I have to say, I like the music of Cracker better than that of Camper Van Beethoven. David Lowery formed Cracker after the breakup of CVB (other members formed Monks Of Doom) and immediately achieved greater success than the Campers ever did. You could argue that his raucous, rootsy approach is less artful than that of the brainy Beethovens, but in rock 'n' roll that can be a good thing. But, Camper Van Beethoven accomplished many things on their five studio albums, not all of them deathly serious - "Take The Skinheads Bowling" was the band's greatest hit. Their exotic, folksy sound influenced many other groups (including former Austinites Poi Dog Pondering), and they helped make the alternative world safe for acoustic instruments.

CBV's albums regularly drop in-and-out-of-print, so I will not vouch for their availability. Happily, the new millenium brought with it a lurry of activity, including a brand new album (New Roman Times, 2004) and an aggressive reissue campaign (c.f. the all-in-one boxed set, Cigarettes & Carrot Juice: The Santa Cruz Years, 2002). Of the troup's individual discs, the ones to particularly seek out are the debut, Telephone Free Landslide Victory (1985), Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart (1988), and Key Lime Pie (1989).

But Cracker, well, they're just more fun. On Cracker (1992), their uproarious debut, Lowery got a lot off his chest; with songs like "Teen Angst" and "Don't Fuck Me Up (With Peace & Love)," he seemed to be saying to all those devoted CVB fans, "Get a life!" The second, more serious record, Kerosene Hat, was both their most accomplished and successful, containing the alt-rock mega-hit "Low." Watch out for two hidden tracks (#69 and #77) - they are among the best on the CD... The third album, The Golden Age (1996), was something of a letdown, but Cracker's final album to date, Gentleman's Blues (1998), rocked harder than ever. Lowery's writing skills seem to be on the wane, but let's hope his last chapter has yet to be written. Garage D'or, a greatest-hits-and-rarities package, was released in 2000.