Roger And Out
by Roger Miller

From Mercury 10/19/2017 20:30 | #199803

Right from the jump I hear that this is an incredible album. Its probably one of the funnest and funniest albums I've ever heard. "Chug A Lug" is just this rollicking constantly shifting little dude about alcohol exploits, with strange vocal sound effects added and seeming gibberish thrown in by Miller. And when he does sing its truly amazing! His voice is so rich and multi-faceted, he uses like 4 different vocal styles in this first 1:45 song.

This record is country, but free of all the corn. Its rock but with no self seriousness at all. Its a songwriter album with seemingly an endless line of brilliant twists of phrase, yet, on first listen it may seem like shallow all around. And its just an incredibly creative and exciting record. No song goes long at all, its a 24 minute album with 12 amazing songs. It's so offhand and brilliant in that way. You almost can't help but listen to it on repeat its so short, brisk and sweet.

Roger Miller was a wild man! His vocal delivery is truly virtuosic (that damn "word" again), its true...he can spit out all these lines and go in and out of character, when he yells it sounds absolutely orgasmic, when he croons it soothes the soul, when he talks the words ring out funnily and wisely. He ornaments these songs with funny vocal tricks and effects, and its just sooooo coooooool!

Other stand outs are the brilliant country shuffling song "It Takes All Kinds to Make A World", the opener "Chug A Lug" as already mentioned is a must-listen, the excellent demonstration of Roger's songwriting style he gives on "Got 2 Again" (listen to this, and you'll love it...its so great), the song "Feel Of Me" is smoking with some super excellent guitar and the usualy vocal brilliance from Miller, The hard charging blues "I Ain't Comin' Home Tonight", and there's also the endearing and beautiful and funny and strangely touching "That's Why I Love You So Much" (which seems like a spiritual ancestor to Police song Da Do Do Do De Da Da Da lol), the hilarious song with some weird seriously strange vocal parts "Squares Make The World Go 'Round", and finally the classic country sound with more excellent wordplay and absolutely awesome vocal power "If You Want Me To".

Which leaves also "Dang Me" which is so strange and unique and exhilarating, with its slinky slapped guitar and spoken word delivery and its incredibly endearing and fun to sing along with chorus, that it is amazing that this weird track became a hit in late '64 right in the middle of the british invasion. It's got so much going on and going for it that it is really a pleasure of the highest musical magnitude to listen to.

And if it seems like I went over every track just now, its because I nearly did. But There are even a few more little gems in here not mentioned. There is no harm in spending 24 minutes with this quircky man named Roger Miller on this here classic. I really hope you love it half as much as I do.

"My friend and me went to a picture show in town
They called his name and said his house had just burned down
I took his hand and offered him my sympathy
Then suddenly I remembered that he lived with me
Well it takes all kinds to make a world..." Roger Miller Laughing

Grade: 9.8/10