After nearly a decade of globetrotting genre flirtations, Kid Creole the Coconuts seem artistically stranded on their 1987 release, I, Too, Have Seen the Woods. While still capable of brilliant moments, the album lacks the focused direction of prior efforts like Fresh Fruit in Foreign Places and the group's tour de force, Wise Guy. Part of the problem is leader August Darnell's overindulgent literateness, which results in excessive name-dropping on Part of My Design and So Far, So Good. Much more noteworthy are the references to historical landmarks on the album's highlight, Dancin' at the Bains Douches. Reverting to his earlier appreciation of club life, Darnell frets about the possibility of a global divide that might force everyone to choose between such world-famous structures as the Parthenon and Westminster Abbey, then shrugs it off by claiming he'd select his favorite nightclub over all of them. After all, as he notes in his description of the discotheque, "There'd be no violence there/There'd be loads of nationalities/Lots of atmosphere." That statement summarizes the sociopolitical aspirations of the best Kid Creole lyrics, while the mixture of energetic horns, sparkling vibes, elastic bass, and chanted background vocals symbolizes the group's musical mission at its finest. Dancin' at the Bains Douches sets a standard that the surrounding material fails to meet, although Agony...Ecstasy and Call It a Day are close runners-up. Most of the time, when the lyrics aren't too clever for their own good, the cross-cultural blend of diverse musical styles is less harmonious than previous Kid Creole hybrids. I, Too, Have Seen the Woods is occasionally admirable yet ultimately misguided, suggesting that Darnell might not be able to see the forest for the trees. ~ Vince Ripol, Rovi

1		Buttermilk Channel
2		Part of My Design
3		Agony...Ecstasy
4		Dancin' at the Bains Douches
5		El Hijo
6		Cold Wave
7		So Far, So Good
8		Midsummer Madness
9		Consider Me
10		Boxed Out
11		Call It a Day