song,” which runs, “Everything seemsto be up in the air at this time,” perfectly sums up the national mood 20 yearsafter it was recorded.
