ALBUM REVIEW: CHRIS TAVENER - IS HE JOKING?...(LIVE)
They say that you should never judge a book by its cover, but we would be lying if we didn’t admit that Spirit Level were very apprehensive when we were asked to review a live record by a comedy song-writer. Thankfully, we are happy to admit our mistakes as satirical singer/songwriter Chris Tavener’s ‘Is He Joking?…(Live)’ is a charming and genuinely hilarious collection of great folk comedy songs.
Leaning much closer to ‘Tom Lehrer’ than ‘Tenacious D’, Chris Tavener satirises everything from smart phones and music festivals to gap years and pretentious artists. The live environment really benefits the songs especially as Tavener awkwardly jokes and goes through numerous skits and stage banter between songs. Despite poking fun at everything under the sun, the jokes never seem cruel and are rarely crude which makes a refreshing change from the majority of comedy artists that we have come across in recent years. If there is any underlying theme throughout the show then it is to never take life too seriously and always try to see the funny side as Tavener eloquently puts it in closing track ‘The Funny Side’, a genuinely stirring track that has a real heart to it. Sometimes it is important to take a step back from the chaos and stresses that surround us 24/7 and ‘Is He Joking?…(Live) is a brilliant way to switch off for an hour and have a good laugh.
6/10
Personal Highlight: Starting out as a song about censorship and discrimination, Chris Tavener cleverly twists the song into a witty rant about his dislike of iPhones and smart phone technology.
