Bongo and the Point: Press

'THE SELFISH GIANT' A GEM

Every so often one stumbles across a musical recording so original, it's not easy to sufficiently describe its significance.

"The Selfish Giant" deserves immediate classical status, not because it's an ambitious and carefully crafted 69-minute rock opera - based on an Oscar Wilde fairy tale - that has never been done. It hasn't. But it's so musically intricate, beautifully fragile and yet "rocks on," that its complexities cannot be absorbed by the average listener in one sitting. It is a CD to live with for a while, produced by real artists with a great idea.

"The Selfish Giant" is a "concept album" for people who remember pop music with melodies and harmonies, "back when records had a point," said [Jim] Patton [of Bongo and the Point]. Listening to the soaring harmonies and master-like melodies of accompanying instruments makes one think, "The Beatles meet the Beach Boys and the Mamas and the Papas during the British Invasion." Throw in some Eric Burdon for good measure and you begin to appreciate a few of the wells "Giant" producer Patton draws from.

But this is no rip-off concoction cooked in a hurry. Stir in delightfully thoughtful lyrics from Dee Patton, then add delicious harmonies from the Pattons' two grown daughters, Elfin and Bree, for that vocal flavor only a family can seem to form. Simmer and stir in creative originality for three years. Labor in musical love to painstakingly pack each track with sounds few recording companies would take time to underwrite, and you have "The Selfish Giant."

The project was undertaken in that manner purposely, Patton said, to eliminate interfering "money people." The Pattons are originally from Southern California and know something about "the business," having a platinum and three gold records.

"We wanted to do exactly what was in our hearts to do (with Giant) and not let some investors get in there and make the project fail because they thought they needed this or that thing included to make it sell," said Jim Patton. "We've been in those kinds of projects before."

The product the [Bongo and the Point] have given us is a homegrown gem, an astonishingly rich, yet subtle and satisfying treasure. I suspect "The Selfish Giant" will be one of those happy, footnoted anomalies in American musical history that will make music lovers grin and nod their heads.

BIT OF BRILLIANCE

This simple, touching tale is told in 29 short songs, complete with a bona-fide overture. The span of the lyrics includes wide, emotional ranges from laments to celebrations. Musically interpreting children's characters always seems risky at best when adults are listening, but almost all of the opera's sketches in that regard are matched well.

Brilliantly so in some cases, like when the panicked children take off in "Everybody Run." Another bit of brilliance reveals itself in "Tell Him to Come," and therein lies the beauty of the opera; there are brilliant moments all over it as you dig deeper into songs like "Everyday in the Afternoon" and "Tell Him To Come." The latter two songs could be classified as "stage-genre" hits. The cumulative effect is to pull the listener into the giant's world, embracing the "reality" of it. Everyone can find their own favorite tunes.

Four songs I thought could easily be released as "Side A" singles include the moody, evocative "Dear Mrs. Snow," the joyous "Tear Down the Walls," the bit of pure genius that's in the soaring "Reach" and signature song "Silver Fruit and Golden Branches" that lyrically tells us, "Come to the garden and see," a possible theme for the entire opera.