Neil Innes - How Sweet To Be An Idiot [Grapefruit Records/ Cherry Red - 2020]Originally released back 1973 How Sweet To Be An Idiot was the first solo album from English singer-songwriter Neil Innes- who is most known as one of the key songwriters for genre-mixing & surreal humor tipped British band The Bonzo Dog Band. The original eleven track album offered up a fairly safe ‘n’ tuneful blend of pop-rock, that very much nods towards 70 singer-songwriter fair, The Beatles, old school rock ‘n’ rock fare, and generally less risky songcraft- that's lightly edged with both humor & sly sonic playful-ness. Here on Cherry Red sub-label Grapefruit Records is an expanded CD release of the album- pushing the original thirty-seven-minute album runtime to well over seventy minutes with a selection of rewarding B sides & singles. The CD comes presented in a card digipak- this features a twelve-page glossy inlay booklet, and takes in a five-page write-up about the album & it’s release, single covers/ labels, and archive pictures of Innes & his backing band.
As an album How Sweet To Be An Idiot is very much about tuneful, largely buoyant pop-rock with some clever, mocking, at times amusing lyrics. Think a more Uk pop/ musical hall focused, less sneering & condensed version of the first Mothers of Invention album- and you’ll get a general idea of what to expect here. Compared to his decidedly quirky & distinctive work with the Bonzo boys it somewhat lacks its own identity & bite- but that’s not to say it’s a bad record, for 70’s pop-rock it’s an enjoyable and memorable enough ride- just don’t expect anything odd or risky here.
The album opens with the fifty-three seconds of “Prologue” which finds a rather tuneful if morose blend of pittering pattering piano marching & Innes glum sing-song vocals. As we move through we come to strutting guitar & Rhodes organ jive of “Topless A-Go-Go” which rather brought to mind later 1970’s more grooving Grateful Dead, with Innes even sound more than a little like GD’s Bob Weir. There’s the title track- which feels very Beatles like with its plodding melodic piano, swooning horn work, and slicing string dramatics. Or the darting ‘n’ jiving French pop meets strutting blues-tinged guitar of “L’amour Perdu”. So all in all a safe, pleasant & easily playable selection of songs.
The ten extra/ bonus tracks show the much more quirky, playful & fun side of Mr. Innes song-writing. We go from dramatic & grand rising piano & strings meets jarring looped laughter of “Slush”. Onto amusing mocking ‘n’ jiving “Re-Cycled Vinyl Blues” which blends a strutting blues guitar meets wayward popular genre & song elements. To the chugging ‘n' bouncing glam rock –meets- quirky swooning electronic silliness of “ What Noise Annoys A Noisy Oyster”.
Sadly Neil Innes passed away late last year, so it’s nice to see this classy reissue of his debut appearing- and lets hope more of Mr. Innes back catalog will get reissues shortly. If you like well-written, tuneful 70’s pop-rock- with slightly playful/ mocking lyrics I’d say you most certainly enjoy what we have here.
   Roger Batty
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