To me, Season 1 of the “Flight of the Conchords” is one of the greatest things ever made for television. I love the humor; I love the characters, especially Murray—I could watch jus Murray’s lines on a loop and laugh all day. I think the song parodies are just about the best parodies ever made. It doesn’t bother me that they aren’t the greatest singers or guitarists in the world. That’s not the point. Their humor and their parodic ability is top notch.
Yeah, that’s how I ended up avoiding the show. Most of their songs go on too long for the idea to sustain, and they’re pretty short songs.
The best part of Jermaine Clement’s guest on Rick and Morty was Rick yelling “Shut the fuck up about Moonmen!”.
For those of you who loved Murray, I assume you have seen “What We Do In The Shadows”?
I used to see Bret and Jemaine live at a rickety upstairs club in Melbourne. I even bought their first album, Folk the World Tour. When I watched their show on HBO, I was a bit disappointed to realize that almost all the songs on the show were old songs, that I’d seen live or were on the album. I’ve read in interviews that it takes a long time for them to come up with new songs, hence they stopped making new episodes of the show.
Yes, and Episode 3 of the current season of The X-Files. (“Mulder and Scully Meet The Were-Monster”)
Funny songs are never never really work as good jokes or songs as too many compromises have to be made to fit within the framework.
Every time someone tells me I “have to watch” a song by FotC I find them very average.
I watched many episodes with a family member who was a fan. It was okay here and there. Not a “must watch” show by any means.
What We Do In The Shadows, OTOH, was undeniable crap. Not remotely enjoyable to watch.
I absolutely loved FotC when it was first on. Loved it. Thought it was brilliant and perfect and amazing. Bought the DVDs, bought the album, all that jazz. Probably would have gotten an ironic FotC tattoo had I been slightly less broke.
I watched it again recently (with my girlfriend, who’d never seen it but heard me raving). It was…watchable? Funny in bits?
I don’t think it’s aged well, as recent as it is. FotC were out ahead of a curve. They were doing so-ironic-it-might-be-earnest-again humor and self-aware Brooklyn hipster jokes before that had really hit the zeitgeist, but it was a little loose and rough and I think other shows have done it a little better at this point (and it’s also become overdone, which can be tough to get past).
It also introduced a bunch of excellent performers to a wide audience, but most have gone on to have bigger and better roles.
All that being said, I think most of the season 1 songs still hold up very well. The second season was rushed and the songs were thrown together much quicker (classic sophomore album problem – they spent years writing the first season’s songs and months writing the second season’s).
I thought the show was hit or miss, but when it hit, sometimes it really hit.
“Brown paper, white paper…”
I liked the smug, sarcastic Australians. Also, Kristen Schaal can do no wrong.
I have to rethink everything now.
Those who don’t like, do you like this song or not? I’m just curious, basically. (I think it’s great.)
[spoiler]The way he delivers "mmmmmmmmmmmshutup!" and "I thought I told you to shut u-u-up..." slays me. The frustrated intonation contributing to the r&b musical delivery and vice versa--clever and well executed IS WHAT I SAY WHAT SAY YOU?[/spoiler]I remember seeing a documentary/interview where Bret and Jemaine talked about being overwhelmed by the demands of making that first season. They were already kind of burnt out before they started on the second set of episodes and I think it shows.
I think one of my posts inspired this thread. Obviously I wasn’t disappointed, and am a huge fan.
I can accept they’re not everyone’s cup of tea, but find denigration of their musical talents hard to understand. They’re pretty damn talented singers and guitarists IMHO, and having seen them live I can assure you that they weren’t being carried by anyone else.
Who organized all my ex girlfriends into a choir and got them to sing?
No.I was bored almost immediately and only got more bored as it went on. The story the lyrics were telling was twee pedestrian crap. The music was simplistic, like a children’s song. This was terrible.
As somebody who generally likes them, that song is the perfect example of what I don’t think works. The rhymes are a little forced, the jokes are a little obvious, and it feels quirky for the sake of quirky. It’s not bad, but it doesn’t feel as witty or unique as their best work.
You’re the guy who’s been telling the same quarry joke for like 5 years, right?
What does that have to do with Flight of the Conchords? 
I really enjoyed the show but found the music just mediocre. As many have mentioned, Rhys Darby was hilarious as Murray and I loved the Australian/NZ rivalry that showed-up at times. Two seasons was just-enough, though.
Song exceptions: Their Bowie song was notable and “Most Beautiful Girl in the Room” is fantastic. And I love the line, “We used poisonous gases, And we poisoned their asses”.
I don’t have any solid evidence to present, but I think the material was (probably) a lot funnier if the viewer was baked.