R. Crumb and his Cheap Suit Serenaders Number 2
"R. Crumb and his Cheap Suit Serenaders Number 2" was the CSS's
imaginatively titled second album. The music continued to be up-tempo string band music in
the style of the early part of the 20th century. The core group was the same as on CSS#1 except for the addition of documentary film maker Terry
Zwigoff who had met Crumb when he went to ask him to donate artwork to an animated film
promoting peace that Zwigoff was making. The biggest musical change was the inclusion of
two Hawaiian style tunes, a foreshadowing of the addition of Bob Brozman on CSS#3. This album is now available on CD from Shanachie Records as "Chasin' Rainbows"
(Shanachie 6002, 1993).
Some information, a cover shot, and sound samples of some of the songs may be found at this
link.
The cover is my personal favorite of the three. The whole cover is surrounded by a
decorative border. A cartoonish drawing of the band is on the upper half of the cover.
They are looking quite a bit worse for the wear, sitting on folding chairs playing. From
left to right, terry saws his cello, looking bored or sleepy. Robert is next, looking
stoned. Allan concentrates fiercely on his mandolin, looking as though his fingers are too
big for the strings. Crumb sits calmly at the end, with a stupid grin. All, of course,
wear cheap suits! Below in large hand-drawn letters it reads "R. Crumb and his Cheap
Suit Serenaders.: Below that, in smaller letters, is "Persian Rug, Crying my Blues
Away, Moana March and Other Favorites." Sticker-like circles read "Blue Goose
2019" (with a guitar playing goose) on the left and on the right "Number
2."
The top of the reverse side reads "R. Crumb and his Cheap Suit SerenadersNumber
Two." There are small photos of each of them (with hand drawn stars behind them) and
a circle with album information in the center. Below are two block with side A and side B
sone information and at the very bottom another small cartoon of the band, an ad for the
Blue Goose Label, and another circle reading "Blue Goose 2019."
Other Information on back cover:
All Arangements copyright (c) (p) by Yellow Bee Music (BMI)
-1976 -
Produced for Blue Goose Recordes, a division of Yellow Bee Records, by Nick Perls
Cover Art by R. Crumb
Copyright (c) (p) Yellow Bee Productions Inc. 1976
Updated Feb. 15, 1998