Reviews (11)

Back to his best
Another great CD from George, all the more pleasurable because he devotes much of it to his thoughts on the use (and abuse) of language - one of his strengths (as well as being very funny, it's clever, thoughtful stuff - using humour to make really a very serious point). I found the the sections on "Offensive Language" and "Euphemisms" particularly enjoyable.

Less funny was the stuff on cancer - I thought this was the one part of the routine where Carlin had difficulty keeping the audience (and me) with him. I enjoyed the rest of the album so much though that I thought it would be churlish to drop a star because of that. I suppose you have to accept that with comedians like Carlin, there will be times when his experiments with comedy fail to hit the mark. Overall, though, great stuff.

G Rodgers

George Carlin for President!
No doubt about it, Mr. George Carlin is the King of Comedy! However, should he only be listened to by people who don't have a problem about the truth being spoken. Carlin NEVER hides from speaking his own opinion. And that's what makes his material funny; material that we didn't know about or just had trouble noticing it. And it is hilarious to finally hear it. It is my opinion that Carlin should run for Presidential election. Putting this senile old man's ideas at work would not only make this planet better, but become a part of history as well. Enjoy!

Good Cd.
This cd is good, by any standards... but it doesnt build up like alot of his others. Theres alot of material. And a fair arangement but... theres something missing to call it 5 stars. Just not his best. Personally i liked his books, a few of the skits on tv were really good. And most of his cds are some of the best, but this one falls short.

Formidable look at the English language, just sublime
George Carlin is an extraordinarily strong expert of the language: he looks at it, thinks about it, then thinks about it some more and twists and places the bits in the way you never thought possible.

Pair it with his consummate delivery skills: timing, pitch, slow climb to the peak - he is a true professional. And he is not just "bursting with energy" like some lesser comedians who substitute silly meaningless clowning on stage for professional comedy delivery: Carlin's energy is masterfully and skillfully channelled towards achieving his goal of lighting the fire of the audience.

It is hard to believe the record is now 12 years old. It sounds fresh and the best tracks (Rape Can Be Funny; Feminist BJ; and the pinnacle of linguistic joy, Offensive Language) are absolute gems in the outstandingly rich collection of George Carlin.

George at his best
This is George at his best. The best track on this CD is "Rape can be funny." That is a line I will never forget: "Picture Porky Pig raping Elmer Fudd..." ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Perhaps the funniest 40 minutes on CD
I a fair amount of comedy CDs, and this is easily the best. Mel Brooks is at his funniest, pretending to be a 2000+ year old man, even trhough parts of it would make you think he is actually 3000+ years old.

It does get a little bawdier at the end, with the f-word used a bit in the end, but its nothing worse tha the bulk of public TV nowadays.

Enjoy it; you will if you listen to it.

Bad language
My husband asked for the 2000 Year Old Man CD. Unfortunately I did not realize I was ordering the updated version and apparently they decided that they had to make it x-rated for this century.
Parents be forewarned that this is definately nothing you want to listen to in the car with the kids.....It's mostly towards the end but comes up totally unexpected.

The most durable comedy routine in history.
Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner will never wear out their welcome as long as they keep updating and improving their "2000 Year Old Man" routine, as evidenced by "The 2000 Year Old Man In the Year 2000." Mel Brooks is one of the funniest people on the planet and Carl Reiner is perfectly restrained in his role as interviewer. If this CD doesn't make you laugh out loud throughout, then your sense of humor has been destroyed by decades of watching lame sitcoms such as "Three's Company" and "Full House." Long live Mel and Carl! ... Read more

Reviews (8)

"Stan Freberg Here..."
this CD contains 21 hilarious singles from Stan Freberg, the original music satirist decades before "Weird Al" came along. technically a satirist, Freberg didn't parody pop songs like Weird Al...Freberg tore them apart!! Called a hater of rock music by the '50s generation, Freberg nonetheless poked fun at what he seen as mediocre music being passed off as brilliant pieces of music. however, it all started for him musically with "John and Marsha", a satire on soap operas, in 1951. prior to this, Freberg was half of the puppet show "Time for Beany" with voice legend Daws Butler, who also played a huge part in Freberg's recording career too. Freberg was "Cecil" and "Dishonest John" while Butler was "Beany" and "Captain Huffenpuff". This show ran from 1949-1954. but...prior to that puppet show, Freberg was a teenage voice actor on Warner Brothers cartoons along side Mel Blanc. Freberg is the one who uttered the immortal phrase: "which way did he go, George? which way did he go?" in several cartoons spoofing "Of Mice and Men" characters Lenny and George.but, getting back to this CD. Freberg's recording career started with "john and marsha" in which Stan simply says the two people's names over and over in different emotions. somehow it's funny! don't ask me to over-analyze it! Freberg's stock in trade was satire of course. His wicked take on Johnny Ray on the song "Try" (a parody on Johnny's song, "Cry") is unreal! The Stan Freberg/Daws Butler/June Foray classics are here, too: "St. George and the Dragonet", "Little Blue Riding Hood", and "Christmas Dragnet". On "Heartbreak Hotel" we hear Freberg tackle Elvis and fight with the echo-chamber. On "Yellow Rose of Texas" Freberg delivers a southern dialogue...and is constantly bickering with the snare drummer. "C'est Ci Bon" is hilarious too. His mis-understood single, "Green Christmas", features Daws Butler and Marvin Miller as Bob Cratchit and Crass. Freberg is Scrooge of the advertising world. some critics said that Freberg was nuts for writing and recording a single that roasted his "other job" (Freberg wrote and produced comedy commercials for TV and radio in addition to his recording career and cartoon work). Country singers Ferlin Huskey and Jean Sheppard had a pop hit, "A Dear John Letter", but in Freberg's hands it became "A Dear John and Marsha Letter". His hatred for R&B is showcased on "Sh-Boom". Lawrence Welk doesn't escape Freberg neither and here we have the classic "Wun'nerful, Wun'nerful" which on the original '45 RPM single it was broken into Side Uh-One and Side Uh-Two. Stan Freberg remained a prominent figure in advertising well into the late '80s. In 1990 he started a 5 minute radio commentary called "Stan Freberg Here" that ran until 1998. Old-Time radio also used Freberg's famed voice as host of "When Radio Was" from 1991-1999, still being heard in countless re-runs everynight on AM radio. Freberg's recent project was supplying the voice to that screetching oddball Pete Puma in a cameo role in the recent Looney Tunes movie.

stan is the man
I've been a Stan Freberg fan for years but always had a hard time getting ahold of his stuff. Then it occurred to my brain that he probably had lots of stuff on amazon. This collection is the first thing I got and it is absolutely lovable and laughable. My favorite number is "Try," in which Stan quite outclasses Johnny Ray with his sheer loudness and sharp enunciation. Another real keeper is "Heartbreak Hotel," which is by all means the finest denunciation of Elvis I have ever heard. And then there's "Christmas Dragnet" and on and on. Get it.

The Right Intro To Stan "The Man" Freberg
Stanley Victor Freberg's brilliance was summerized by Stephen Holden, music critic of the NY Times, who noted that Freberg's parodies were more than just of passing fads, but were superb self-contained radio comedies. The twenty-one tracks on this compilation serve up some of the best of his work during the 1950s.

Born in 1926 as the son of Baptist minister Victor Freberg, Stan first entered show business with his uncle, Raymond Freberg, whose stage act was as Conray the Magician. "Radio was my first library," Freberg has said, as he grew up during the audio medium's golden age and thus became enamored of the effect sound created. After graduation from Alhambra High School, Stan hopped a bus to Hollywood and set up a voice audition with Warner Brothers in 1944. Termite Terrace's legendary directors, Chuck Jones, Robert McKimson, and Isadore "Friz" Freleng hired Freberg on the spot and he started work alongside the equally legendary Mel Blanc.

Soon Stan was branching out more and more, doing cartoon voice work for the majority of the studios as well as a steady diet of work on radio. The Army then beckoned, and after his discharge in 1947 he was contacted by ex-Warners director Bob Clampett, for a puppet TV series he was developing. This became "Beany and Cecil" and became an all-time TV classic.

Then in 1951 he released "John and Marsha," a two-word satire of soap operas that became an instant classic. His career in musical satire thus launched, he compiled more such satires.

Among his best are his "Dragnet" parodies. In "St. George an the Dragonet" Freberg uses June Foray as a near-devoured maiden and Daws Butler (with whom he'd worked during "Beany & Cecil") as the dragon (voiced as a typical Dragnet heavy) and also the skipper of the woods' homicide division.

On "Little Blue Riding Hood" Freberg takes on the famed fairy tale as Sgt. Wednesday, with Little Blue and her grandma running a "goodies" ring - his use of the term "goodies" makes the listener genuinely take the term as police jargon for illicit substances.

Capitol made Freberg do one more Dragnet parody, the brilliant two-parter "Yulenet." Sgt. Wednesday and his partner, Frank Jones, interrogate Grudge, a non-believer in Santa Claus (as well as a non-believer in the Easter Bunny or Columbus - or Cleveland or Cincinatti, though he can't make up his mind about Toledo) who leaves Frank quite shaken and Joe determined to prove Santa's bona-fides.

The greatest strength of Freberg's Dragnet parodies is their attention to the show's detail - Daws Butler, who co-wrote "Yulenet," voices Frank, and perfectly captures the mannerisms Ben Alexander imbued in the character in his time on the real "Dragnet," while Freberg not only parodies the monaural delivery of Jack Webb, he also rattles off believable spoofs of the arcane numerical jargon used by police in reporting crimes - most brilliantly at the track's beginning. "Yulenet's" other enduring quality is its good-natured approach - the ending is believably happy, so much so that comes across as a legitimate "Dragnet" episode rather than just a parody. The real Sgt. Friday couldn't have done it better himself.

