Reviews (103)

The Funniest Comedy Album I've Heard in Years
Brian Regan is now one of my new favorite comedians. This CD is off the hook! It's so hillarious.....and it's CLEAN!! Who would've thought. I mean, sure, there are some funny clean comedians, but not like this guy! "Brian Regan Live" is one of the funniest comedy albums you will ever hear.

I can't even explain why this CD is funny. It's something your going to have to hear for yourself. Every track is hillarious, with Brian Regan never missing a beat. Some of the funniest tracks are, "you too and stuff," "crank calls," "stupid in school," "blasting zone," "kid's party games,"......aw forget it! THEY'RE ALL GOOD! EVERY TRACK IS FUNNY!!! Funniest line: "The big yellow one is the sun!"

What are you waiting for? Stop reading and BUY THIS CD NOW!! If you love comedy, then you will enjoy this album. Brian Regan is one of the best in the game. I hope that he comes out with another album. Even though he admits he's not that smart, he is a genius when it comes to comedy. "You too! Take luck...take care....of the luck....the luck that you bring with it...." Great album! I loved it, and I will continue to love it.

I got a Six!! I got a Six at the sun stare!
That's how many stars I would give this cd if it were possible; six. Brian Regan has taken the world by storm... At least the world that knows about him. Tell all of your friends to listen to this cd because it is the most hilarious comedy on the market. Brian uses everyday things that most of us don't even think about to propagate the most gut busting laughter that there ever was. If you like good clean jokes and can appretiate some really goofy humor, then by all means buy this cd. Even after listening to it eleventy billion times I still laugh at ever spin of the shiny disc. So you too should join me and my comedic friend, and turn your stereo into the jokester of the night, sure to please everyone at the party. Take luck.

Good clean fun!
First of all, the best thing about Brian Regan is the clean language. He doesn't need to shock you to be funny and our whole family, kids included, can safely listen to him. Secondly, he makes you laugh so hard you cry. His material is about everyday things looked at in an unusual way. Third, if you ever get the chance to SEE him perform, his facial and body expressions make him even more hilarious. I highly recommend Brian Regan to anyone and everyone!

The Funniest CD I've ever heard
It's amazing to me how not many people have heard of Brian Regan, he's a lot funnier than many comics who are extremely well known. Every time I listen to his CD I laugh, I enjoy the whole thing. The donut lady and stupid in school are especially hilarious. I highly recommend this CD, it will have you laughing the whole way through. It's also a great CD b/c you can listen to it w/ the whole family, he manages to be funny without having to be vulgar or profane. Get this CD!

Funniest stand-up you'll ever hear
I used to work in the box office of a comedy club, and I saw lots of great comedians. However, this guy was, by far, the funniest I ever saw come through there. Harsh language never bothered me (I heard plenty of it while working at the comedy club), but it was refreshing to see a comedian who made people laugh because he was funny, not because of his use of taboo words. The people who would come to see Brian Regan ranged from college frat guys to grandparents, and he'd have them all screaming with laughter with exactly these bits that are on this cd and more. I only hope more cd's follow this one to more fully capture the complete library of his stand up routines.

He is old-school, having the laugh-from-the-gut hilarity of Jerry Seinfeld, combined with the energy and expression of Jim Carrey. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Puts me to sleep (but that's a good thing)
I have trouble staying asleep some nights, and I've recently found that certain types of music or sounds can put me in a relaxed state. Steven Halpern's "Chakra Suite" is one of the best for this purpose.

The chakra suite is supposed to be used to meditate on each of the seven chakras or power centers of the body. I am not one who meditates, on chakras or other things, but if you do meditate, this is supposed to be a good aid to focus one's energy and concentration. The bonus on this CD is the "Spectrum Suite" and another bonus, Sonic Satori thath is supposed to use the power of sonic entrainment. a psycho-acoustic technology with an effect on brainwaves.The music involves notes with 8 cycles per second, which is said to synch the brain to relaxed brain waves, for example:
Alpha - 8-12 CPS (associated with relaxed, calm, and creative waking state)
Theta - 5-7 CPS (associated with dreams, suggestive states, hypnagogic states)
Delta - 1-4 CPS (associated with deep, dreamless sleep)

Whatever the effect, I find playing one of the suites as I lie in bed, relaxes me to the point where I drop off easily. I also like it for a quick relaxation break during a stressful, long day.

