The Midnight Ramblers may be the younger of the two all male a cappella groups at UR, but they aren’t nave when it comes to making a CD to represent their strongest endeavors.
However, one might not immediately guess this by looking at the pack of girls that seemingly follow them around as if they were *NSYNC.
Their newest CD, “All Sales Final,” debuted at their spring show, “Midnight Ramblers: Behind the Music.”
This CD features the repertoire from last year but many songs on this CD are still performed regularly in their concerts, such as “Dock of the Bay,” which features senior Bub Suppipat.
The Ramblers should be applauded for not falling into the trap that so many other a cappella groups fall into ? only arranging and performing the same type of fast-paced music. Their experimentation and willingness to broaden their range sets them apart from other groups who refuse to attempt innovation.
“All Sales Final” features music from a variety of different genres of music, ranging from traditional to hip-hop.
The only aspect that all these songs have in common is their ability to seduce their crowd and listeners. The Ramblers, aside from the UR men’s basketball team, have the best ability to draw large crowds of UR girls.
Senior Jay Sperry provides for an enjoyable listening experience with his soloist performance of Oasis’ “Wonderwall.”
Some songs on this CD are noticeably more energizing than the other clump on the CD. For example, junior Dan Gross’ performance of “Shimmer” is sure to get any crowd on its feet. “Change in my Life,” performed by Class of 2001 graduate Chris Lind, reaches impressively high levels of singing, sure to impress whoever is listening.
A word to the wise, when you’re skimming through the list of songs on the back of the CD, don’t go and get your eyes checked for double vision when you see “Wild Wild West” twice on the list.
The Ramblers show their ability to arrange a song a number of different ways. These two versions feature two different sets of soloists as well as a completely different take on the song. I prefer the later version but both give the listener a taste of the Ramblers skill at singing pop music.
The Ramblers once again entertain their fans in an exciting and diverse CD. Maybe I should start a fan club for them on campus.
Hauptman can be reached at mhauptman@campustimes.org.
