Josh said... It took me a while to warm up to it; my original reaction was much the same as yours. And if I just want to hear the song "Surf's Up," I can't imagine listening to this version. But the composition itself as a whole is an impressive and ambitious one that I think held up over time, and personally I think it has been properly rated. @@@Well, I will still spend more time with it and see what happens. Stewart said snip: BUT, while Jones' music is almost painfully earnest, Nellie McKay is a world-class smart-ass. A much better point of comparison would be Randy Newman, although McKay doesn't often sing "in character" the way Newman does. (Although she does on "Ding Dong," my favorite song on the album, where the singer is drawn into a lifelong downward spiral of alcoholism and depression because her cat died; this song pulls off the exceedingly difficult trick of being very funny and quite sad at the same time.) Even the relatively straightforward songs on the album, like the absolutely lovely "I Wanna Get Married," have a few snarky lines, and most of my favorites are downright cutting.. @@First great take on her Stewart. Funny about the "dishonest angle". There was an article on her on Monday this week in the NY Times (I think). The reviewer spent most of his time talking about her persona, what's true or false then simply letting her talk for herself or her music. I love "I wanna get married" and the line... "I wanna pack you cute little lunches for my Brady bunches then read Danielle Steele" For silly, clever great pop song of the year... "Clonie" is up there for the years best in my book. Clonie My oh my walkin' by who's the apple of my eye why it's my very own clonie oh if I should stroll the 'hood who knew I could look so good just talkin' on the phone to clonie we are pals it's cool 'cause we're not lonely shallow gene pool there's nothing to my only clonie me and you, hustlin' through holdin' on through thick and thin just day by day our DNA 'cause the Olsen twins got nothin' on us we'll survive side by side Mother Nature don't you call her phony she's my clonie who was wealthy but not healthy had no one to dwell with me so look who i got born clonie far from broke bored rich folk we don't need no natural yolk our babies come full formed clonie we'll be huggable get a publicist and show them be the most lovable thing since f@cking Eminem oh my friend multiply, we're a franchise like Walt Disney or Hannibal Lechter we can tell our cancer cells are more benign than old Phil Spector we'll survive side by side we're tougher than even Russell Crowe-y you're my clonie Oh clonie how I love you I'm the only person I ever loved gee, that's swell I guess you're just my fatal attraction-y you're my clonie Steve D NP: "Full Measure" by The Lovin Spoonful. What a cool song.