Review 97: Electric Six - Radio Ga Ga

The joke wears thin.

I must admit to having a soft spot for Electric Six. Their style of comedy rock has more edge and genuine wit than the crop of gurning "hey, we're dorks, duuude" idiots that usually are associated with the genre, and their "Fire" album was full of infectious gems. And they gave us two of the best singles in the last decade, "Danger: High Voltage" and "Gay Bar". I've seen them live too, and they were a blast.

But this is the sound of a joke that isn't funny anymore, and a band who really have ran out of ideas and hits. I never cared for Radio Ga Ga the first time around, I still think it's one of Queen's weakest songs, and this banal cover does nothing to further the cause.

The video is often misinterpreted by knee-jerk reactionary idiots who think Dick Valentine is dancing on Freddie's grave, when he clearly isn't. That isn't my concern here. It just shows a band that have resorted to covering a famous song and hoping wearing a pair of comedy teeth will let them get away with it.

No chance. The single still stiffed in Britain, and they haven't been seen since. I really hope it's NOT the last we see of E6, because they do have their moments. But they need a total overhaul before they would ever be considered a genuine band.

The last batch of reviews I've done have been fun, poking fun at rubbish things. This is different; it's awful, don't get me wrong, but it's no fun telling you about it. But hey, The Curmudgeon tells it like it is. Sigh.