Peace
There is a scientific principle called entrainment. If two items are vibrating side by side at different speeds then the item that vibrates at the lower speed will adjust to vibrate at the same frequency as the other object.

Examples of this are swings in a playground that are swinging out of sync and adjust. Also, in a clock store you may notice the pendulum clocks of the same size swinging back and forth in unison.

Applied to sound your different chakras or energy points vibrate at different frequencies and notes vibrating at a specific rate for a prolonged period will cause your energy points to reattune themselves, and bring your chakras back into balance, and promote a sense of well being and peace.

This cd applies these principles using swirling harmonics and overtones and beautiful instrumental sounds such as chimes and bowls including the rhodes piano to create an atmospheric sound.

I can feel the musical vibrations resonate thoroughout my body, and I certainly do feel more relaxed even after a short listen.

This record has been rated as groundbreaking by New Age Voice.

I highly recommend it.

VERY EFFECTIVE
I have listened to many different "chakra balancing" CDs, but this is the only recording where I have actually distinctly felt the sounds or appropriate chakras resonating the exact chakra spots - I could feel, without wondering if anything is happening, the sound vibrating in my body right where it's supposed to have an effect - so for that purpose, this is my favorite CD.

Totally relaxing and Works!
I love this CD, I listen to it daily to balance my chakras! Even if you don't believe it actually balances your chakras, it is beautiful and relaxing to listen to.

Incredible
While healing from a fractured ankle, I played this several times a day. I don't know if it accelerated my healing--I suspect it did. It certainly helped me to relax and deal with the inactivity. I continue to listen to it for sheer pleasure and relaxation and play it in the background much of the time. I would recommend Chakra Suite to almost anyone, regardless of musical preferences. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Thanks For The Introduction To Mehdi
I've always enjoyed Steven Halpern and this album is no exception, but while reading some of the customer recommendations posted on this page I discovered an artist by the name of Mehdi (pronounced meddie). After some investigation I found his site (SoothingMusic.Com) and listened to the samples...
I was instantly blown away by the quality of this music and so I gave it a try and now that I have listened to his CDs several times I really must say that although I'm still a Halpern fan I find Mehdi to be a tad more interesting. I have them both in my multi-disc CD player and love the way they compliment each other. I highly recommend that you give this artist a try or atleast just go listen to the samples, I have a feeling you'll be glad you did.

Inner Peace Found!
Steven Halpern is a new artist to me. I haven't heard or listened to his music in the past, but I came across Inner Peace while searching for a nice yoga/meditation cd. I thought at first, "This looks like it'd work." Now that I have listened to it, I have no regrets for purchasing it. It was worth every penny and the music was unpredictable. Gentle, calm, and soothing to its listeners, this cd has become a crucial element in developing peace and relaxing.

Great Relaxation CD!
The best way to listen to this CD is with headphones, especially the last track. I also listen to this at night (without headphones) before I go to sleep-it definitely helped ease my anxiety while being unemployed.

Try it just once, and see what happens...
It is difficult to "rate" or "review" this kind of music, as the real value in the music resides inside the listener. May I suggest, if you have never been deliberate about relaxing or escaping life's stresses for a time, that you put yourself in a quiet, safe place, disconnect the phone, arrange your body in it's most comfortable position, and put a little pillow on your eyes to help you relax those muscles as well. Breath deeply and relax, and focus on the music. You will find yourself floating on gentle waves, in and out of thought, and will return to the real world physically and mentally refreshed, and thus more effective.

This album offers shorter tracks for shorter periods of relaxation, but they blend well together for a longer respite as well. ... Read more

Amazon.com's Best of 1999

With the rise of more and more forms of media, the American storytelling tradition has become increasingly fractured. Praise be then for This American Life, a weekly radio anthology of stories that never fail to move even the most casual listener. Lies, Sissies, and Fiascoes purports to be a best-of compendium, but at two discs there's plenty more where this comes from. --Randy Silver ... Read more

Reviews (31)

Some of America's best storytelling
I absolutely love this collection. This American Life is my favorite radio show, and this 2-disk set has some of its best segments. My favorites include the story the about the failed production of Peter Pan, Ira Glass's story of spending time with his ex-girlfriend as "just friends," and the piece on the Apology Line. The only track I don't really like is Christmas Freud - it's not bad, but I don't really get the point of it, and I generally just skip over it when I'm listening to disk 2.

If you're a fan of This American Life, or if you have an interest in the art of storytelling, pick up Lies, Sissies & Fiascoes - it's more than worth the price.

Mostly good stories from NPR's radio show
As a fan of NPR who no longer lives in the US, I jumped all over the chance to buy a best-of compilation of "This American Life". The 2-CD set is split into funny stories on the first disc and serious ones on the second, although I thought both "Hands on a Hard Body" and "Christmas Freud" had some nice funny bits. Also on the second disc are the very chilling pieces "Test" and "Apology Line".

The only segments I did not like in this set, in fact, are the first one on each disc; these happen to be the ones that feature the show's host Ira Glass. I found "Peter Pan" (a piece about a small town drama production that goes awry) to be patronizing and overly long; the remainder of the first disc was very funny. Opening the second disc is "Get Over It!", a segment in which Mr. Glass explores an awkward weekend with an ex-girlfriend for whom he still has feelings. Although it has a good ending, I thought that he was just begging for sympathy with this story, and I felt manipulated. It's admirable in a way that Mr. Glass is willing to showcase his private pain for our entertainment, but not if he's going to make it a pity party.

But otherwise I think the compilation is great and I thank him for creating and hosting the show. I recommend it for anybody who's been a fan of the show (and most of you will probably enjoy Mr. Glass's pieces more than I did).

A few great ones, the rest mediocre
I enjoy listening to T.A.L. whenever I'm able to catch it, which unfortunately isn't very often. I had anticipated that this disc would contain the show's very best segments, but it was a bit of a mixed bag.

For example, "Shooting Dad" by Sarah Vowell is a terrific essay about Sarah's relationship with her gunsmith father. Well-written, funny, sharp and poignant. But compare that with the dreck that follows: "Get Over It!" by host Ira Glass, where he mopes at length about his recent encounter with a former girlfriend. Sarah Vowell once stated in an interview that radio stories are "edited down within an inch of their lives", but Ira's segment -- full of his own deep sighs, his laughter at his own comments, his voice often choked with emotion -- seems to have undergone no editing whatsover. It reminded me of the scene in "Broadcast News" where William Hurt's TV reporter character inserts a shot of himself shedding a tear during an interview. It reeks of "look at me, aren't I so 'real'"; that is, until you realize that it was created with multiple takes.

As for the rest, I enjoyed Sedaris's "Drama Bug" and Bindler's "Hands on a Hard Body", but many of the others struck me as mediocre for one reason or another.

This American Life from PRI is fabulous!
What a fantastic "best of" This American Life CD. It was the first and one of the best. I have been a fan of the program distributed to public radio by PRI, Public Radio International (NOT NPR) for years. This American Life describes such wonderful stories in such a unique way, and creates "driveway moments" for me! It truly is some of the best public radio has to offer and its story telling is up there with ANY medium.

disappointed baby boomer
perhaps I'm too old to appreciate these stories. I was too impatient to hear several of them out to the end, though all I was doing was driving to a destination, without alot on my mind. A few were good, but not good enough to immortalize on a CD. ... Read more

Reviews (173)

Music for strangers to receive great big hugs by
Stephen Lynch is the new and future voice of comedy. And oh what a voice. The man can sing. But what makes Stephen "A Little Bit Special" is his unerring ability to make any moment or situation ripe fodder for his humorous "taint." Yes, I said "taint." From the lovely melody and soft vocal stylings in "Lullaby" that explains exactly "why Mommy left us...", to the ruthless vigor of the chorus of "Altar Boy" this man sells his music. You can sense he enjoys singing his twisted tales as much as you will enjoy hearing them. Every song is good, at worst, and briliant at most. Seriously, how many CD's can you purchase that are 1 - hysterical; 2 - great to listen to; 3 - did I say funny? - 4 extremely "smart funny"; 5 - EVERY SONG IS GOOD? Everyone I have played the CD for (12) has purchased or at least downloaded songs from the web. But please, have a sense of humor, and a couple of hours...you won't want to turn this CD off.