Music parodies continued for Freberg, and his funniest was "Banana Boat," his savaging of the embarassing Harry Belafonte hit "Day-O." Freberg exaggerates the song's absurd title and ludicrous lyrics, and the foolishness of the whole enterprise is displayed by the interruptions of Peter Leeds, a friend of Stan's from his radio days, who plays a too-hip bongo player who forces Stan to leave the studio repeatedly to sing.

"Banana Boat" was Leeds' third track with Stan - the first was Stan's take-off on "Great Pretender," followed by Freberg's "skiffle band" parody, a send-up of Lonnie Donegan's "Rock Island Line" and the common folk song trait of backgrounding the song's story more than necessary before going into the actual number.

The calypso form of "Day O" is then used in one of Freberg's tracks that is among his funniest and at the same time one of his most serious. "Tele-Vee-Shun" rips into circa-1957 television and with its terrific jokes and puns makes a serious point about the downside of the medium. There is a caustic nature to this parody that is used to greater effect on his controversial 1958 skewering of Christmas commercialization, "Green Chri$tma$," qualities reflecting his birth as a Baptist minister's son.

While by no means a complete compilation of Freberg's work, this CD is the right place to start in appreciating his work.

Stan Freberg-In A Class By Himself
Stan Freberg is the best satirist of all time-His thought provoking sketches & song parodies have made him a hit throughout the English speaking world-This CD is nothing short of spectacular-My favorite cuts are "St.George & The Dragonet","John & Marsha",& "Green Christmas"-For those who are unfamiliar with Freberg's work,this CD is a great place to start.

No One Was Safe - or Sacred
Parodies of the hits and radio programs were a staple during the Forties and Fifties, beginning with Spike Jones & His City Slickers sticking it to everything and everyone from Cocktails For Two to Adolf Hitler (Der Fuhrer's Face), and from The William Tell Overture to the Tennessee Waltz. Joining him part way through his mad slashing of seriousness was Red Ingle & The Natural Seven featuring Cinderella G. Stump (Jo Stafford) lampooning Temptation (Tim-Tay-Shun) and Nature Boy (Serutan Yob - A Song For Backwards Boys And Girls), among others.

Then, in 1950, the master entered the picture. Only Stan Freberg wasn't content with just poking fun through sound effects. He went straight for the heart. Born in Pasadena, California on August 7, 1926, he got started at age 17 doing impersonations on the Cliffie Stone radio program in 1943. Soon his voice was in demand for movie cartoons, and in 1950 became one of the pioneers in TV, along with Daws Butler (later Huckleberry Hound among other voices) and Bob Hope side-kick Jerry Colona, on the Time For Beany puppet show.

A year later he released his first record, John And Marsha, on the Capitol label, taking a dig at the many radio soap operas. It contained just two words - John ... and Marsha ... and with Cliffie Stone's orchestra playing suitable shmaltzy music in the background, two star-crossed lovers would say "John .. Marsha .. John John ... Marsha Marsha ... John John John ... Marsha, Marsha, Marsha" with enough emphasis to suggest that there was a lot more going on than just mundane conversation. It was hilarious and an instant hit, going to # 21 pop in the spring of 1951.

A few months later he was back with a double-sided hit backed by Les Baxter's orchestra and using old buddy Daws Butler (who would appear on most of his hits). The A-side went after The Weavers' "On Top Of Old Smokey" by cleverly using its call and response arrangement in the old standard I've Got You Under My Skin. A number 11 hit, it was joined on the charts by the B-side, That's My Boy (not in this set) which reached # 30.

In 1952 Johnny Ray felt the Wrath of Stan when his monster hit Cry was crucified in Try, a # 15 hit in May with the Billy May band, and a little over a year later, with Walter Schumann & His Orchestra and June Foray, he stuck it to everyone's favorite TV show, Dragnet. St. George And The Dragonet was brilliant and, complete with Jerry Lewis and Jack Webb imitations, it went to the top of the charts late in the year. The flip-side - Little Blue Riding Hood - didn't do too bad either, going to # 9.

That disc went so well, in fact, that he had another shot at the show over the holiday season with Christmas Dragnet (Parts I and II), back by the Nathan Scott orchestra. In this "Scrooge" became "Grudge" and it topped out at # 13 (it would be re-released in 1954 as Yulenet).

By the time he decided to take a shot at Eartha Kitt (C'est Si Bon - # 13 in February 1954) the fans - and artists - were divided into three camps. Those who loved him and those who hated him - both because of what he was doing to the establishment - and those who appreciated his satirical genius. Which camp the Senate was in was never recorded, but Point Of Order, billed as by Stan Freberg and Daws Butler and using "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep", ripped the Senate's Army-McCarthy hearings.

Then it was Rock & Roll's turn. Here was a whole new field for Stan who would take great delight over the next three years in exposing the sleazier side of the industry, and taking pot-shots at some of the genre's more obvious gimmicks. First up was Sh-Boom which, with Billy May's orchestra, and chorus by "The Toads", went to # 14 late in 1954. Then, in 1955, he split his attack with a savage and side-splitting spoof of Mitch Miller's Yellow Rose Of Texas (# 16) and The Platter's Great Pretender.

However the latter, complete with the constant tink tink tink tink tink piano in the background, did not chart, nor did his next Rock parody, Rock Island Island, and when the excruciatingly funny Heartbreak Hotel (schriiiiiip - I riiiiped muh jeans) could only manage a # 79 in 1956, it was clear that this genre that wouldn't last had some pretty loyal fans who were all coalescing into the "hate Stan" camp.

Apparently calypso wasn't so sacrosanct, however, because Banana Boat (Day-O) hit # 25 in the early summer of 1957, and later that year he found another delightful target. Lawrence Welk. In what I consider to be his best, and with Daws Butler and Peggy Taylor in tow, Wun'erful, Wun'erful (Side a-one and side a-two) offers the tale of a dance band, performing at a seaside bandstand, breaking away from the main structure and floating out to sea due to a malfunctioning bubble machine (a-turn offf the a-bubble machine.) It topped out at # 32 in November.

In 1958 he laid bare the commercialisation of Christmas with the magnificent Green Chri$tma$, a # 44 charter that was both funny and poignant. No easy task.

For the reviwer looking for The Old Payola Roll Blues, if you haven't found it yet go to Lost Hits Of The 50s in the Amazon.com listings. There you'll find it with a whole slew of other gems. As for its performance on the charts, the tale of Rock star Clyde Ankle only went to # 99 in March 1960, perhaps because this time he was stepping on some pretty prominent toes as he delved into the late Fifties bribery scandals.

An absolute gem of a CD, and if you can afford the box set also listed, go for it. You will love it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

One of three releases showcasing his talented but short-lived 1988 big band, Make a Jazz Noise Here features Zappa's group on extended jams, some of his most ambitious instrumental works, and a few requisite concert favorites. Only Zappa would sandwich Igor Stravinsky's Royal March From L'Histoire Du Soldat the theme from Bela Bartok's Piano Concerto No. 3 between his own "City of Tiny Lights" and "Sinister Footwear, 2nd Movement," and only he could pull it off. The first disc is the strongest, featuring big band arrangements of "Eat That Question," "Black Napkins," and "Big Swifty," and climaxing with an amazing, slow-groove rendition of "King Kong". Some of the longer jams will be of most interest to fanatics, but the performances are solid throughout, and even the biggest neophytes will appreciate these renditions of some of Zappa's most daunting material. --Andrew Boscardin ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Music for the Minded.
"Make A Jazz Noise Here", a sampling from his greatest touring band (circa 1988), is at once a fun listen and a sad one. The arrangements are exquisite and played to near perfection . . . the sad part is that this was Zappa's last tour and his illness prevented him from further exploring the jazz idiom. Zappa's (and the band's) musicianship, wit and humour shine through this mostly instrumental collection - the version of "Strictly Genteel" included here is quite moving and almost awe-inspiring. I've even heard a few adventerous NAC/Contemporary Jazz stations actually playing cuts from this set - finally, Zappa on the radio! Get some now . . . .

One of Zappa's very best ever
This album has more magic moments than almost any post-1976 Zappa album. The band is great and plays with much inspiration, on an excellent selection of Zappa classics, from his vast output of classics. Some of Zappa's 1980s stuff had seemed a bit routine, but the sparks were really flying in this group. The jazz musicians in the group took the music to another level without leaving the foundation of the compositions behind. I have played this album numerous times without getting tired of it.

Striking
This album is almost overwhelming at some points. I havn't had it for too long, but Ive listened to it daily and enjoyed every second of it. The musicianship and understanding of the music between the members is amazing. This ranks (for me) above nearly everything (if not everything) that Zappa has put out, for me. This is one of the testemants to his genius. A few of the albums that define his musical ability for composition and musical structure aren't always accessable for the casual fan or people just interested in Zappa's music or more challenging works (such as the yellow shark or Civilization Phaze 3). That is by no means a let down, those albums show, when you really pay attention to everything thats going on, and realize that its not just random notes (aside from the few tracks that alot of close minded people would actually call music), that everything that's being played is meant to be played, are also a testemant to his genius. But sometimes people cant quite wrap their minds around that (which is understandable, although those are 2 of my favorite Zappa works). That's why this album is one of the most amazing outings in Zappa's vast catalog.

It's accessible upon first listen, it has alot of humor, alot of Zappa's best songs, including the Black page, the absolutely stunning melody of older tunes on the first disc, a reggea version of King Kong, an incredibly tight rendition of Big Swifty with a couple of really funny "musical quotes" lets call them, kind of like what happens at the end of Stairway to Heaven on The Best Band You've Never Heard in Your Life, Alien Orifice (check out the middle section to that one, HOLY CRAP, what band can do that?!). I wish I had gone into how the songs are, but trust me, it's worth every penny. Unbelievable songs performed by unbelievable musicians created by one of the twentieth century's great composers. My only complaint is that there are some unneccesary (alot of the times sloppy) guitar solo's in the middle of some of the songs, mainly on the second disc. But if you look passed that, which is actually very easy cause they're not all that bad, they just seem unneccesary sometimes, then you have one of the most impressive, enjoyable, stunning outings in Zappa's career. Hands down.

The Zappa I love the most
In my opinion this release from Zappa is a great effort. Actually I don't know his discography so well to say this album is one of the best in his catalogue. But it is surely great above any other consideration. The band is stellar. It seems almost a single instrument in the hand of the director. Here Zappa displays his true genius, his true musical extravaganza. He was a really bad musician but an astounding composer and director. Luckily in this concert he did play very few guitar and directed much more instead. The music here goes from atonal, to free form expression, to Jazz, to grotesque riffs, stolen here and there. It's incredible. The result is a sonic magma of sheere beauty, completly crazy in itself such as was his author. It is surely a difficult and hard listening experience, not for the faint at heart, but it is surely a masterpiece in composing and direction. I prefer the disc 2, it seems to me more complete, more focused .. Anyway. Mesmerizing classical alien music this is what I would call this kind of art. I compare Zappa to Dali', Picasso, Magritte .. maybe Warhol, Haring, Basquiat, Stravinsky, Miles Davis. That kind of people. Kings of imagination.

An amazingly tight band playing very well
If you're new to Zappa's catalogue then it can be very daunting to decide what to try out. The man had so many releases and jumped across so many styles that there's no real guarantee that any particular release will do it for you.

This album is great for any of you who want to hear Zappa leading a TIGHT, TIGHT band playing mostly instrumental music. There are plenty of "jams" in the jazz sense of the word, not the Grateful Dead sense of the word. In other words, instrumentalists improv within a tight technical structure but the full band never drifts out into unrehearsed meanderings. More than any other release since Waka/Jawaka, this album makes me appreciate Zappa as a composer and bandleader. The man was a force!

Having heard well over half of Zappa's output before picking this up, I was a little surprised that it became one of my favorite listens almost immediately. I didn't realize just how good the '88 band was. And, I confess, the relative paucity of stage antics and jokes is actually somewhat refreshing. I just want to hear them play! ... Read more

Album Description

Larry The Cable Guy is a church-goin',strip bar-lovin', know-it-all redneck —and he's coming to your house for the holidays, thanks to the Warner Bros. debut of the hilarious and politically incorrect A Very Larry Christmas. Starring on "Blue Collar TV" with Jeff Foxworthy and Bill Engvall, as he did on the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, the Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie (and soundtrack) and the forthcoming Blue Collar Comedy Tour Rides Again (and soundtrack), Larry The Cable Guy has become one of the most popular comedians in the country.This season,"Git-R-Done!" and have A Very Larry Christmas. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Carrington's got an ugly, agitated view of the world. That's the exact reason why some people like the comic and others don't. In the CD's opening minutes the comedian proudly indulges in some nasty ethnic caricature, but before long he settles into the raunchy redneck sex routines he's best known for. At times, Carrington's all-consuming horniness sounds more like a nagging Pavlovian itch than adult sexual yearning. The central figure in Rodney's world continues to be the male member and references to his favorite organ abound on Morning Wood. About half of the disc is taken up with the comic performing dirty ditties. The title track works the same turf as "Letter to My Penis," a song from Carrington's 1998 album, Hangin' with Rodney. This guy definitely has an obsession and he wants to share it with the world. --Fred Cisterna ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Rodney Keeps The Comedy Flowing Hubba Hubba Hey!
The cover should tell you something about Rodney, and his comedy. Heck, it explains the title of the CD fully. Rodney is standing on the porch holding a mug, while a carefully aimed chain saw attempts to cover his morning wood.

This CD is a mixture of comedic skits, and songs that make me giggle insanely. Rodney shows he has ZERO shame, and loves to walk onto the end of the plank of comedy. This is not good clean family fun. This is good humor from a man who sounds much like a cross between Richard Pryor and Jeff Foxworthy.

If you are offended by vulgarity I'd say steer clear. But, if Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy and Dolemite don't turn you off, this shouldn't. If you are into raunchy comedy than this is the CD for you. If you are easily offended this isn't the comedy CD for you.

Rodney Carrington is a funny dirty version of the popular Jeff Foxworthy. You might be a redneck if you like Rodney Carrington, or you could just be someone who likes their humor served in a filthy plate at a truck stop. I am the latter. Worthy of listen, and a purchase of course. Standout Tracks are (Rodney's Wife & Kids, Marriage, Vacations) where Rodney discusses the perils we all face during marriage, and FAMILY vacation. Also a A (Dozen Roses) in which Rodney sings about what women want from a man. Hilarity ensues!

Enjoy!

Insight into the male psyche as only a Texan can tell
Rodney goes all-out from the first line of the first track. This is definitely not a CD for the conservative, but is a hysterical trip inside the mind of the average Joe. Ladies will find what men are really thinking. Men finally have a poster-boy to rally around. Be careful listening to this CD in the car! My wife and I were laughing so hard, I almost ran off the road. Great for a bachelor party or weekly poker night.

Funny Stuff
This CD has to be one of the funniest CD's in my collection. It is filled with non-stop laughs from begining to end. If you are thinking about buying this CD have no doubts that it will be one of the funniest CD's you'll ever hear.

Yeeh haw!
Now this is why America is the best country in the world. We get to hear about life from every perspective. And if you ever wondered what it's like for "rednecks" and were afraid to ask, look no further. Carrington is hysterical and can sing too! Check it out!

not his best
If you are looking for rodneys's best, buy "Hangin with rodney" it just is much better, i bought "morning wood" after bought "hangin with rodney" and i was not nearly as amused. ... Read more

Reviews (40)

A sampler for a set that never happened.
Once upon a time, Frank Zappa planned on releasing an 8 (or 10, or was it 12) record set that would be the history of the Mothers of Invention. It never came out, though his "You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore" is close to the same concept.

This was meant to be a sampler for that album, and possibly functions as a best of for a set that never existed. The material is wild, varied, and powerful. "Oh No" and it's segue into "Orange County Lumber Truck" may be one of the best chunks of music Zappa ever put down onto tape. "My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama" is biting guitar work, and the final "Weasels Ripped My Flesh" is simply three minutes of painful feedback, followed by ecstatic applause, which just goes to show where the audience's heads were back then.

The cd presentation is very good - the sound is very clear, balanced, and hasn't been mucked with. A great listen.

Well, it's the Mothers, no doubt
With the typical Zappa juxtaposition of dissonance and atonality with more traditional harmony, this album will probably appear to be a garbled mess to the new listener. The contrast does not appear only from track to track, but in "Toads of the Short Forest" and "Dwarf Nebula Processional March & Dwarf Nebula" abruptly appears mid-track. More easy on the ears are tracks like "My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mamma", a rock tune a little too straight for the Mothers to have been included without any satiric purpose in mind (or perphaps to please wary record executives). "Oh No" and "The Orange County Lumber Truck" are tracks Zappa would revisit later in his career in both vocal and instrumental versions. It has some important moments for fans of the Mothers, but new listeners will probably be turned off by all the hooting, hollering, and feedback.

My First Listen to Frank Zappa...
was this album. I had no clue what to expect other then that it would be different. I didn't know how different but I did know it would be different. I have to say that even though this cd is a bunch of live recordeings mixed with a few studio ones it is still a very viberant cd. I'm not going to take the songs apart since so many other reviewers have already done so. This album really is good and worth getting. Not only for completists but also for fans of something different and crazy. Frank Zappa truely was ahead of his time.

The Experimental Side of the Late Mothers Lineup
This is the second of two compilations Zappa made (per his contract) of the last lineup of the early Mothers of Invention, the companion being the much more polished Burnt Weeny Sandwich album. This album, contrasting its heavily composed and easily digestible forerunner, highlights the band's experimental live jazz performances. At the time of its release, this band had long been dissolved. A few musicians worthy of mention are Sugarcane Harris and Ian Underwood, the two hang-ons from this period that played on the Hot Rats album, and Lowell George. Lowell was one of FZ greatest discoveries, but his time with Zappa was short lived. He formed Little Feat in 1970 and went on to grab a nice piece of 70s rock history for himself before his untimely death at the end of the decade.

The opener, DIDJA GET ANY ONYA?, sets the tone for the whole album. A raucous, spontaneous experimental piece that contains some fantastic nasal sax playing (Underwood's special talent), and some vocal adlibbing by Lowell. It slips, with some humor, into a cover of DIRECTLY FROM MY HEART TO YOU, which features a great solo by Sugarcane, who also contributes the vocals. PRELUDE TO THE AFTERNOON... is a mockup of Debussy's Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faune, though it doesn't quote it at any moment. The intent seems to mutate the idea into perverse improvised theatre, the type of which is recreated by FZ and Roy Estrada on-stage on the Baby Snakes film.

TOADS OF THE SHORT FOREST is a split piece, with a beautiful composed portion recorded in studio, and a heavy live portion that features several members of the band playing in different signatures, per Zappa's obsession with "rhythmical textures" in this period. GET A LITTLE is a short, wah solo set to a simple lounge beat. Not an inspired solo on Zappa's part, although the tempo and FZ's playing are pretty suggestive, especially when one considers the title.

The ERIC DOLPHY MEMORIAL BARBECUE is one of my favorite Zappa tunes of all time. I don't know where the reviewer who makes vague accusations of plaigarism got the idea that anything in it is borrowed. I've been an Eric Dolphy fan longer than I've been a Zappa fan, and, frankly, I've never seen a tremendous amount of similarities between them. I've always assumed the title refers to the extended phrases that cover several registers, something I'd asssociate with Dolphy. Certainly, I've never heared this kind of use of polyrhythms on a Dolphy record. The cramped spacial quality of Zappa's pieces are in perfect contrast to a lot of Dolphy's work, which took on an almost Eastern or minimalist approach in his later work. I'd like to know what *exactly* the accuser believes to have been ripped off from Dolphy. The title was a little ironic, if anything. But, moving on, the next number, DWARF NEBULA PROCESSIONAL MARCH & DWARF NEBULA is a studio track, the first a composed little romp reminiscient of the first part of Toads. The rest is tape noises, sped, looped, distorted, you name it.

In case you were worried that there wasn't any easily accessible material on this album, three polished studio tracks follow. MY GUITAR WANTS TO KILL YOUR MAMA, a great mock hard rock number that had a pretty funkish counterpart (see YCDToSA5, the only studio track in the series). OH NO was featured in part on the Lumpy Gravy album, and is here in its full version with the vocals -- one of Zappa's great reoccuring melodies. It leads into the fantastic ORANGE COUNTY LUMBER TRUCK, another reocurring Zappa theme (a great version of it featured on the Roxy album). The closer, in case the rest of the album confused you, clears everything up. Its two minutes of grating distortion noise. Theatre of cruelty, I suppose.

This isn't the place to start with for new fans, who will doubtless be a little put off by the overload of experimental weirdness crammed into this one. But this album is incredible fun, and seasoned FZ listeners will really enjoy exploring this little experimental gem.

[ As for the shot at Zappa's politics, made by the same reviewer who made the strange and unexplained charges of plaigarism, it shouldn't matter at all, save that the dogmatic left (and I speak as a Social Democrat myself) always feels it necessary to conduct these kind of intellectual purity witch hunts in the sphere of art. Its a nauseating desire to subdue all art to its narrow idea of dialectal progress. Zappa wasn't an intellectual -- so what, a lot of artists aren't, and its simply not necessary for the production of meaningful art. Anyone who has read a poem by Rilke, a play by Strindberg, or enjoyed a piece by Mussorgsky knows this. Zappa is simply the most potent expression of cynicism and rebellion against middle-class values of his time. His finding profoundity in the grotesque, his disregard for aesthetics and theories, and his formalistic chameolonism which mocks more than pays tribute, all point to a rebirth of Dadaism in the youth rebellion of his times. Nothing so well expresses the meaning, the raison d'etre, of rock music. And, following logically, this makes Zappa considerably anti-political, and, if anything, an extremist secular libertarian. ]

To Be Perfectly Frank
This is possibly Zappa's most bizarre, most satisfying release. We're Only In It... is much more coherent & tuneful, Hots Rats is more polished, & Uncle Meat is more indicative of Zappa's late-sixties approach, but Weasels... more comprehensively reflects the scope of Zappa's musical ambitions. Having said that, start with one of the albums that I have previously mentioned if you're new to FZ.

The selections on this disc are violently free of any unifying sound; the segues from "Directly From My Heart.." to "Prelude.." and "The Orange County Lumber Truck" to the title track are among the most jarring things in rock. Most of the selections were recorded live & rough; the rest are immaculate studio recordings. The common denominator is a touch of parody throughout.

"Didja Get Any Onya?" sounds strangely Teutonic and very atonal. Transport some Vikings to the Planet of the Apes, and you'll get the idea. Zappa's "Charles Ives" composition makes an appearance. "Directly From My Heart..." is a classic tune with fiddle-as-mouth harp. Truly unique. "Prelude.." has a few of the same elements as "Didja Get Any Onya?", except that it's even more bizarre listening. Quite chaotic, it segues into its polar opposite: the tuneful, yet eccentric "Toads Of The Short Forest". The midsection zips back into atonality, as Frank shares with us the time signatures being used by the various Mothers. This is one of my favorite Zappa recordings.

"Get A Little" is highly representative of Zappa's late-sixties guitar style. With a bit of wah-wah pedal & some jazzy drumming, it's highly reminiscent of Hot Rats. "The Eric Dolphy Memorial Barbecue" quotes from the jazz great, as well as proving how technically proficient and soulful this lineup of Mothers were. It's really one of the great Zappa parody/tributes.

"Dwarf Nebula Processional..." provides some light relief...well, at least at first. It's to be expected that Zappa must ALWAYS have squeaking voices & bizarre tape effects on every one of the early MOI recordings, but why didn't he develop the great tune on "Dwarf Nebula..." more? Basta!

Now, it's smooth sailing for the more conventional listeners. "My Guitar Wants To Kill Your Mama" is a classic tune, and an obvious hard-rock parody. Of all of Zappa's tunes, this one should be on regular classic-rock radio rotation. "Oh No" is possibly my all-time favorite Zappa tune. Obviously addressed to the Student Left/Hippies of the late sixties, it also sure sounds like an open letter to John Lennon. The title kind of spells it out, too. "Oh No". Ono. Didja get it? Vocalist Ray Collins sounds great! "The Orange County Lumber Truck" gives us a smooth ride down tonality lane with some great Zappa guitar & some fantastic drumming from Art Tripp. Maybe ironically, I find the screeching title track to be the least controversial thing on here. Maybe at the time it was shocking and/or grating, but it's merely a cliche now.

Incidentally, I think if someone makes allegations of plagiarism against an artist then they better be pretty damn specific. There's plenty of music out there that captures the zeitgeist of certain genres, but outright plagiarism is a serious charge. Can we please have some specifics from the reviewer who suggested that Zappa "cribbed"?

Zappa was a Libertarian, but to suggest that he was a rightist (in the Radical Republican sense) is wrongheaded. He loathed organized religion, censorship, conformity, and Reagan. Not exactly the standard picture of the American rightist. It's true that he hated unions, but in his book he claims that they are necessary. I hasten to add that my political philosophy is derived mostly from the Left, so I'm not engaging in special pleading for Zappa. At any rate, I guess I don't understand why his political views are all that important in appreciating his music. I love Richard Wagner's music, but I'm not an anti-Semite. I love Bob Dylan's music, and I'm certainly not a born-again Christian. I think Zappa saw through a lot of the hypocrisy of many of the rock stars of his day. Many of them claimed left-wing credentials, but went off to live in mansions and stash their fortunes in tax-shelters. At least he had the courage of his convictions. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Your eyes do not deceive you--that is indeed the actor Joe Pesci on the cover of this album of "songs," which includes one celebrity "rap." In the annals of celebrity musical undertakings, Pesci's disc does not approach the sublimely horrible work of, say, William Shatner. And the disc is intended to be humorous, as Pesci revisits the character Vincent LaGuardia Gambini from the Oscar-winning hit My Cousin Vinny. Fans of that film and of Pesci's wise-guy character acting will no doubt look beyond the disc's major faults and just enjoy it as a good laugh. It does bear noting, however, that the guy has no business even pretending to sing (let alone rap); he's more in love with words like "bitch" and "fuck" than a hyperactive delinquent 13-year-old, and the lounge- and swing-inspired music is uninspired hack work. There is a cleaned-up version of the disc, but it's hard to imagine there being much left after the edits. --Mike McGonigal ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Rising above the Shatnerian depths of celebrity albums
When I first saw this on the shelves, I thought to myself, "oh no, not ANOTHER album by some movie/TV celebrity who thinks he has singing ability!" If it isn't a Star Trek alum (Shatner, Nimoy, Nichelle 'Uhura' Nichols, Brent 'Data' Spiner, and Tim 'Tuvok' Russ) manglin' the hits, it's some sports figure (Iverson, Shaq, Deion, et al) rappin' it up. But, after borrowing Joe Pesci's 'Vincent LaGuardia Gambini' CD from a former co-worker, I was in for a pleasant surprise: I discovered the guy who answers half of George Carlin's prayers isn't all that bad when it comes to musical talent!

Joe Pesci combines the qualities of his notable mob characters from 'GoodFellas' and 'Casino', and throws in a bit of his comedic personas from 'The Super', 'My Cousin Vinny', and the 'Lethal Weapon' flicks into a reasonable and delightfully profane lounge act. I dare say Joe may provide a real challenge against Howard Stern's Losers in a battle of the bands competition!

The big highlights of this album include 'Yo Cousin Vinny', which features a little bit of old-country Italy charm mixed with the average Joe's (Doh!) gripes about his ne'er-do-well relatives always hittin' him up for favors. Pesci even takes a crack at this tune in Italian and Spanish! 'Wise Guy' is his somewhat mellow effort at rap, which recounts a day in the life of a mob hood. 'Take Your Love And Shove It', with its fast-paced jazz beat, is about as far away from low key & touchy-feely as a breakup song can get. Joe gets his wiseguy blues on in 'I've Got News For You'. The Ballad of 'Robbie Hood' puts a modern & subversive spin on the classic tale of wealth redistribution. Oh yeah, let's not forget a cut to celebrate the yuletide. This is where 'If It Doesn't Snow For Christmas' comes in. One can just imagine Burl Ives turnin' in his grave with this tune! And what is a celebrity album without a badly-mangled cover? Hence 'What a Wonderful World'. The weird part is, he doesn't use the word 'wonderful' in the song at all!

I'm glad Mr. Pesci showed some restraint when he recorded this- he refrained from using the f-word on two of his songs! If that ain't holdin' back a bit, I don't know what is...!

Better than a novelty...
A lot of reviewers ignore or dismiss a truth in this disc: Pesci's not a bad jazz singer. While it's pretty obvious that most of the songs on this disc are clearly intended to go straight to the hands of Dr. Demento ("Take Your Love and Shove It" is justly praised as the Single Man's Lament), some, like the sublime "How Do You Like Me, So Far" have a smooth smokiness that cries out for a bourbon and soda. I'd be perfectly happy to hear Pesci follow it up, this time freed from all expectations of camp. Pretty decent.

JOE BLOWS YOU AWAY!
So, you think Joe was great in Goodfellas and Casino? Nobody disputes that. But he saves his best for this recording. You just got to love this album! Joe's a natural and the band cooks for him like it use to for Big Frank (Sinatra). For every Brooklyn kid and wannabe, put this on and enjoy because Joe hits his mark. It only makes you wonder why we havn't heard more from him. Sing Joe, Sing!!!

