Camper Van Beethoven: Camper Van Beethoven Is Dead, Long Live Camper Van Beethoven

The relative ease of recording and releasing music in the '80s led to the rise of bands that got by on the basis of their cleverness more than their songwriting ability. Camper Van Beethoven was a rare exception, effortlessly balancing intelligence with silliness without abandoning craft: Formed in Santa Cruz, it simultaneously sent up world music and indie-rock idioms while excelling at both. From faux Eastern European rave-ups to ska songs to goofy covers of Black Flag and Sonic Youth—and a song called "ZZ Top Goes To Egypt" that actually lived up to its title—CVB was an idiosyncratic bunch of casual geniuses. The band broke up in 1989, and since then, its albums have gone in and out of print, but its supporters remain vocal. Camper Van Beethoven Is Dead is its second rarities collection, but with a twist: Original members Victor Krummenacher, David Lowery, and Jonathan Segel set aside their differences to sift through tapes, fragments, demos, and live tracks, and spruce them up for release with the aid of new technology. The songs aren't quite there, though fans will no doubt eat them up. Curiosities include an orchestral version of Key Lime Pie's "All Her Favorite Fruit" (which is somehow slightly less stately than the rock-band original), worthwhile instrumentals ("Closing Theme," "S.P.37957 Medley"), and a couple of honest-to-goodness new songs ("L'Aguardiente," "Klondike," "We're All Wasted And We're Wasting All Your Time"). A cover of Frank Zappa's "Who Are The Brain Police?" was better executed by the CVB side project Monks Of Doom, but as a demo of the early "Balalaika Gap" demonstrates, CVB had no equal when at the top of its game. Here's hoping the bulk of Camper Van Beethoven's output (including the previous rarities collection Camper Vantiquities) is again made available to new fans, and here's hoping this renewed activity leads to more music.