Late the other night I started in with this stream of consciousness intro to this review where I was going to talk about my personal history with Rob Potylo. From the time a former friend got in trouble at work for playing “I Put A Baby In You” by his alter ego, Robby Roadsteamer, in my honor after learning that bostonregina and I had a baby on the way to getting to experience the misunderstood genius of Potylo in person years later when I found myself working at a different company in a brick and mortar-type establishment once again as Rob worked in the warehouse making frequent deliveries to the store I was in. I actually have a framed hand-drawn picture from Potylo adorning the wall of my Man Cave (Read: Comic Book Room) depicting our time together at that place.
But I digress…and apparently went “stream of consciousness” anyway…
Almost a stream of consciousness in itself, Children’s Songs For Adults really works when you sit down and digest it fully and with most things Potylo does, you’re either going to love it or hate it. We tend to fall in the former category as there’s just something oddly comforting when it comes to new music from the former Boston native. Whether he’s towing the Cock Rawk line and being obscene as Roadsteamer or introspective with The Lonely Planets (Check out our review of that debut on another site we used to write for here), or living loud and proud as Rob Potylo like he is here (Well, loud with intent but not with the acoustic guitar that backs him throughout this recording), you’ll definitely find something that’ll appease your id, ego, or superego…or maybe all three!
Part ode to his new adopted home of Los Angeles, part WWE smack talk thoughtpiece, Children’s Songs For Adults captures all that is great about Potylo and offers up the best kind of intro for the uninitiated. So join Potylo as he sets the record straight on how to pronounce his name (In the aptly titled “Potylo!”), “praises” the legendary Don Barris (Who guests and is the subject of many a song within), warns of the dangers of going to “The Belly Room”, and channels Bob Dylan (On “It’s That Shitty Dude Open Mic”).
Elsewhere, Roadsteamer makes several appearances throughout the album and is just as potent in an acoustic setting as he is plugged in (“Proud I Came To The Ding Dong Show” and “Pay Your Debt! (Dad!)” are prime examples). Then there’s the inclusion of the now infamous “Hot Dogs And Applesauce” which was featured on the recent reincarnation of The Gong Show (Potylo survived the gong!) preceded by “Wash Your Hole!” sung to the theme of The A-Team. Later, there’s “Power In The Blood Of The Store” which is the kazoo-driven anthem you didn’t know you needed in your life while “He’s A Boy Cow! (he needs milking)” is one twisted track disguised as something that’d be played on Barney.
Children’s Songs For Adults is available now! You can stream, purchase, and download the whole shebang here. For more on Rob Potylo, including when you can catch him performing music, comedy, or some juxtaposition of the two, follow him on the interwebs by clicking here or here.