Proof of Utah: A Dog, A Dodo, and A Fool (Reviews)

Proof of Utah Discography: A Dog, A Dodo, And A Fool

Nothing like you've ever heard. Not Beefheart, not Zappa, not The Residents, but somewhere in the cracks between the keys. I love the lines "If I'd have known that you'd be back / I would have worn a party hat." This record abounds in charm, wit and intelligence and I trust it utterly as a response to an otherwise maddened world. You have to cling to groups like this. Some of the cuts are far-out experimental instrumentals, but after "Whatever Happened To Protocol?" and "Amber Mitchell" you'll never be the same.-The Fortnightly College Radio Report

Absurdity makes life more bearable--those twisted observations and happenings that make us laugh at our lot in spite of ourselves. Many people have embraced absurdity as a form of artistic outlet--musically some of the more successful have been The Residents, Bonzo Dog Band, and, of course, Frank Zappa. Here is another addition to this school of absurdists--Bowing Green, Ohio's Proof of Utah. On this indie lp the band comes off most akin to a more acoustic version of The Residents--warm, witty, quirky songs with a high level of musicianship and broad appeal. A very impressive debut, this is well worth what I would guess to be a fairly hard search to find this gem.-Rockpool

This is the sort of lp that I love to hear! It is a diverse, interesting and fun record surrounded by a fold-out cover with words and funny art. There are so many themes that it's best to list them by songs: "Mrs. Delicious" is a humorous funky groove with slow, affected vocals. "Betty's Pleasure" is a funny little story of Betty, who is out of touch with reality. It features repetitive talking and dubs similar to Eno/Byrne's My Life in the Bush of Ghosts. "She's a Fish" has wild rough vocals with pointy high-pitched guitar plucking, backed by fuzzy garage guitar. "Pronto Bill Gets Born" is Farfisa and funny bird calls. Zappa meets Residents? "Bomb me Baby" is a dub tape song with found audio of nuclear topics that fades into a Dylanish sound. Overall, this lp is Eno meets Residents during different parts of Eno's career. Off-beat, nutty, and one of the better independent releases I've heard this year.-SoundChoice

Hot Damn! And just when I was sinking into a deep depression. Along comes A Dog, A Dodo, and a Fool. This experimental band from Bowling Green, Ohio (Bowling Green?) is your answer to all those groove-injured Frank Zappa albums and that Flipper album that skips because the neighbor thought it wasn't moving when he set his beer down on the turntable. With lyrics like: "Elmer was the kind of guy, Would point his nostrils at the sky, Would roll his eyes and shake his butt, That Elmer was a real nut" how can you go wrong? I've worn my needle out already.-Spastic Culture (San Francisco)

Proof of Utah, from Bowling Green, Ohio,, have the do-it-yourself record of the year with A Dog, A Dodo, and A Fool (Smiley Turtle Records and no catalog number! you're talking real "real" here!). Apparently the main force behind this are the legendary Louie and Bosco team; rendered with aching sincerity, Proof of Utah wanders from Bonzo Dog Band land to the piano musings of Satie, displaying whimsical lyric proficiency hailing from some mad coffeehouse, beat mutterings undertowed with fringes of psychosis. Under no constraint nor stylistic groove, this record is a continuing justification for homebrew recordings.-Duckberg Times (Alexandria, VA)