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Telephone Free Landslide Victory

 
Album Review: Telephone Free Landslide Victory
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Telephone Free Landslide Victory

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Review

They say "never say never," but it's still extremely unlikely something so goofily low-key, inventive, and fun will ever achieve cult status so quickly again, especially in terms of musical range on display. Not simply a rock group but not anything else, Camper Van Beethoven pulled off a series of entertaining fusions throughout its debut record, as the opening song "Border Ska" indicates by name alone. Eastern European folk, tropical grooves, post-punk atmospherics, country laid-back good times, psych/garage band aesthetics, lyrics about Mao, Greece, and more -- a lot of stuff went into the Santa Cruz band's brew, and most of it came up trumps on Telephone. Lowery's lead vocals aren't much like what his more famous work in Cracker would indicate, being more speak-singing through shaggy dog stories (even one about Lassie) of all stripes. Hearing his tale of woe on "Wasted" -- "I was a punker, and I had a Mohawk/I was so gnarly and I drove my dad's car" -- delivered in a "yeah dude" tone of voice is pretty darn funny. Segel's keyboards and violins color the arrangements with a fun touch, while rhythm team Krummenacher and then recently departed drummer Anthony Guess try out nearly everything at least once. The production is eminently suited for the proceedings, sounding a bit like the thick, fuzzy flow of many Shimmy-Disc releases but with just enough of a crisp edge. When it comes to humor, it's everywhere -- for instance, the plaintively sung chorus of "Where the Hell Is Bill?," not to mention the various speculative answers ("Maybe he went to get a Vespa scooter"). Or, of course, the song that kick-started the band's reputation, "Take the Skinheads Bowling," two and a half minutes of chiming, goofy nonsense with references to Jah and incomplete rhymes. ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Border Ska Jonathan Segel, Victor Krummenacher, David Lowery, Chris Molla Camper Van Beethoven (2:46)
The Day That Lassie Went to the Moon David Lowery Camper Van Beethoven (3:12)
Wasted Greg Ginn, Keith Morris Camper Van Beethoven (1:57)
Yanqui Go Home Jonathan Segel, Victor Krummenacher, David Lowery, Chris Molla Camper Van Beethoven (2:38)
Oh No! Jonathan Segel, Victor Krummenacher, David Lowery, Chris Molla Camper Van Beethoven (1:50)
9 of Disks Jonathan Segel, Victor Krummenacher, David Lowery, Chris Molla Camper Van Beethoven (2:35)
Payed Vacation: Greece Jonathan Segel, Victor Krummenacher, David Lowery, Chris Molla Camper Van Beethoven (1:48)
Where the Hell Is Bill? Jonathan Segel, Victor Krummenacher, David Lowery, Chris Molla Camper Van Beethoven (2:02)
Vladivostock Jonathan Segel, Victor Krummenacher, David Lowery, Chris Molla Camper Van Beethoven (2:20)
Skinhead Stomp Jonathan Segel, Victor Krummenacher, David Lowery, Chris Molla Camper Van Beethoven (1:43)
Tina Traditional Camper Van Beethoven (1:34)
Take the Skinheads Bowling Jonathan Segel, Victor Krummenacher, David Lowery, Chris Molla Camper Van Beethoven (2:28)
Mao Reminisces About His Days in Southern China Jonathan Segel, Victor Krummenacher, David Lowery, Chris Molla Camper Van Beethoven (1:55)
I Don't See You David Lowery, Chris Molla Camper Van Beethoven (2:22)
Balalaika Gap Jonathan Segel, Victor Krummenacher, David Lowery Camper Van Beethoven (2:08)
Opi Rides Again/Club Med Sucks Jonathan Segel, Victor Krummenacher, David Lowery, Chris Molla Camper Van Beethoven (3:51)
Ambiguity Song Jonathan Segel, Victor Krummenacher, David Lowery, Chris Molla Camper Van Beethoven (2:28)

Credits

Camper Van Beethoven (Main Performer), Jonathan Segel (Mandolin), Jonathan Segel (Violin), Jonathan Segel (Keyboards), Jonathan Segel (Vocals), Jonathan Segel (Noise), David Allen (Photography), Anthony Guess (Drums), Victor Krummenacher (Bass), Victor Krummenacher (Vocals), Greg Lisher (Guitar), David Lowery (Guitar), David Lowery (Drums), David Lowery (Vocals), Chris Molla (Guitar), Chris Molla (Drums), Chris Molla (Vocals), Dave Gill (Engineer), Gary Silverstein (Artwork)
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Telephone Free Landslide Victory
Studio album by Camper Van Beethoven
Released 1985
Genre Alternative
Length 39:37 (original)
53:10 (2004 reissue)
Label Independent Projects
Professional reviews
Camper Van Beethoven chronology
Telephone Free Landslide Victory
(1985)		 II & III
(1986)

Telephone Free Landslide Victory is a 1985 album by musical group Camper Van Beethoven, released on Independent Projects. It featured the band's best known song "Take the Skinheads Bowling".

