The Bonzo Dog Band

Taking the "Doo Dah" out of their name for this 1968 LP, the Bonzos' second album was probably their best. Although they were hardly a rock or pop group in the traditional sense, the Bonzos couldn't help absorbing some of the vibes of British psychedelia, and the heady ambience of the era is reflected in the recklessly diverse and outrageous material. Almost all of the songs were penned by the two top dogs, Viv Stanshall and Neil Innes, who deflate British blues, psychedelia, and other pop, jazz, and music hall styles with priceless wit. Star tracks on this saxophone-heavy album include the doo wop ode to a spacegirl ("Beautiful Zelda"), "The Trouser Press" (which gave the late American underground rock magazine its name), the droll series of poker-faced spoken sketches on "Rhinocratic Oaths" (certainly an influence on Monty Python), and the boozy "My Pink Half of the Drainpipe," which ranks as one of the most ridiculous and hysterical songs released by a pop group of any era. [The 2007 expanded reissue of The Doughnut in Granny's Greenhouse contains five bonus tracks: previously unreleased versions of "Blue Suede Shoes" and "Bang Bang," a "Girls Version" of "Alley Oop," a single version of "Canyons of Your Mind," and a German version of "Mr. Apollo." As with all the 2007 Bonzo reissues, there are very good liner notes by Neil Innes, whose intro may be recycled through all five discs, but that repetition is redeemed by his fine track-by-track commentary, which covers the bonus cuts as well.] ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide