Word: krok
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...with her Chanel does it and the fragrance really lingers/Colonel Sanders with his chicken does it, and then, he licks his fingers." Musically, both the live and to a lesser extent, the studio versions of the songs suffer from fairly primitive mixings, and the sound is frequently muddy. The Kroks draw inspiration, not to mention an occasional arrangement, from Manhattan Transfer, but can't match the polish or studio values that four-person group obtains in their albums. Only the most passionate Krok devotee (and they do exist) could draw nearly the same satisfaction from their record as from...
...that is in person, and the Kroks present a curiously different picture on this, the group's 12th album over the years. Most songs are live, with occasional numbers done in a studio. The name "at Symphony Hall" comes from the liner photo that shows them at the Symphony subway stop. Unfortunately, the album serves to highlight the importance of the Krok's appearance, mannerisms and clever choreography to their overall effect. The harsh scrutiny of vinyl embellishes imperfections in the Kroks's non-professional voices, flaws that go unnoticed in the excitement of a live performance. For example...
Although an infrequent concert-goer, I somehow managed to be conned into going to the annual Krok/Whiffenpoof/Tigertone in spring of my freshman year. My most vivid memory of that event, two years later, is of a group of young out-of-town women, apparent veterans of Krok concerts, clamoring for seats in the front row of Sanders. Half-way through a song in the second half, when a bearded and chivalrous Krok stepped out into the audience to take a random young woman by the hand onto the stage, it occurred to me what the seating ruckus was all about...
...Krok adaptation of The Twist is constructed on a New Havenish ground (one can detect an "Arf" in the midst of the rock growls); but, though one suspects that the lyrics owe their inspiration to the recent carolings of the Lampoon Tabernacle Choir, the noise is usually sufficient to distract attention from them--and the noise is thumping good...
Rehearsals are held regularly three evenings each week in the Hasty Pudding Clubhouse. The Kroks aren't quite sure how they manage to learn a new song; for awhile the Pudding barroom is pandemonium as members peek out their parts on an antique piano, cursing the over-enthusiastic arranger. Once the music is memorized, however, the rest is easy. Any Krok who has an idea or a gimmick speaks up, and the idea is tried. If the rest of the Kroks like it, it stays; if not, it is thrown out. In this way the final interpretation represents the combined...