Sandra Bernhard Albums (5)
What The Critics Say
Sandra Bernhard is best known as an actress and comedian, and she's released five albums featuring both music and her trademark acerbic humor, but if Whatever It Takes is supposed to be funny, the wit is so bone dry that it entirely refuses to announce itself as such. Instead, Whatever It Takes appears to be a sincere and straight-faced exercise in internationalist pop with a social conscience. Produced by Ted Mason, a former member of Modern English, Whatever It Takes merges big rock & roll guitars and dance-friendly beats with rhythmic and melodic accents from Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America; Rwandan vocalist Jean Paul Samputu guests on three tracks, while Haitian singer Erol Josué also contributes his talents, giving this material some legitimate world music cred. Bernhard wrote all ten songs in collaboration with Mason, and while she doesn't exactly hop on a soapbox, much of the time she clearly has some sort of message to share with us, declaring "All around, we just want to be free again," "It's a new world, leave your fears behind" and "I'm going to change the holy word, I'm going to bring you 'round from what you've heard." (Bernhard has told more than one journalist that the optimism of Barack Obama's presidential campaign was in her thoughts while making the album.) Musically, Whatever It Takes is strong and well-crafted stuff, and the mixture of dancefloor-approved grooves, Mason's guitar heroics and the global sound and feel brought by the guest artists makes this a surprisingly successful experiment. The trouble is that Bernhard is a better comic than she is a singer; she's not bad by any stretch, but when she duets with Chrissie Hynde on the opening cut "All Around," it takes only seconds to realize which singer has been fronting a great rock band for three decades and which is a comic who sometimes sings. (Not to mention the contrast between Bernhard and Samputu's powerful vocal cameos.) Bernhard's ambitions outstrip her gifts as a singer on Whatever It Takes, despite an obviously sincere and concerted effort on her part, and while it's novel to hear her sing with such purpose, if she's going to make music her main focus from now on, a visit with a vocal coach wouldn't be a bad idea. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
'Everything Bad & Beautiful'
Release Date 6/5/2007
Tracks 20
Label Breaking
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What The Critics Say
If hearing Sandra Bernhard deliver a stately, theatrical version of Cheap Trick's power ballad "The Flame" sounds absolutely delicious to you then there's a lot to love about Everything Bad & Beautiful. If it sounds repulsive, then there's nothing about this one-woman show soundtrack that'll change your mind. The love her or hate her comedienne's first full-length since 1998's I'm Still Here...Damn It! is Sandra at her most Sandra. Celebrities are bitterly cut to pieces, the word "sister" is dropped repeatedly, and that strange mix of skittish, snide, and spiritual is working overtime with fractured narratives of childhood memories drifting into negro spirituals and onto pop songs. There's barely any transition between topics, some references require a cosmopolitan NYC background, and her singing is power over pitch, all of which make her ever so special to her devoted following. The album is filled with reasons for them to celebrate along with a couple key moments that should really be heard beyond her cult. While it's probably not fair to attack President George W. Bush by way of his daughters, Bernhard busts through all good taste barriers and forges on with one of the most vicious and well-constructed attacks imaginable. "I Hate Golf/Mock the Poor" kicks the Cuban cigar-smoking crowd to the curb in one sweet minute and once again Mariah Carey gets the scorn; once again it's hilarious. Topping it off is "Perfection," a strange club track best suited for sardonic dancefloors. [A limited-edition version of the CD was also released.] ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide
'I'm Still Here... Damn It!'
Release Date 11/17/1998
Tracks 20
Label TVT
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What The Critics Say
Sandra Bernhard's I'm Still Here...Damn It! is the title of her 1998 one-woman show, and this album is a live recording of that show. Hilarious from start to finish, one must be pretty in tune with popular culture to understand the bulk of the jokes on this album. She pokes fun at nearly every aspect of 1990s popular culture -- no one remains unscathed. From Courtney Love, Mariah Carey, Lillith Fair waifs, hash brownies in Amsterdam, life in Los Angeles, plastic bottles of water, her house painter Herminio, antibacterial soap, the fashion world, and even Ann Wilson, Ms. Bernhard provides her insightful humor on a huge variety of topics, even delicate ones such as the deaths of Princess Diana and Gianni Versace. However, no matter how touchy the topic, her humor is never malicious, bitter, or obscene, it's always slightly sarcastic, ironic, insightful, and definitely hilarious. The album does contain a few musical numbers but is not an actual musical album like its predecessor, 1994's Excuses for Bad Behavior, Pt. 1. She sings "Midnight Train to Georgia," and one studio recording is included ("On the Runway"), which was a minor U.S. dance hit (and pretty damn funny in its own right). For fans of this comedienne, this album is a definite treat and never loses its humor or poignancy, even after repeated listenings. ~ Jose Promis, All Music Guide
'Excuses for Bad Behavior, Pt. 1'
Release Date 8/23/1994
Tracks 17
Label Sony
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What The Critics Say
Sandra Bernhard's 1994 album, Excuses for Bad Behavior, Pt. 1, went largely unnoticed, which is unfortunate because the album is quite funny and very musical. Bernhard's red-hot interpretation of the Sylvester classic "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)," which tells the story of a young man's coming out experience in San Francisco, turned out to be a Top Ten U.S. dance hit but was about all the attention the album ever received. The album includes several originals, including the Madonna-esque "Who Knew?!," as well as her signature interpretations of rock classics such as the Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil," Jimi Hendrix' "Manic Depression" (retitled "Manic Superstar"), and a sizzling remake of Paul Simon's "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover." Her wit and humor, whether obvious, subtle, or ironic, is prevalent on nearly every track. On spoken word interludes, she pokes fun at topics ranging from the prevalence of Christmas in Jewish life to militant lesbians. She channels Dionne Warwick and other clairvoyants on "Prophecies," which, despite its obvious humor, possesses an irresistible hook, which is another one of her trademarks: No matter how funny the topic, the music is always catchy and first-rate, resulting in serious, earnest performances and further showcasing her wide array of talents. Of note is "Phone Sex," probably the funniest song on the album, which finds her imitating a selfish, fitness-obsessed phone sex operator to a shuffling, hypnotic R&B beat. This overlooked gem is a comedic, earnest, and thoughtful album from one of the most engaging and dynamic personalities of her time. Also check out the artwork, which finds Bernhard sprawled on a bed in a cheap and sleazy rundown motel. ~ Jose Promis, All Music Guide
