Bud's modus operandi is to make the unlistenable listenable or palatable (smoothing things out like a million lounge warblers before him), and while I'm not entirely sure he's achieved his goal here, the fault line between stupidity and brilliance is often quite slender. He aptly revives Neil Diamond / Tom Jones show band hucksterisms with the low-rent flair of privately-pressed lounge oddities created by limited means with enough joie de vivre that the whole set doesn't play like a tasteless joke—it's delivered convincingly, not laced with porkfat—but you know there's a sly grin (and perhaps a bit of warped humor) in there somewhere twisting the VU songbook to his desired fancy.
Benderbe is ostensibly making a self-conscious attempt at ineptitude, spurred on by a realm of entertainers of which some got by on wide-eyed charm and adventurousness, where others were at times painfully human in their attempts, flaws and all (but the warts have the best tactile qualities to some o' us foragers). There's a self-contained vibe to the whole affair spread wide with cheap synths, spare drifts of guitar, and programmed percussion that ranges from wily waltzes to full-blown lounge-funk from this supposed Dutch sensation that splits his time in Florida. Truly an experience, you gotta take this whole platter in if it's your kinda kicks, but a few fave-raves are the Love Boat funk take of "I'm Waiting for My Man," the game show winner groove of "All Tomorrow's Parties," and the electro-acoustic take on "Heroin" with a soft rock-like intro and ascending, pulsing programmed drums. The album taken at length is akin to entering a velvet-tufted lounge booth in an impeccably conceived Wes Anderson-like play at the lunacy in normality, and serves as a very surreal ride. The Pizza Underground are bullstuff, all cheese and no meat led by a face-slappin' druggo, Benderbe is where it's at if you want a twist on the Cale/Reed canon.
Check out an incredible video for "All Tomorrow's Parties" by Bud Benderbe right here:
