This is the debut album from the Daddies, and it is my favorite album. It is mostly swing and funk (mixed with ska in some cases), and it passes the most important test for an album: I can listen all the way through it without forwarding through any songs. "Dr. Bones" and "Drunk Daddy" are two swingin' hits, and this album also yields their traditional show closer, "Shake Your Lovemaker". While all of the swing songs were put on Zoot Suit Riot, songs like "Answering Machine," "Midas in Reverse," and "Lifeboat Mutiny" are classics that bear listening to.
While this album contains some of the Daddies' strongest songs, I count this as their weakest effort. The four year lag (!) in between studio albums definetly takes its toll on this release. On the bonus side are "Come Back To Me," and "Inertia Rhapsody," a perfect pop gem about (what else) heartache. However, I don't find the other swing-ish songs all that listenable, at least on cd. In concert, some of these songs take on a whole new life, but it doesn't translate onto the disc.
Kids on the Street (1996)...
Kids on the Street shows another side of the Daddies: the rock side. With "Irish Whiskey," the Daddies show that they are not afraid to turn up the amplifiers. Of course, the swing songs are still present, as well as a full-on country song, and another southern-sounding song. This is the most diverse album by the Daddies, as well as the most challenging. It takes a few listens to appreciate some of the songs (like "Luther Lane"), but it is an excellent album.
Zoot Suit Riot (1997)...
Zoot Suit Riot is the equivalent of a Daddies mix tape. All of the straight swing songs are here, with 4 new songs thrown in as a bonus. Yes, it is a "greatest hits" album, but for a band that has had no discernable radio play, it makes for a great (if one-sided) introduction to the world of the Cherry Poppin' Daddies(A little dated now. Oh well. -C). With their stage show veering more towards the straight ska/swing music, this compilation is probably the best representation of where the Daddies are at musically.