3 hillarious songs, the rest, blah
i LOVE Joe Pesci: He is HILLARIOUS in every movie I see with him in it, from Home Alone to My Cousin Vinny. I saw an ad for this cd in a Columbia House magazine, and I decided to check it out. I was dissapointed. "Yo Cousin Vinny", "Take Your Love & Shove It", and "Wise Guy" are hillarious, but the rest is just, not that funny. Knowing the hillarious man Pesci is, I know he could have done much better than this. Don't buy this: just download the 3 songs I mentioned, and if you want good comedy music, check out Jack Black's band Tenacious D.

Come on Pesci, I know how funny you can be, you can do better than this!

Rollin' On the Ground Hystarical!!
Most songs are unbelieveabley funny, a few are a little on the stupid side. "Wise Guy" is hands down the greatest rap song ever written, put to music, and recorded. Pesci repeatedly pokes fun at the rappers who consider themselves to be "Gangstas" and reminds them who the original "Gangsters" are: The Italians. "If it doesn't snow for Christmas" is rather idiotic. It is also obvious that Pesci was having problems with somebody that he was involved with due to a number of his songs lashing out at his partner. Other than 2 or 3 songs, this album is pure gold. YOU ROCK VINNY!!! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

The perfect companion to volume 1
Volume two continues the wonderful piano stylings and angelic vocals of Jonathan and Darlene Edwards. I can't wait for vol. 3

Brilliant, Too Much Fun for Words!
Jonathan and Darlene (Paul Weston and Jo Stafford) are the most hilarious, brilliant comic team ever to record these songs. The liner notes are a hoot, too! This is such a treasure. You won't regret buying it. In our family, all the generations adore Jonathan and Darlene. My son grew up hearing us play the albums and he even indoctrinates his young friends by playing selections for them. Really the most hilarious listening experience you can imagine! I love every second of it and wish there were ten volumes rather than just the two.

Absolute MADNESS
In addition to the so eloquent aforementioned explanation of the contents this disk, may I submit the following :

I have played this recording at various parties just to see who notices the sour notes and rythmic blunders. Some people "get it" and others just wonder what's so funny about it. If you're somebody who appreciates parody and you aren't tone deaf - you are sure to like this silliness (and, be sure, it rates HIGHLY on the Silly Scale).

If you don't meet the above suggestions... then don't waste your time.

ps. it's A LOT more entertaining after a drink or two...

hilarious send up of traditional hits
Jonathan and Darlene Edwards are pseudonymns for legendary big band director and arranger Paul Weston and his singing icon wife, Jo Stafford. The two decided to release a series of LPs during the 50's which featured their slaughtered renditions of pop standards. The ablums set the industry on its ear and became hilarious musts for every party and get together where serious music lovers appreciated the difficulty of the task at hand. This is only the second of several LPs to find its way to CD. Notably, "I Love Paris" and "Sing Along With Jonathan and Darlene Edwards" still remain to be published in the new format (hint,hint!). Mere words cannot describe the hilarious effect this album will have on anyone who hears it for the first time and in my case, each time I rediscover the musical mastery of this duo. Mr. Weston plays wrong notes, bad chords and misses entrances and savages tempi with the self-confidence of a Toscannini. Ms. Stafford (Darlene), sings just flat (or sharp) enough to be hilarious. She never quite hits the notes or makes all her musical entrances but her comic sense of timing and musical "ability" are impressive! If you don't enjoy this album and its predecessor....there is little hope for your redemption! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Jerry Clower was the Best!
This is a great album by the greatest country comic ever. Next to Jerry, Jeff Foxworth is a DISTANT second-best. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Sentimental 5 star album
I was a Milkmen fan since Big Lizard came out...blah, blah, blah (but, its true). Anyways, I picked this CD up as a quick fix for my collection as my few remaining Milkmen albums typically are on tape. Sadly, most of these tapes were also either played to death by myself or stolen/farmed out to (former)friends. This CD covers most of the highlights of their career with the exception of "those 2 albums" mentioned in the other reviews.

The milkmen are wonderfully snotty and gleefully offensive and very funny in a smarter than it first sounds sort of way. Its pointless to figure out if they are thumbing their milky noses at the subjects of their songs or the (sometimes stilted) conventions of punk music itself; it is often both and that is a good and "nutritionally" healthy thing. There were a few songs that I missed not hearing on this album such as "Gorilla Girl," "Brat in the Frat," and "Beige Sunshine" just to name a few and this almost forced me to end the streak of perfect reviews. I just can't do it.

If you've never heard the Milkmen, prepare yourself for a musical awakening. ONCE PROPERLY AWAKENED, go out and buy Big Lizard in my Back Yard, Beezlebubba (my personal favorite), and Metaphysical Graffitti; these three albums flesh out most of the Milkmen's career as well as provide the majority of the tracks on this CD.

A final warning if you buy this CD: keep it under close eye when your "friends" come to visit, you may end up losing both.

Best of 84-95, remastered
This CD is a Best-of of the milkmen from 1984-1995. Buy this if you don't have any dead milkmen music. First its, remastered, although it doesn't say it. The songs compared to the originals CD's are so much better. more bass, clearer sound, a little louder and clearer highs like cymbals. In the liner notes theres a handy little timeline with each album and which songs came off them. also two previously unreleased songs are added which you've never heard. "Milkmen Stomp", and "Labor Day". Its missing songs from 2 albums due to some legalities of 2 other record companies the milkmen were on. NOT RICHARD BUT DICK (93), and SOUL ROTATION (92) are the albums that aren't listed or any songs on this collection. A great collection. Also check out guitarist/singer Joe's current music called BUTTERFLY JOE. its on Razzler Records, and the drummer Dean from the dead milkmen also plays on the whole album. self titled release came out in 2000. Fun music in same style Joe's had for ten years.

Good for beginners
If you are interested in the Milkmen, but have no idea where to begin, this is the album for you. It includes songs from many of their albums, allowing the listener a taste of each development in the band's style. There is a notable era missing from this collection, that of the infamous out-of-print albums (infamous not because they are poor quality, but because the alternate label those particular albums were on quit making more copies AND they refused to relinquish the rights to the songs... what kind of nonsense is that??). Anyway, this collection will help a listener decide which albums to seek according to his or her taste. So buy it! And if you get hooked and buy them all, pass this one on. Spread it around.

...
Wish I could've seen 'em live. Alas, I heard of them too late, and barely, just barely managed to get a hold of their only superior album, Not Richard but Dick. ...but if you can't find that one, you still have this one. for now...

I think this is the Best of the best.
The Dead Milkmen have been around for a long time and this album is the best. It combines all their greatest hits on to one amazing CD. I'm hoping for a reunion but that is unlikley. If your going to buy any Milkmen Cd's get this one. ... Read more

Album Description

He stars in "Blue Collar TV" and the next Blue Collar Comedy Tour movie, whose original documented the most successful comedy tour in years. He's scored #1 comedy albums, platinum and gold among them, and outsold Chris Rock, Adam Sandler and Jerry Seinfield. He's racked up a gold #1 Country hit. He's even popularized a phrase into everyday speech. Now A Decade of Laughs brings together his funniest routines on CD. Here's your sign...Bill Engvall is one of today's most popular comedians. ... Read more

Amazon.com

From the first cut to the last, this rollicking CD is proof of Pryor's immense talent and influence. His impression of a windy preacher ("Eulogy") is the routine that launched a thousand black comics that came after. "Life is not the ultimate test. The ultimate test is whether your ass will survive Death. Nobody we know has passed this test, least of all this sorry mother." Neither imitated nor equaled is Pryor's signature character "Mudbone," who dominates the middle of the CD. Those hysterical long-form routines would be enough to make this an essential pick, but jolts of painful laughter like "Cocaine" and "Just Us" make Is It Something I Said? the favorite of any Pryor-phile. A great recording of a great standup at the height of his powers. --Michael Gerber ... Read more

Reviews (9)

"Our Text For Today"
That was the best bit on here. I could relate because I'm a white guy so I go to a "white church" as he says. Made me laugh.... "They make that weird noise when you come in, too. It goes 'AHHHHHH! OHHHHH-AHHHH'" The bit about Mudbone got a bit tiring after the 3rd or 4th time, but still great for long car rides.

firm bizz
this is what happened. this is what happened. did u get it now???? we were always all walking around and learning from one another in search for a proponderance that made some kinda cents. then we discovered that there is no write or ron. it was all about living here on our planet and evolving our minds into greater detail then ever dreamed. imagine that? did you ever see what i was talking to you about? i know that you must have because i was always learning from your qualifications in this company. it's a very remarkable and moving thing. it's like a game but it is a machine. it absorbs just like the sponges we see in our oceans throughout the entire world. where did we find this invention? who knows? it's just what we did with our lives that if we could back and alter that one moment and cee things as clear as what we visualize, imagine, understand, and create. the intention is to include employment opportunities for those who need the energy and the motivation to d-r-i-v-e. gramatical errors always interupt our correspondence. however if we expand our vocab and learn from our encounters of the thrid kind, a new party arises. this new age will bring forth the best for the heavens above and the love that we all share with the world. as we grow and dependently or independently, extrovertly or introvertly comprehend what we learned in college. our degrees and our studies as well as our fields of interest will draw the attention of this world. and we can use our assets to help those in need. the individuals who possess these intellectual and creative motive desires will come forth and speak on a higher level with no asham. and nineteen years of high school is a wider time period than k-12. we must start from what's on the ground to what is in the heavens and all use our major communication to focus in and develop our minds, bodies, and souls to work together as a nation to improve, change, and communicate, as well as develop an understanding for those who do not speak our incommenserable language. thanks for your efforts and time. i will be seeing you shortly.