Clever, funny, great music!
I saw a Comedy Central showcase of Stephen Lynch and went right out and ordered it on the web. Once I got it, I laughted my rear end off.

It is a great musical comedy album - and I've owned some great ones in my day. If you like black comedy, you'll love this album.

Afraid of laughing at something that "shouldn't" be laughed at? Then don't buy this CD - it isn't for you.

Not only are the lyrics hysterical, the music (and Stephen's voice) is fantastic. This CD angered my wife, but not because of the lyrics - it was because she finds herself singing the dimented songs over and over because they are so catchy.

I'm just sitting here in California waiting for Stephen to finally get his butt out here for a live show!

Pure Genious
When you hear this man's name, it is reminiscent of such masterful artists as Leonardo Davinci, MichaelAngelo, The Beatles. He is not only a masterful musician, but a top notch role model for the kids. I will leave you with a quote from his utterly scrumptulescent masterpiece entititled "gay".

"but if i were gay i would give you my heart
and if i were gay you'd be my work of art
and if i were gay we would swim in romance
but im not gay, so, get your hands out of my pants."

His music is so real to me, I can taste it, and believe me it tastes delicious. What a wonderful man, nay this is no man, he is one of gods infallible creations.

**I Love This CD**
This CD Is The Funniest CD Since Seinfeld's: I am telling you for the last time. I can't explain everything about this cd because you'll have to listen to it for yourself. What I can say is that Girbil Is the funniest song ever lol listen to the end of the song thats the greatest part of all download it or buy the album for your self to see what I am talking about. I can tell you this Stephen Lynch brings a laugh to your face with Jim Henson is Dead, he sings about how he wants another bite of Ms. Piggy and her tastey pork. Any ways this cd is the funniest so buy it if you dont have it all ready!

Hysterical, just not for the squeamish
If one had to list a fault of Stephen Lynch's unique style of music, it would have to be the lack of universality and the narrower audience he reaches with his ascerbic tunes. Don't get me wrong, I laughed my head off at songs like "Special," "Bitch," "Lullaby," and "Gay." There's just no way this album or even solitary songs could possibly appeal to a broader scope of listeners. Is that always important? No, definitely not, but sometimes it helps to at least throw a bone out there to the masses.

For example, if you are of the mindset that people cannot make jokes about necrophilia, homosexuality, divorce, gerbils, and stippers, this album is definitely not for you. I would avoid it like the plague. For those amongst us that understand a joke is a joke, nothing more, this one should truly belong on your shelves. I have to say even I was offended for one song, and laughed anyways! (It's the hidden track after Walken III; and keep listening for hidden outtakes and Walken IV.)

As for audio quality, the sound is crystal and the mixing was well done. Just shy of a 5-star comedy album. My one true complaint is a lack of intelligence in the jokes and jabs. Definitely a great listen (again, only if you can handle the acidic subject matter) and very very funny. ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Go pick This CD up! you will Laugh!
Hey ya'll just wanting to let you know about some awesome comedy CD's and DVD's that I just reviewed. "Lord I Apologize" By the one and only Larry the Cable Guy is on sale now. You can also see or hear Larry on the successful Blue Collar Comedy Tour, CD or DVD along with tour mates Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall, and Ron White . Lord I Apologize offers funny adult humor for all hitting on funny incidents about People Liking his Analogies, from the hilarious Larry the Cable Guy song. Laughter is the best medicine so get out there get the Cd and like he says "git -R- Done". I rate "Lord I Apologize" 8 outta 10.

