Bananamour [Japan]

• Artist: Kevin Ayers
• Rating:
• Release Date: 1973 05
• Genre: Rock

Review

For a while in 1972, Ayers linked up with bassist Archie Leggett to play live as "Kevin Ayers and Archibald." In September of that year, they were joined by Lol Coxhill and David Bedford (who had played in the Whole World with Ayers), as well as occasional guests, to present a musical revue of sorts, Banana Follies. The September 20, 1972 show was recorded for the BBC, and is preserved on this disc, with guests George Wilson (the actor) and Johnny Clifford (a conga player). This is a curious mixture of the calm but quirky prog-rock Ayers was known for in the early 1970s with the gently humorous vaudeville that you might expect from someone like the Bonzo Dog Band. Some of the humor in this musical variety show (mostly, but not entirely, sung by Ayers) was visual and does not translate to record. That's particularly true of the comic sketch "Murder in the Air," which sounds more like a rehearsal than a polished routine. Although the silliness of "'Oorrible Orange" ("I'm an 'orrible orange, you shouldn't eat me") is engaging, the Bonzo Dog Band were better at this sort of thing, and Ayers was better at more straightforward (though still amusing) rock. There are some typically good, wry Ayers tunes, however, presented in more conventional rock arrangements, such as "Whatevershebringswesing," "Take Me to Tahiti," "Fake Mexican Tourist Blues," and the Syd Barrett tribute "O Wot a Dream." This is a worthwhile curio for Ayers fans, but doesn't present him at his most consistent or representative. ~ Richie Unterberger, Rovi

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