Songs of Whimsy

A strong contender for this year's just-plain-strange division is a one-sided 12" by the Special Moments, Songs of Whimsy (Kindly Cock Records), a record that pushes Englishness to new extremes- "I'm Henry VIII, I Am" has nothing on this. This is the first American release by two veterans of the British rock scene, North London's favorite brothers Baz and Reg Lumley. Songs of Whimsy has four long, curiously hysterical songs in sort of a Peter and Gordon-via-early-Spinal Tap mode, including a cod-folk number called "The Special Minstrel Boys" and "Battle of the Bands" which was allegedly recorded live at a recent Glastonbury festival where the boys publicly insulted and challenged Ned's Atomic Dustbin to some sort of music war. But, the real hit from the record would have to be "Saint Dad" a musical lament to the boys recently deceased father, Roddy Lumley which was a regional radio sensation on New Jersey's WFMU. Extensive and intriguing linear notes are provided by the Special Moments lively and hilarious manager Mick Keith.