The Bigfellas

Charlie Recksieck of the Bigfellas says being know for their bawdy tune “I Wish That I Were Gay” has its pluses and minuses.

“The good side is it gives people something to remember you by, but we’ve taken crap for it. We know you won’t get booked at street fairs and family stuff like that. It has cost us there. And [our booking agent] dropped out because she said she had a gay nephew. We were all scratching our heads. It’s just a song.”

The song begins with piano “flourish” from Gershwin’s “Rhapsody In Blue”: “I wish that I were gay / Maybe then I’d understand ballet / I would be so gourmet / I’d get stuffed eating a petite file / And soufflé / Read Armistead Maupin / Listen to Gershwin.”

“When I wrote it I was listening to Rufus Wainwright,” says Recksieck. “It took me into Gerswin. It occurred to me that this song sounded really gayish. So I added all the gay clichés … It’s like Lou Reed’s song ‘I Wanna Be Black.’ …

“Our drummer Shay Bell was watching Coldplay on TV, and they looked about as serious as you possibly could. He said, ‘What the hell do these guys have to be all depressed about? The are the number-one band in the country and can pretty much get any girl they want and they walk around like someone just shot their dog.’ “

Though the beat Farmers, Mojo Nixon, and Steve Poltz gained prominence in San Diego, Recksieck notes that there aren’t many current humorous bands. Members of the Bigfellas are in their 30s and 40s; Recksieck seems as if he couldn’t care less about the band’s image.

“This is not a farm team for us to get on MTV. We’re not playing for any goal other than having fun. Our local scene is entirely too serious. Every local band with six people in their audience things they are rock stars.”

The Bigfellas appear Saturday at O’Connell’s in Bay Park and Wednesday at Portugalia in O.B.

-
Ken Leighton,
San Diego Reader
October 5, 2006
- San Diego Reader

This 2008 release by The Bigfellas is one of the most interesting records I have heard in a long time. Full of tongue-in-cheek satire, playful lyrics and melodies, and a sophisticated sense of music to suit the topic, The Bigfellas are an intellectual pop fan's dream. These guys are the MAD magazine of modern pop - a bunch of "What Me Worry" Alfred E. Newmans on the stage.

Not many will pick up on the subtle jabs in the lyrics or "samples" in the music first time around, so the record demands repeated listens. For example, catch the switch to U2's "Bullet the Blue Sky" in the coda of "California King", which happens to be one of the most accessible and catchy numbers on the record. And then there is the seemingly goofy rap song called "On The Green" which is based on the 70s hit "Love's Theme" by Love Unlimited Orchestra. Not a favorite, but the juxtaposition of gangsta rap with the hard knocks life of golf is hilarious. The band takes similar satirical risks with "I Wish That I Were Gay". But we're all about the hooks and melodies here; while there are plenty of such moments scattered throughout "Chubbed Up", few of songs sustain them for the entirety of their rather lengthy duration. In addition to "California King", "Dollar For Every Dime" and "Adam and Eve and Red and Alice" hold up very well for repeated listens. The more serious ballad, "Wish You Knew" is unexpectedly moving and a definite highlight. Fans of ELO's "Mr. Blue Sky" may be interested in the banjo-driven cover, included as a bonus track on "Chubbed Up".

There is a very strong Ben Folds vibe here, both in the 'everyday kind of guy' tone of the singer's voice and the fact that most of the tunes are based around catchy piano riffs. Many others have already noted the comparison to Randy Newman as well. The Bigfellas have been voted "Best Local Band In San Diego" for 2006 and 2007. In the areas of novelty, musicianship, and satire, The Bigfellas don't come up short.
- Bill's Music Forum

With an album cover depicting a smiley face cookie smoking a blunt, hopes are (no pun intended) already initially high. Fortunately, the expectations are met. Highly original, as well as entertaining, local favorite The Bigfellas’ self-produced album, “Chubbed Up,” delivers a whimsical and lighthearted sound, accompanied by often comical lyrics.

Voted “Best Local Band” in San Diego twice, The Bigfellas won’t disappoint listeners looking for something new. Reminiscent of Steely Dan, these San Diego locals make good use of the piano throughout their album, bringing out the lighter side of rock ’n’ roll.

Thankfully, they keep up the fun factor with silly and sometimes hysterical lyrics. Song topics vary from lamenting on the absence of a king in California, rapping about being a hard core golfer and longing to be gay in order to understand Los Angeles culture.

The pace and texture of the album varies from song to song, making the entire album easy to listen to without being boring or repetitive. With a different adventure in each song, it becomes evident how The Bigfellas has become such a huge hit in San Diego. However, the definite high point of the album is their cover of the Electric Light Orchestra’s hit, “Mr. Blue Sky.” Redone in a very different style, with a banjo as the main instrument, they do the song justice, just as they do for their awarded title, throughout the entire album.

Grade: A- - Daily Aztec (San Diego State)

Y’know, sometimes old-school is still the best. The Bigfellas are an unsigned band that hail from San Diego and basically revolves around the songwriting talents of Charlie Recksieck. And a talent Recksieck certainly is and he chooses to express his skills in the classic rock forms of the 70s I grew up with viz. Supertramp, Billy Joel, ELO, Randy Newman, Warren Zevon, Elton John et al. Ben Folds is probably the closest modern day reference I can think of.

This 14 track album will definitely be a treat for fans of the aforementioned bands and artists but in his own right Recksieck must be acknowledged for his way with a melody and smart-assed lyrics.

And they don’t get better than the opening California King, whilst melodically covers all the above bases, thematically presents a humorous take on Recksieck’s home state. To wit, ”Star Wars, megastores, bodybuilding governors/Vegetarians who love to shoot their guns/Aerospace apportions, legalized abortions,/Over two million illegal aliens”. Top that up with a Beatlesque guitar solo and pleasing girl harmonies and what you have is a bona fide modern pop classic.

The rest of Chubbed Up is hit or miss but still contains enough highlights to deserve every serious pop-rock lover’s attention.

For instance, the catchy romp Dollar for a Dime with its memorable stanza - “All those investments with no return/The times in Vegas when I’ve been burned/The only thing that I’ve ever learned/Money won’s sweeter than money earned”. Mos def!

Or what about the politically incorrect I Wish I Were Gay, which opens with a rendition of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and features words that I would kill to hear on primetime radio -

“I wish that I were gay
Then I could forget all of the foreplay
Do it then walk away
Having sex with women is just so passe
So yesterday
Fucking on a whim
Going to the gym
Look at him - he might be gay”

Then there’s the rap/golf satire of On the Green, complete with a lift of Barry White’s love theme - hilarious!

Not sure if the Bigfellas have what it takes to make it in the current navel-gazing, emotional fakery that poses for rock cred nowadays but I really don’t give a damn, the Bigfellas are a band that deserves your love and attention. Check out the Bigfellas at Myspace. - The Power Of Pop

I love how the melodies are so beautiful, but the content is a complete left turn from what you would expect to hear lyrically (with those particular melodies). It's like hearing Stevie Wonder playing keys and singing about "slappin' a bitch"..but it's still amazing!! - KPFK Public Radio (Los Angeles)