Knitting on the Roof

by

Various Artists

Edit

This is one of the most exciting CDs I've heard in a long time. Really! I've never heard such fresh and creative cover songs performed on a single CD. I'm a fan of Knitting Factory Records and this is one of the most ambitious and successful projects I've heard from them. The multitude of musical styles represented is mind boggling and strange, but it is listener friendly, fun and stimulating. One minute your enjoying the beautiful voice of Jill Sobule and the next moment, you are transfixed by the twisted and utterly fascinating cover of "Matchmaker" by the Residents. You have to hear it to believe it.

I got this CD on a whim, and initially disliked almost every

song. Eventually, I dug it back out, and came to like several

of the songs, although there are several that are pretty bad.

Tradition is unlistenable, Matchmaker dances around the

'right' notes, never touching them, and thus perhaps worth a listen.

If I were a Rich Man is quite nice and strange, sung in

a very low, flat voice. Sabbath Prayer is beautiful, once one gets

past the intro. To Life is just a jumble.

Miracle of Miracles is a mediocre guitar/vocal rendition of the song. not particularly pleassant or unpleasant.

Tevye's Dream is an amusing hip-hop remix of the original song.

Sobule's rendition of Sunrise/Sunset is incredible, and is the

song that prompted me to dig the CD back out. It might be worth

buying the CD for this song alone.

Wedding Celebration is an uninteresting interpretation

of the original, with a spacey new-age intro, and the more

faithful innards of the song still being far inferior to the

original.

Do you Love Me is a funny, modern interpretation of the song

and situation. It's more spoken comedy than music.

Far from the Home I love reminds one of a persistant fly that

needs to be swatted but is too fast to be caught.

Chava is ok, but its pace is too slow.

Anatevka is atmospheric music, mildly pleasant, but bears little

resemblance to the original song.