AMG All Music Guide

East Village Vegas

An example of the romantic wit brought to you by Elvis Sinatra comes in the fish-fetish anthem "Pisces": "I'm in love with a fish/Pisces is her name/All my friends think I've got water on the brain." This is the typical lyrical amusement that's provided by George Leonard and his backing band. The general presence of East Village Vegas provides a lounge of swinging jazz and sophisticated Rat Pack swank, but what separates Elvis Sinatra from the Chairman of the Board is their offbeat sense of humor. Without an ounce seriousness, Leonard conjures up images of his concert performances, perhaps singing with a mic and cigarette in one hand and a martini in the other. And he still sounds classy with the self-parodied lyrics of "Handsome Guys": "We walk down the street/We feel all the heat of the women who watch us/Handsome guys/I wish that I was just an ordinary person/Being handsome makes the situation worsen."

Mike DaRonco