Political Comedy
Richard Pryor is gut wrenching funny on this cd as he was when I used to sneak to hear the albums when I was a kid.
In one bit he asks, "Where are all the white folks?" He states, "I haven't seen any white folks around. White folks are into yoga. You can't get no nut doing no yoga... You got to get the $%#@%."
Low birth rates among whites is now called the "Browning of America."
On another track, Pryor talks of telling jokes in jail to keep "Bubba" off his booty. "If someone trys to #$%&^ me you'll read about it in Jet Magazine's picture of the week. Mr. Pryor please let the %$#&^ go now, we merely want to sew it back on the body." This stuff is hilarious!
There is much more with Mudbone and the voodoo lady. Check this out.
However, this cd is not for children on the faint of heart. But, for those who love flat out raw comedy laced with the truth, this cd is a huge hit.

I was WALKING DOWN THE STREET....
If you've heard the CD, (and the routine "Our Text For Today") you'll get the title of this. Clearly the best sendup of a Black preacher since Bert Williams' Elder Eatmore. The famous "Mudbone" routine is filled with hilarity as well as wise insight (all old folks ain't fools-you don't get old by being a fool). Overall, this is comedy's answer to the blues, entertaining while filled with poignant insight on both the Black expereince in particular and the human condition in general, which explains Pryor's widespread appeal. Too bad the overrated trash-talkers who have come since Pryor have not understood how to mix the profane with the profound.

Ha ha HA!
I'd seen three of Pryor's stand up videos (the ones that are supposed t be the funniest) before picked this up. Man, this guy is funny. Who else could talk about coke habits, including his own, and make it hilarious? (that title was supposed to be his imitation on the album of a pimp laughing).

Anytime I need a pick-me-up, I listen to this, especially "When your woman leaves you." I can't repeat the funniest routines on here, or this review would never get printed. The mofo count is probably as high as it is on any Eddie Murphy or Chris Rock (my other two favorite stand up comedians) album. Well, maybe not quite as high as Rock's Bigger and Blacker, but that's pretty hard to do. I'm not one of those people who laughs at cursing just for the sake of it- it has to be funny. And it is- it's the way he works it into a sentence or a joke (again, I see where Murphy and Rock got their influences). Also, it's nowhere near as funny reading it as actually hearing it come from his mouth. Listen to any of the audio samples (though again, hearing the whole thing is best).

The Mudbone stuff is great, but not my favorite- I never get sick of listening to his imitation of a pimp on cocaine (he makes it sound funnier than me) or trying to be cool and calm when his woman leaves him. The title and the cover of this album (which I think I read somewhere had to be changed before the record company would release it- the company insisted the guys couldn't have white robes) should give you an idea of what to expect. This recording is also a good way to find out, before you make an investment in "And Its Deep, Too" whether or not you think Pryor is funny. I don't really see how anyone couldn't laugh their butt off at this; though I will say if you're easily offernded, especially by profanity...then why are you reading this, now that I think of it? Just listen to the Eulogy, and you'll be rolling on the floor.

A couple weeks ago (I've been trying to avoid reading news about this, even before I got into Pryor, because it was so depressing), I read that Pryor's MS has now gotten to the point where he can no longer talk. I don't think anyone who has listened to this album will blame me when I tell you that after I read this news, I sat down and cried my eyes out. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Freakin Awesome
I remeber watching this movie as a kid, and now as an adult, and going into the field of music, I still love the main theme, and probably going to try to find sheet music before to much longer.

A childhood memory
I am another person who grew up watching this movie. I just loved all these songs when I was a kid but I have to admit I was surprised when I loved them just as much as an adult. These songs are extremely well written. The nostalgia makes me so happy it brings tears to my eyes. If you grew up watching this movie as well, you should definitely pick up this sndtrk...even if only for the memories. I promise you won't regret it!

chipettes have talent
this is a great cd with lots of original sound. girls of rock'n roll is one of my favorites. but nothing even comes close to the sound of gettin' lucky with you. that song has the right tune and everything. the girls really were able to put the moves on those snakes.

A Great Group that brings me back....
Remebering hearing this group back in the 80's was just great. I still listen to them...it brings back a lot from the past, and always knowing that they are still available to be listened to on CD, makes it that much better. I have always enjoyed their music, and will continue to in the years to come.

The Adventure of a lifetime
When I was a little girl, I would always watch this movie when it came on television. The music got to me and made me fall in love with this movie. I am 21 years old now and still love this movie and music. I am so glad I bought this cd, so that I can relive the joy I felt watching this movie. The music is so upbeat at times and very heartfelt as well. The song "My Mother" is so tender and sweet that it brings tears to my eyes and shivers to my spine everytime I hear it. I recommend this cd to people of all ages just because it is so much fun and brings out the kid. ... Read more

Album Description

This CD single was recorded by one of the most recognizable faces in comedy and current star of the F/X hit show, "Rescue Me". Leary's last two records sold over 700,000 combined units and they're some of the most critically acclaimed comedy albums ever. This CD contains the hilarious "Merry Fucking Christmas" single, over fifteen minutes of stand-up and rare songs, and an animated video that'll run during the holidays on Comedy Central and at comedycentral.com. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The genius of Spike Jones--as a songwriter, bandleader, and musician--is often overshadowed by his comedic schtick. But make no mistake, Jones was a musician and a damn fine one at that, whether on a set of drums, singing into a mic, or with a car horn. This bargain-priced, four-CD set from the U.K. label Proper, goes a long way toward setting Jones's record straight. In the 1930s and '40s, while American dance and jazz orchestras were just finding their mature footing and popularity, Jones was there to sabotage their efforts with great playing, parody tunes ("I Dream of Brownie with the Light Blue Jeans," "I'm Forever Blowing Bubble Gum"), and, oh yes, gunfire. As novelty artists go, Jones was one of the best. He hired great musicians for his Cityslickers, he wrote memorable songs, and he was a snappy dresser, too. This set features more of the musician than you'll ever need, but its supercheap price, nice liner notes, and great music (that still sounds hilarious after all these years) make it a steal. --Jason Verlinde ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Strictly for Music Lovers--or for the Rest of Us?
Before Stan Freberg, before PDQ Bach, before Weird Al Yankovic, there was Spike Jones and His City Slickers. This four CD collection containing much of his work exposes the listener to a broad spectrum of the different styles he was capable of performing.

It truly is unfortunate that many people are unaware of how talented Spike Jones was--his work went far beyond music parodies. He was a popular studio drummer, and he assembled some of the finest jazz, swing and big band musicians of the day: the incomparable George Rock and his trumpet,along with his Little Kid voice [heard in All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth and Bubble Gum]; Freddy Morgan on banjo, Del Porter and his clarinet, Doodles Weaver with his silly comments and puns during the William Tell Overture; Mel Blanc providing the hiccoughs and a drunken rendition of Clink, Clink, Another Drink--picture an inebriated cartoon stork here and you'll get the idea.

From WWII there's In Der Fuhrer's Face; Little Bo Peep Has Lost Her Jeep; an updated version of Come Josephine, in My Flying Machine, Leave the Dishes in the Sink, Ma; as well as the rarely-heard You're a Sap, Mr.... The title of the last is not exactly PC by today's standards, but it was typical of the country's sentiments toward Japan during WWII and was even utilized in a Popeye cartoon.

Then there are the 'serious' songs: John Scotter Trot, Love for Sale, Moanin' Low, Cheatin' on the Sandman and still more. The beginning of his rendition of the ballad Laura is beautifully performed in a Rhumba style--effectively showing how very good his musicians were--before reverting to the audio slapstick format they were most known for. This song is particularly unusual because it is not the City Slickers who were credited as the performers, but rather Spike Jones and His Orchestra.

Several of the songs in this collection are repeated because of their different recording dates. Some are live concert recordings and others are studio. If there is any fault to be found with this set, it's just that. I can't understand why it was so important to include alternative recordings when there are other recordings that were omitted. Songs like Alto, Baritone and Base, and my personal favorite, Pal-Yat-Chee were not included.

Each disc in this set presents every song chronologically, that is, according to their recording dates. The twenty-three page booklet included in this collection provides the listener those details as well as some pictures of the City Slickers [wait until you see what Sir Frederick Gas does to his hair!], the Jones family and a brief biography about Spike himself.

Be aware: although this collection has been produced on CDs, the songs will sound flat because they were not recorded in stereo. However, this is a small matter.

If you enjoy brilliant song parodies and so much more, then this is a worthwhile investment and addition to your collection.

One of a Kind - Performer AND Anthology
For puncturing musical pomposity actual and alleged, few did it with the shameless enthusiasm, genuine respect, and pinpoint comic timing of Spike Jones. The relentlessly serious surely pondered what would become of Civilisation As We Know It from the moment this percussionist-bandleader hit the airwaves and recording studios in the 1930s, but five decades after he made the last of his truly classic demolitions, it is even more possible to see that Jones and his merry mental cases (who were, one and all, supremely capable musicians, well aware of what they were doing and nearly flawless in their own comic sensibilities) had done nothing more heinous than teach a self-conscious audience how to laugh at its own pretensions. If you consider him as the man who was just knocking what was good for the music, Jones indeed stands now as one of the most genuinely radical talents American music has ever yielded.

This four-disc set will probably be impossible to top for the sheer completeness, without lapsing into excess, of the way in which it tells the Jones musical story with little encumbrance and plenty of plain fun. (If you think it's a little bizarre to fret about lapsing into excess when it comes to Jones, be reminded that, for all his bedlam, Jones was actually one of the most precise bandleaders and theoreticians of his generation - and that precision is probably the most important ingredient in why his musical assassinations still work today, to the continued laughs, when most of what followed him dies the minute the tracks end.) That it took a British label to make such an effectively complete anthology of Jones might seem striking, but you might care to keep in mind that Jones's influence turns up in more British music comedy than you might have thought - the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, for one, perhaps the greatest musical satirists England has yet known, seem to have been as well influenced by Jones and the City Slickers' ensemble playing and device timing as they seem to have been by ancient radio, music hall, and Peter Sellers and the Goon Squad.