The band's lineup at the time of recording was David Lowery (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Jonathan Segel (violin, keyboards, guitar, backing vocals), Chris Molla (guitar, backing vocals), Victor Krummenacher (bass, backing vocals), and Anthony Guess (drums). The album is the only Camper Van Beethoven record not to feature guitarist Greg Lisher. Lisher is actually listed in the album credits as a band member, but he did not join the band until after the album was recorded.

Musically, the album is a combination of songs and instrumentals. The former are simple garage tunes, with a folk-punk sound and absurdist lyrics, often simultaneously mocking and affectionately celebrating aspects of 80's underground counterculture, with references to punks, skinheads, surfers, skaters and hippies. These songs are comparable to other humorous 80's underground bands like The Violent Femmes, The Dead Milkmen and The Young Fresh Fellows. The instrumentals, however, are completely different: they combine ethnic melodies (often Eastern Europe, Mexican or spaghetti-Western) played on Segel's violin and Molla's guitar, with ska beats supplied by Guess, Lowery and Krummenacher. The alternation between the instrumentals and songs creates an almost schizophrenic feeling that is one of the most unusual aspects of the record. Later versions of the band would integrate the ethnic influences with the actual songs, but here they are quite separate. The one thing that the two song-types have in common is that they are both quite droll, leading to the band being inaccurately typecast as a novelty group.

Despite the considerable musical growth that the band would show in its later work, Telephone Free Landslide Victory has remained one of its most enduring albums. The reunited Camper Van Beethoven frequently features several of the album's songs in their set lists to this day, including "Take the Skinheads Bowling", the countrified Black Flag cover "Wasted", the hardcore send-up "Club Med Sucks", "The Day That Lassie Went to the Moon", "Ambiguity Song", and several of the instrumentals.

Contents

Track listing

Original 1985 version

Side one

  1. "Border Ska" - 2:50
  2. "The Day That Lassie Went to the Moon" - 3:14
  3. "Wasted" - 1:59
  4. "Yanqui Go Home" - 2:41
  5. "Oh No!" - 1:54
  6. "9 of Disks" - 1:36
  7. "Payed Vacation: Greece" - 1:52
  8. "Where The Hell is Bill?" - 2:06

Side two

  1. "Vladivostock" - 2:22
  2. "Skinhead Stomp" - 1:48
  3. "Tina" - 1:37
  4. "Take The Skinheads Bowling" - 2:32
  5. "Mao Reminisces About His Days in Southern China" - 1:59
  6. "I Don't See You" - 2:23
  7. "Balalaika Gap" - 2:13
  8. "Opi Rides Again - Club Med Sucks" - 3:55
  9. "Ambiguity Song" - 2:29

2004 CD reissue

  1. "The Day That Lassie Went to the Moon" - 3:14
  2. "Border Ska" - 2:56
  3. "Wasted" - 1:55
  4. "Yanqui Go Home" - 2:41
  5. "Oh No!" - 1:54
  6. "9 of Disks" - 2:36
  7. "Payed Vacation: Greece" - 1:52
  8. "Where The Hell is Bill?" - 2:05
  9. "Wasting All Your Time" - 2:59
  10. "Epigram #5" - 0:09
  11. "At Kuda" - 2:14
  12. "Epigram #2" - 0:21
  13. "Cowboys From Hollywood (Original Version)" - 1:41
  14. "Colonel Enrique Adolfo Bermudez" - 2:09
  15. "Vladivostock" - 2:22
  16. "Skinhead Stomp" - 1:47
  17. "Tina" - 1:37
  18. "Take The Skinheads Bowling" - 2:32
  19. "Mao Reminisces About His Days in Southern China" - 1:59
  20. "I Don't See You" - 2:23
  21. "Balalaika Gap" - 2:13
  22. "Opi Rides Again" - 0:50
  23. "Club Med Sucks" - 3:05
  24. "Ambiguity Song" - 2:30
  25. "Heart (Remix)" - 3:07 (Hidden Track)
  • Track 9 is a previously unreleased studio outtake.
  • Tracks 10-14 originally released on the Take the Skinheads Bowling EP.

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