A Little Bit Special is definitely the darker of Lynch's two albums. Songs about dead girlfriends, dirty stripclubs, and killing innocent animals aren't exactly "light-hearted." The musical and vocal melodies arent as poppy and upbeat as those on his other album, but this is a must have for anybody who is into stand-up comedy, and also can appreciate its musical side. Lynch is an amazing singer, a good guitar player, and the funniest comedian I've ever heard. This album definitely demonstrates all of those qualities.
Lullaby (Divorce Song) - 4/5
This was the first Lynch song I ever heard, so it holds somewhat of a sentimental value for me. I think it sums up his style of humor pretty well. This is Lynch singing a lullaby to his daughter, about why her mom left. The song starts out slow and sweet, almost like a real lullaby. Then come the jokes about his disgusting habits (porn, poker, STD's, etc.). Lullaby is a very good starter if you have never heard Lynch before.
Half A Man - 3/5
This is Lynch's anger outlet towards the unfortunate situation of only having one testicle. Most of the song is filled with euphamism's for the male genitalia..."dice", "family jewels", and whatever else you can imagine.
Bitch - 5/5
Short, sweet, and sinful. This song showcases Lynch's comedic timing excellently. Bitch starts out as a heartfelt ballad about a man unsure of how to communicate with a lover. It quickly becomes a heartfelt ballad about a pimp collecting from his ho.
Special - 4/5
Very interesting song about a boy, his autistic friend, and the activities they engage in. While Lynch plays soldier and tag, his friend "Special Ed" eats dirt and talks to trees. By the end of the song, Ed assaults Lynch with a brick and makes him "special" too. This is a great song, and I had to rate it a little higher than normal because of my friend Ed...
Month Dead - 3/5
Remember that dead girlfreind I mentioned? Here's where she comes into play. This song is about Lynch's girlfriend who he dug up from her grave a month ago. He begins to worry as she begins to decay. This one really gets good later in the song when the vocals become louder and more intense. (The "see you in hell" line is a little on the creepy side though...)
Priest - 5/5
A lot of people who have heard Lynch before might tell you that this is their favorite song by him. His playing, his singing, his timing, and especially his sense of humor all show through beautifully in this crack at the catholic priest/altar boy relationship. A live version can also be heard on Superhero.
Hair - 5/5
This is one of my personal favorite Lynch songs. At 11 seconds long it definitely clocks in as the shortest track, but to me its pure comedic genius. Dont you hate it when you go to take a shower, and there's that little curly hair on the soap?
Gerbil - 5/5
"If Richard Gere can do it I can too." We all remember the gerbil rumors...well Lynch lives them out in this gerb-erotic jam. He goes into explicit detail about insertion, sensation, removal...its pretty gruesome. Hilarious song in all, and one of the stand out tracks on the album.
R.D.C. (Opie's Lament) - 4/5
Rae Dawn Chong. I know she was an actress in the eighties, but I dont remember what movie she was in. But for some reason, Lynch is utterly obsessed with her in this haunting love ballad. He sings about his repeated unsuccessful attempts to convince RDC to return his love. So much in fact that he ends the song wondering if she loved him when he shot her...I love the melody of this one. Thats one thing I really enjoy about Lynch, how he sings about such disturbing stuff but the happy melody totally makes you forget all that.
Mother's Day Song - 3/5
Short simple song about Lynch screwing his mom.
HermAphrodite - 4/5
Pronounced hurm-afro-die-tee...shes a beautiful girl with a package that would put mine to shame! How gross would it be to fool around with a girl, only to find out shes half dude!? "Shes my little girl yeah shes my little guy. When I try to please her I get poked in the eye!" Sings Lynch to his girlfriend in yet another amazing love song. This one has a little more edge to it...you can almost sense anger in his voice...But then again I'd probably be angry too.
Tall Glass O' Water - 2/5
Heavily influenced by country music, TGOW compares a great girl to a number of different enjoyable beverages. Included are: lemonade, tang, and pepto bismol. Somewhat of a weak track, not the typical Lynch humor or musical style. But its Christopher Walken's favorite...cuz it has cowbell!
In Defense Of A Peepshow Girl - 1.5/5
This is the worst track on the album IMO. Its a bit boring, and the melody is dull at times. Peepshow flaunts Lynch's infatuation with, you guessed it...a peepshow girl. One of the skippable tracks on this album.
Jim Henson's Dead - 3/5
Barney, Power Rangers, Teletubbies...all just fads. But Jim Henson's Muppets still live on. This is Lynch's tribute to Henson and all his creations. Its a decent track, not blatantly funny like his other material...but its worth a listen. Skip it if youre only in it for the humor.
Gay - 4/5
This is a good song to watch him sing live. His expressions and timing really make all the difference. But even the studio version is awesome. It starts with an answering machine message from Lynch's friend about not being able to remember what happened last night...then it goes into Lynch singing about the fact that he isnt gay, but a lot could happen if he was gay. Listen for yourself...
Kill A Kitten (Hidden Track) - 5/5
Finally! Best track on the album, and one of my favorites by Stephen Lynch. Awesome chord progression accompanied by an incredibly catchy melody, with those twisted lyrics we all know and love. Kill A Kitten is pretty self explanatory...it gives you a number ways to (and reasons why you should) kill a kitten. And if killing kittens isnt your bag...kill a puppy dog instead!
The Walkens - Comedian Jay Mohr makes a number of appearances on this album impersonating Christopher Walken. For the most part, he just complains about how he doesnt approve of Lynch or his material. Dead on impression though.
All in all A Little Bit Special is an amazing album, and will convince anyone who isnt already a fan.
Recommended Tracks:
Lullaby
Bitch
Special
Priest
Hair
Gerbil
Kill A Kitten
Skippable Tracks:
Tall Glass O' Water
In Defense Of A Peepshow Girl
Final Rating: 4/5