Indeed, just about any effective musical satire since Jones's prime periods - from Allan Sherman and the early Mothers of Invention through Weird Al Yankovic - owes a debt to Jones, even if it became very unhip to acknowledge him for about three decades after his last big hits. Even the obvious period pieces ("Der Fuehrer's Face," of course, and a few others) now sound perversely timeless. In ways that their catalyst and his critics probably thought unthinkable back in the day, the whoopee cushion Spike Jones stuck under the worst pretensions of American popular music (and no few of the classics, actual or alleged) has actually transcended many of their sources. The fact that Jones's repertoire is actually funnier than about 70 percent of what has since passed for pure comedy, too, is even more striking.

And it only begins with stuff like "Cocktails For Two," "Five-Foot-Two, Eyes-of-Blue," "As Time Goes By," and "That Old Black Magic." That's the really frightening part, if you don't count the apparent steal of a price attached to this set. His critics would never understand, but you can do an awful lot worse than making people laugh repeatedly who weren't even alive when you were committing your musical crimes. And, unfortunately, an awful lot of performers have done an awful lot worse. For that alone, Spike Jones belongs in the Hall of Fame. As soon as we can figure out which asylum is hosting the proper one.

Appreciating Musical Depreciation
This is the big one, folks! Four discs; 96 sides of musical mayhem! Gunshots, cowbells, bleating goats, Sigourney Weaver's Uncle Doodles, this is the biggest Spike Jones collection commercially released! (An inferior 8-disc set of his radio shows is out there in EBay-land, but only mentioned for the hard-core City Slickers enthusiasts.) This one is NOT for the slightly interested listener who recalls "Der Furher's Face", "My Old Flame" and little else--there are several good single-disc compilations out there that they should start with. This one is for the real fans, as a one-time buy to fill in most if not all of the gaps in their Spike Jones collections.

Spike Jones was a very sneaky man--combining an overview of the finest classical music with Swing, Dixieland, Jazz, Country, Hawaiian, and Western musics and adding the ZING, POW, CRASH! of the finest slapstick humor. He combined highbrow music with lowbrow comedy and radio-theatre style sound effects and gave America a musical mayhem that's never been equaled.

For those of you wading through the tracks lists, yes, there is some repetition...this set contains both Jones V-disc recordings done for the Armed Forces Radio Service, and the subsequent RCA-Victor studio remakes of some of those recordings. There also seem to be some outtakes perhaps from the previously mentioned radio show. However, this is *not* a complete collection; in particular, several of Spike's holiday pieces are not present-- his immortal take on "The Nutcracker Suite" for example. There's a dozen or so other loose 78s not found here, nor are all the V-disc sides appearantly present. You'll have to wade through several other anthologies to get all of *those* if you absolutely *must* have them, personally, I wouldn't bother. Not that a few of the missing sides aren't gems, but with a treasure chest like this, who's to notice?

For those of you curious about Spike's radio shows, I'd reccomend Rhino's "Radio Years Vols. 1 & 2" if you can find them--they have four of the classic City Slicker's shows, with special guest stars Peter Lorre, Lassie, Boris Karloff and Frank Sinatra. For those of you curious about Spike's *TV* Show, (and he MUST be seen to be believed) I'd reccomend "Best of Spike Jones Vols. 1, 2, & 3." (Some of you may recall the original episodes being re-aired on the Disney Channel a dozen or more years ago)

Great music, if not slickly packaged
My five-star rating is for the music, which includes a number of V-Discs, live material, RCA Victor sides, and who knows what--recordings made for radio, maybe. The shoddy packaging is of no consequence, considering that the price includes four discs' worth of material. My complaint is with the annoying reverb in the sound reproduction, which occurs on any number of tracks. It's enough to ruin the sound at times, especially on the late-40s masterpieces "Laura" and "William Tell Overture." Were the engineers trying to add depth to the recordings? If so, imposing late-70s, Sansui-style reverb is NOT the way to go about it.

At any rate, the V-Discs are a joy, especially the riotous "As Time Goes By," which features clock effects (what else?) and splendid Red Ingle vocal effects. This is one Jones classic that will never grow old, with an arrangement that uses the verse of the tune as the calm before the storm of interpolated sound effects, a la "Cocktails for Two." And the live material proves that the City Slickers' musicianship was as dead-on in person as in the studio, though "G.I. Haircut" does have the singer trying to come in one measure too early. How often do we get to hear a screw-up on a Jones recording? Who would have known these guys were capable of error? Anyway, a great buy if the listener doesn't mind a bit of mud in the mix. Five stars for the greatest musical parodist of the 20th century.

Get ready to laugh
That Spike Jones is a hoot. Playing a piano and shooting a pistol in time to the music, oh, boy. Man, to have gone to one of his concerts would have been a blast! ... Read more

Reviews (35)

The ultimate party album!
The first track Living With a Hernia parodies the song from one of the Rocky movies Living in America. Obviously about a guy who needs a hernia operation. The classic Addicted to Spuds about a potato junkie is here as well (parody of Addicted to Love). Toothless people (parody of Ruthless People) isn't the best parody in the world. Dog Eat Dog is another parody although I do not know the title of the song but you will recognise the tune. In the original the singer says "Sometimes I tell myself this is not my beautiful wife." Al's version is beautiful stapler. The song is about working in an office and is brilliant.

Good Enough For Now is Al's first an only country music original song. It's about how people date someone telling them they love them but secretly waiting for someone better to come along. Probably the most realistic love song ever written. Probably would have been bigger if it wasn't a country song though.

Other original songs are Christmas at Ground Zero which is about Christmas Eve when Nuclear War is has commenced. Extremely funny, probably been overshadowed by The Night Santa Went Crazy on the Bad Hair Day album but still one to play at Christmas parties. Don't Wear Those Shoes and Here's Johnny are pretty average. Here's Johnny is about an American talk show that those of us outside the USA have never heard of.

If you are only going to buy one "Weird Al" album buy one of the others but there are some good songs on this one. It's still five stars in rating but it's not as good as the great albums.

You can stomp the poodle 'til it's flat.
Hello, again. "Polka Party!", Al's worst selling album is very good. It has five great songs, three good songs, and two mediocre/bad songs.

1. Living With A Hernia - 5/5. Another great start to another great album.
2. Dog Eat Dog - 5/5. I would say this is underrated if so many other people have said that. Kinda defeats the purpose. Still, a great song.
3. Addicted To Spuds - 4/5. Pretty good, not his best.
4. One Of Those Days - 5/5. Hilarious. Another one of his total randomness songs.
5. Polka Party - 4/5. Very good polka.
6. Here's Johnny - 1/5. The bomb has been dropped.
7. Don't Wear Those Shoes - 5/5. Now this one is underrated. Has very funny, random lyrics and another nice, snappy tune.
8. Toothless People - 2/5. Eh.
9. Good Enough For Now - 4/5. For all those out there who have found true love... well, almost.
10. Christmas At Ground Zero - 5/5. Ah, yes. Nothing's more comforting than a sick, twisted, tune about nuclear destruction on Christmas. Very, funny Al.

So, this Al-bum is worth owning for "Living With A Hernia", "Dog Eat Dog", "One Of Those Days", "Don't Wear Those Shoes", and "Christmas At Ground Zero".

A little slip, but much better than you'd think.
After coming off the success of DARE TO BE STUPID, our favorite 'Weirdo' followed it up quickly with this, his 4th AL-bum. Though it's somewhat apparent the writing/recording was rushed, it's way better than the "flop" some idiots like to say it was.

1. Living WIth A Hernia -- PARODY of James Brown's comeback hit from the Rocky IV soundtrack. Uptempo funk rock with dead-on impressions of the Godfather of Soul which became a big hit. Describes everything you wanted to know about what it's like to have a hernia. So funny, it almost makes you want to have one yourself (hey, I did say "almost").

2. Dog Eat Dog -- Original new wave song in the Talking Heads style, about corporate/office life. Though it's not a parody, in one line, Al borrows from their "Once in A Lifetime" song with "You may tell yourself: This is not my beautiful stapler."

3. Addicted to Spuds -- PARODY of the late Robert Palmer's (RIP) one huge classic rock hit. Al tells of someone he knows who is addicted to anything to do with potatoes, then he does too. Though it was a hit, I don't think there was a video for it.

4. One of Those Days -- A classic original that is reason enough to get this. Rocker about one certain day where everything goes wrong, from losing a sock in the drier, getting tied up and covered with ants, and having nothing but tater tots for dinner again.

5. Polka Party -- The typical polka medley, with songs from 1985 or so, including Papa Don't Preach, Method of Modern Love and Sussudio.

6. Here's Johnny -- PARODY of Debarge's "Who's Johnny," which stays true to the dance/pop of the original. It's about being obsessed with Ed McMahon, the guy who used to announce Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show.

7. Don't Wear Those Shoes -- Good but not great keyboard rock based original. Al says his girl can do anything annoying at all, including "Run your vaccum during my favorite show" or "Lick the middle out of my Oreos," except for wearing a certain pair of shoes. I wonder what was wrong with them.

8. Toothless People -- Pop/rock PARODY of Mick Jagger's "Ruthless People," which will probably make you not want to lose any teeth. "Only can eat things like pudding and apple sauce," goes one of the lines.

9. Good Enough for Now -- One of the few, if any country songs Al ever has done. Mid tempo tune about meeting a girl who is "Almost everything I ever wanted. Not really, but you're good enough for now." It's probably a take-off on country love/breakup songs, and a good one too! Foreshadows "I Was Only Kidding," another original that would come out a few years later.

