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Richard Cheese: Aperitif For Destruction

Fix yourself a cocktail, take the plastic off the couch, and kick back in your smoking jacket to enjoy Aperitif for Destruction, the latest album from Richard Cheese. This man is so hip I’m surprised he can see over his pelvis. This blend of favorites of the last three decades ranging from We Are The World to Let’s Get It Started is easily his best album yet. With the exception of a very weak first track, the album is worth listening to repeatedly. Make sure your CD player has a repeat function!

I don’t think he could have done anything to record the first track better – it just didn’t need to be covered. The joy of Cheese’s music is the charismatic way he tweaks popular tunes. The Me So Horny lyrics are so extreme that performing them lounge-style doesn’t do them any justice, even coming from someone as talented as Cheese. You can try the first track, but you’ll probably skip to the good stuff on consequent listens.

Lounge Against the Machine, Tuxicity, and I’d Like A Virgin were all excellent albums in their own right, but Cheese really hits his stride with Aperitif for Destruction. His renditions are pure genius, and it is obvious he has a great deal of respect for the original tracks because it takes scrupulous attention to detail in order to parody them correctly. Cheese completely hits the mark in that department, and is the only performer with enough cajones to record Sunday Bloody Sunday as a mambo number. Green Day should be proud that they created an anthem of protest that lends itself so well to lounge because Cheese executes American Idiot flawlessly.

Previous albums featured excerpts from live performances. Aperitif for Destruction is completely a studio album, which gives Cheese and company an opportunity to focus on the type of storytelling that is only possible in an audio environment. As my dad used to say, only in radio can you fill Lake Michigan with whipped cream, top it with a cherry, and make it believable. Listen for special appearances from Phil Spector and Stephen Hawking.

Rumor has it that Cheese is hanging up his microphone at the end of the year. He is a hell of a performer, so see him in concert while you still can. You already made up your mind to pick up the album, right? I can’t recommend it highly enough.

In Portland, try Everyday Music or Music Millennium. Autographed CDs and other fun swag like “I Love Dick” thong panties (your vagina will thank you!) are available through http://www.iloverichardcheese.com/.

Remember, we are the world, and keep Michael Jackson away from your children!