Singles from In Praise of Older Women... and Other Crimes
"Caroline Was a Drop-Out" b/w "You Can't Keep A Good Man Down" Released: 1985
"Endicott" b/w "Dowopsalsaboprock" Released: June 1985
In Praise of Older Women... and Other Crimes is the fifth studio album released by the American musical group Kid Creole and the Coconuts. It was released in 1985 and includes the singles "Endicott" and "Caroline Was a Drop-Out". The album and its lead single "Caroline Was a Drop-Out" did not chart in any territory, but the second single "Endicott" became one of the group's better known songs in the US, where it peaked at #21 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart. The single also reached the top 30 in France and the Netherlands.
"You Can't Keep a Good Man Down" is a remake of the Gichy Dan's Beachwood #9 song from their self-titled 1979 album. The original recording was written and co-produced by Darnell. Gichy Dan also provides backing vocals on In Praise of Older Women... and Other Crimes.
In Praise of Older Women... and Other Crimes received mixed reviews from critics. Zach Curd writing for AllMusic gave the album a mixed review. He calls the album a weaker example of the "disco/calypso/funk/Latin" genres.[1] He also describes the album overall as entertaining, humorous, fun, and worth buying for the feel-good, "Endicott".[1]
In a positive review, Robert Christgau, writing for The Village Voice, positively compares Darnell to Cole Porter and hails him for maintaining a consistent level of lyrical sophistication that in the rock or musical comedy genres. He does, however, criticize the amount of brittle satire on the album.[3] Christgau also singles out Andy Hernandez's attack on white-collar crime "Dowopsalsaboprock".[3]
Track listing
All tracks are written by August Darnell and Stony Browder Jr.; except where indicated