10. Christmas at Ground Zero -- A hit original which talks about nuclear war on the holiday season. Not one of his best, but good. I hear that several radio stations at the time banned this song due to 'lyrical content.' Although I can see how that would make sense, especially now, people have gotta realize what this song really is...A JOKE!

I do agree, this isn't as strong as it could've been. I think he should've kept maybe 6 of the 10 songs, and waited another several months or so to release it with a couple stronger songs. Maybe he could've saved some of the originals (which wouldn't age, like a parody of a certain song would).

Also, just like DARE TO BE STUPID, there are only 4 parodies here, instead of the usual 5. There were so many good songs at the time he could've parodied too. However, I don't agree it was a bad AL-bum by any means.

Potato skins, potato cakes, hash browns, and instant flakes
Many people claim that 1986's "Polka Party!" was Weird Al Yankovic's worst album. As a diehard fan, of course, I wouldn't agree with that claim. However, compared to the Prince of Parody's later CDs, this one does possess quite a few flaws. That's to be expected, since Al's band was pressured by the record company to squeeze out another collection of hilarious hits. After the band recovered from the exploding sci-fi success of "Dare to Be Stupid," "Polka Party!" was semi-rushed and nearly unfocused.
Still, there are many excellent highlights listeners can laugh along to. "Living with a Hernia" is a funky soul spoof of James Brown's "Living in America." This track bears an electrified saxophone and brass section while Al's lyrics describe a rather unpleasant bulge on an intestinal wall. "Dog Eat Dog," an original tune about life in the office, is performed in the new wave style of the Talking Heads. "Addicted to Spuds" is a slick Robert Palmer parody...done au gratin! "One of Those Days," with its rock guitar and piano, mixes mundane routines with absurd disasters. In 24 hours, poor Al endures all kinds of burdens, from another sock lost in the dryer to the explosion of the atomic bomb. "Polka Party!" lyrically dismembers several MTV pop artists. Such acts include Janet Jackson, Falco, Bananarama, and Tears for Fears.
Unfortunately, the album's last few tracks are not as good. "Here's Johnny," a boy band dance track that salutes The Tonight Show, is a little too artificial and sexually bizarre. The homogenized "Don't Wear Those Shoes" and the diseased "Toothless People" appear to have been written too fast. It's as if both songs were assembled at very the last minute of recording. "Good Enough for Now" is a mediocre country blues track sung by a fickle husband. Finally, "Christmas at Ground Zero" is a mock-holiday carol that clearly doesn't fit with the rest of the album. Then again, who wouldn't want to hear the cheery jingle of sleigh bells as U.S. soldiers defend their lives in Iraq?
I recommend this album only to Yankovic's hardcore fans. It's a cartoon time capsule that whet the buyer's appetite for "Even Worse" and "Off the Deep End."

Not My Favorite Weird Al Yankovic Album But It's Ok!
I have Weird Al Yankovic's Polka Party on cassette tape, it's not my favorite Weird Al album but it has some good song parodies especially Addicted to Spuds and Living with a Hernia and though I don't feel this is his best album I do recommend it to his fans. BTW: A Few years ago I saw Weird Al Yankovic in concert and he was terrific, he really put on a great show that was very entertaining! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The title might be immodest, but it's accurate. Just about every holiday song parody and comedy sketch you can imagine is jimmied onto this hilarious, sprawling collection. While you'll find a smattering of well-known Christmas wackiness (including "Grandma Got Run over by a Reindeer" and the Singing Dogs' "Jingle Bells"), the Doctor's specialty is unearthing the obscure, such as Wild Man Fischer's weirder-than-weird "I Am a Christmas Tree." You'll never listen to "The 12 Days of Christmas" quite the same way after hearing the spins put on the tale by both Allan Sherman and Bob and Doug McKenzie, and you're likely to check your Christmas cookie for "special ingredients" after hearing Cheech & Chong's "Santa Claus and His Old Lady." --David Sprague ... Read more

Reviews (16)

The perfect Christmas music-comedy CD
Put this on for your unwitting friends next time they are over around Christmas time and you'll all be laughing for quite a while. This is a truly diverse collection of timeless, spoofy Christmas songs to be played just for the fun of it. Some of the tracks are just plain silly, others are just plain weird, and still others offer a humorous social commentary about the commercialism of Christmas. From wonderful, lesser-known comedians to the Chipmunks and Weird Al, it's all here. If you love Christmas and have any kind of sense of humor, get this CD and enjoy!

NOT your average Christmas collection
Dr. Demento's collection of Holiday novelty songs is a weird and wonderful find. Just when it looked like the genre had been trampled to death with the success of "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer," the good Doctor shows us that there are richer (and funnier) X-mas musical parodies to enjoy.

Granted, some of these tracks are inevitable additions on Christmas discs that cover a specific era, or only include songs that were commercial successes: the tracks by the Chipmunks, Spike Jones and Elmo & Patsy are almost as tedious as a Kenny G Holiday collection. Fortunately, there are plenty of lesser-known gems here, like Gayla Peevey's bouncy "I Want A Hippopotamus for Christmas" and Tom Lehrer's "Christmas Carol," a witty and sharp commentary on Holiday commercialism.

This collections spans about 40 years, but the selections generally complement each other, rather than sound out of place. The humor of the material here also spans a wide area, from goofy-voiced tunes for kids to sly, insinuating musical parody. Some of the choices are obvious, but others are wonderfully inexplicable, like "I'm A Christmas Tree" and "I Saw DADDY Kissing Santa Claus." Two of the more recent tracks (from Cheech & Chong and Weird Al Yankovic) are classics that appear (to my knowledge) in this collection only.

There are a few lame entries: "Christmas Dragnet" will only appeal to fans of the TV show, and Bob & Doug McKenzie's (of SCTV fame) "12 Days of Christmas" is similarly limited. The "Jingle Bells" cover here is simply annoying, though it's probably appealing to kids and drunks.

Christmas music, as a sub-genre of Pop music, is generally not an area that produces a lot of unique performances. The sentiments and well-wishings of classic songs like "Silent Night" or even "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" tend to be lost when people buy collections for the singer and not the material. Dr. Demento's addled and brilliant collection is a sure-bet for people who are tired of Diva-esque Christmas albums, or who simply refuse to be conventional.

-Mic

Enjoyment for years to come...
I bought this CD for a friend as a Christmas gift. We listened to it and I loved. I will be buy another for myself too. The song "I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" is a classic and we just love that song. The whole CD is worth it and I know we will enjoy it for years to come.

Cute, but...
Nice collection, but I've heard many of the songs on other albums (which I already have).

"Cheech and Chong's" Lost Christmas Single!!
Greetings to you!

I was very pleased to find that Amazon.com had this CD for sale. I used to listen to Doctor Demento on KMET-94.7-Radio, in Los Angeles, California many, many years ago. All is gone now but not forgotton: KMET is no-more, they changed format, call letters, etc... KMET was a pioeneer in Radio, when it came to "Rock and Roll" music. I listened to them exclusivly for the entire 18 years of their existence. After they were gone, KLOS-Radio was the only thing close enough left to listen to. Too bad that after all that time, a new owner came in and changed everything. Fired all of the DJ's, changed the call-letters, and changed to format to "Easy Listening", (AKA: Elevator Music I call it!). Doctor Demento had his radio program every Sunday night. Later, he took his radio show accross the nation, on a syndicated, shorter version of the same show. I once had the 45-Single Record of "Cheech and Chong's": "Santa Claus and His Old Lady" in my collection. where it went to, I'll never know! They never put this cut on any of their albumns, it was only available on the 45-Single Record. I remember that on the B-Side of the record was "Dave", another classic from Cheech and Chong. Now every Christmas I think about that comedy-cut, and wonder how to get a copy of it. I hear it played on some radio stations, but until now I never have found it on any record, tape or CD. Thank you, thank you, once again for bringing back a fond memory of my past! Note: PS... All of the other comedy-cuts on this Doctor Demento Christmas CD are "Classic-Great Hits" too! I just love it!!

Sincerely,

Jeffrey Mark Motta ... Read more

Reviews (5)

This CD deserves No Respect!!!
I am a tremendous Rodney Dangerfield fan, so it hurts me to have to say the truth about this CD.
I was looking forward to some classic Rodney Dangerfield material. What I got was unfunny and poorly recorded.
It's Rodney before he tapped the well of his comic genius. The material is almost there at times, but his delivery is amateurish compared to what he eventually came to do. It's a shame because the man is so much greater than what this product shows. Avoid this CD. Buy "No Respect". It's also a live recording, but that's where the comparison ends. "No Respect" is consistently funny even after many, many listenings and the recording is much better than this very disappointing CD.

great comedy, bad sound
Rodney is by far one of the funniest men ever to grace a stage, and this CD represents his humor almost perfectly. I say almost because the sound is of some of the worst I have ever heard. I've missed at least 8 or 9 punchlines because of the bad sound. Granted its live, but still. Other than the bad sound this is a great CD. Pick it up.

Very imaginative, and funny...
Here is an artist who can laugh the socks off your feet.I have heard "What's In A Name" on cassette and it is very well, and imaginative, as well as funny.

Rodney Dangerfield is this century's Jane Austen
What if one day you woke up and realized that there was no Rodney Dangerfield? That is the question that Brian Gilmore posed to me the other day. I replied that I could not imagine a world without him, and that this cd proves why that is. A must listen!

Vintage Rodney
"What's in a Name" is a perfect taste of Rodney's early years in the nightclub scene. You can even hear glasses hitting glasses and other various club noises in the background. He's a little toned down, but you still get tons of his trademark "I Don't Get No Respect" jokes. If you want to hear some of Rodney's greatest jokes before they were really famous and you don't want to spend a lot of money, this is the CD for you. I'm really happy my friend, Kevin McCarthy bought it for me. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Jerry Clower rules
try this and Im sure you will like it..All his best! ... Read more