Track Listing

1. Alabama Jubilee
2. Chasin' Rainbows
3. Fine Artiste Blues
4. Hula Medley
5. I Want a Little Girl
6. Persian Rug
7. Mysterious Mose
8. Crying My Blues Away
9. She Lived Down by the Firehouse
10. Diane
11. Make My Cot Where the Cot-Cot-Cotton Grows
12. Moana March

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #57953 in Music
• Released on: 1993-04-22
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .19 pounds

Album Details
Japanese Limited Edition in an LP-STYLE Slipcase.

Amazon.com
Since the late '70s the Cheap Suit Serenaders--an ever-changing group of hardcore 78-collecting friends--have been playing what they love--old-time jazz, folk, string-band, Hawaiian, and ragtime music. Best known for having two of the best comix artists ever in their lineup--Robert Armstrong and R. Crumb--the Cheap Suits aren't slouches in the instrument-proficiency department (Armstrong's musical saw ended up on the One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest soundtrack, and occasional bandmate Bob Brozman has made an entire career out of touring and playing music). On Chasin' Rainbows, some of the group's finest moments are captured. Classic songs like "Persian Rug" and the title track are played alongside CSS originals like "Fine Artiste Blues." You'll never hear these fun tunes (usually relegated to CD compilations of 78s) played in a higher fidelity, nor will you probably hear them this spirited. A great resurrection of lost music by a group of guys dedicated to the stuff. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews

Great songs played with energy, skill, and humor!
I bought this record on the strength of "Fine Artiste Blues" back when it first came out. I'd always enjoyed R. Crumb's art work and I knew this collection would be something different. It's a grab bag of styles all played with old-timey string band instrumentation. "Alabama Jubilee" is also a standout, but there are really no clinkers. Plenty of Hawaiian guitar and some GREAT musical saw. The overall feel of the album is lighthearted and casual, but the level of musicianship is actually quite high. Can't think of another group that comes close to the Suits' sound so you'll just have to hear them for yourself. You won't be disappointed. I have gone back to this recording many times over the years and it always brings a smile.

Lots of Laughs and Some Good Music Too!!
I've been a fan of R. Crumb ever since the underground comics heyday of the late 60s. Knowledgeable fans of Crumb's comics know also that he is very much into Delta blues and other uniquely American forms of music. On Chasin' Rainbows, Crumb and a few like-minded fellows indulge themselves in a seemingly silly but also very serious project of bringing old songs to life using offbeat instruments. Alabama Jubilee is a great song and the performance first-rate. Diane is evocative of a German country tune. Fine Artiste Blues is a great crack at, what else, "artistes". I don't know where Crumb and Co. dug these up as I'd only heard a couple before, but if you like well done novelty songs,you are sure to enjoy such ditties as Hula Medley, Mysterious Mose, She Lived Down By the Firehouse, and Make My Cot Where the Cot-Cot-Cotton Grows as well as the others. There are loads of laughs and some good music to boot. Listen to it in the spirit in which it was made. I give this five stars for its pure entertainment value.

Sure to get the toe to tappin'.
I'm a big fan of indie-rock and avante-garde jazz, but I can't deny a serious affinity for good down-home music like this. This band of misfits, dorks and comic-book geeks has got the right idea when it comes to playin' some 'toons (pun intended). The atmosphere of this music is silly, goofy, slightly perverse and deeply sincere. If you liked the music from "Oh Brother where art thou", but thought the movie was inauthentic and a bit shallow, you should give this a listen. This is the real deal.