Buy This CD, you'll be laughin' your @$$ off !
Larry is funny right there, I don't care who ya are !
Three big bikers, an' we had tears runnin' down our harry faces.
After you get this CD an' listen, check out the "Blue collar
Comedy Tour DVD or VHS...Order one of those too, Toooo Funny !
Russ (Slash) White, Tullahoma TN.

*yawn*
I went on a road trip recently and purchased about 5 or 6 comedy CD's. This was one of them and this was easily the worst of the lot. (Dave Attell's was the best and Dane Cook's is the funniest I own to date). I am rating it 2 stars because I am hoping to catch the attention of prospective buyers without seeming too extreme.

But it really was a one-star experience. Repetitive without being cleverly so, unsophisticated without guffaws, neither subtle nor over-the-top... I am amazed to find that 29 people before me actually enjoyed this. I wasn't offended, confused, or alienated by the content. I was bored. To give you an idea: If a joke like "I tried smoking mushrooms once but couldn't keep the pizza lit" followed by the non-infectious chuckling of the comedian himself... if hearing a comedian try to commiserate with you on how everybody's sisters just barge into the bathroom and put on makeup while you are taking a dump... If these are your cup of tea, then by all means drink this. You are in for a full CD of this kind of stuff. Very disappointing.

You'll laugh until you cry!
My husband and I have laughed so hard that we get tears in our eyes. His story telling is brilliant and funny. We have listened to it so many times that we will probably have to buy a second copy. Don't drive and listen because you will have to pull to the side of the road because you are laughing so hard. We can't wait and look forward to more from "Larry the Cable Guy".******"Git R Done"!*****

That's funny right there.
Larry kills me. Can't wait to see him live. Just buy this CD. very funny stuff ... Read more

Album Description

There are several stages of sleep which people pass through in the course of a good restful night. In each stage our sleep gets deeper, our bodies gets more relaxed and our brainwave patterns slow down. The deepest and most rejuvenating levels of sleep areassociated with Delta brainwave patterns.

Delta sleep is the most physically relaxed stage of sleep and is the time when the body recuperates and rebalances itself for the new day. Getting enough sleep, but more specifically enough Delta Sleep, is essential for healthy, productive living.

Dr. Jeffrey Thompson’s breakthrough audio techniques, developedover 20 years of clinical research, are proven to increase levels of Delta brainwave activity. He has helped thousands of people to achieve regular, restful, revitalizing sleep.

How This Program Can Work For You Play Delta Sleep System on any ordinary stereo or through headphones. Pulses of sound embedded into an ambient musical soundtrack, combining rich orchestration and "3-dimensional" sounds of nature will coax your own brainwaves toward their natural pattern of deep Delta Sleep.

In the enclosed notes you will learn: About the natural cycles of sleep and how they effect you How to use Delta Sleep System to fall asleep, stay asleep and wake up rejuvenated Special relaxation techniques which you can use to enhance your experience ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Delta Sleep CD is Great
I don't have any problems falling asleep-(waking up is a different story!)-but I bought this Cd along with The Alpha and Theta. This CD is awesome. How Dr. Jeffrey Thompson puts all these sounds together is always very beautiful and harmonious -no jolting sounds, so it's a smooth slide into dreamland. On this CD there is a more celestial vibe to the music, like your floating out of body deep in space, in the universe's womb (silly sounding but that's the image it conjures up for me). I can see how someone having trouble falling asleep would want this CD, something about it just makes it so sleep falls easy over you-one minute your awake and the next your deep asleep. I'd fall asleep with this CD on but I'm a side sleeper and the headphones would end up digging into my ears. If I had detachable headphones though I would listen to this CD every night. Instead I just listen to it until I'm in that hypogonic (sp?) state.

Worked very well for me. The music isn't bad either.
I bought this CD because I was sick of staring at the clock at 3:00 when I had to get up at 5:00. When I first recieved it I decided to try it immediately, in the mid-afternoon. All I remember from that first experience is about three minutes of hazy synthesizer music and then.........two hours later waking up. I didn't even mind sleeping with headphones on, which usually bugs me, even with the most peaceful music. Very impressive. That night I slept on the couch (no stereo in my bedroom at the time) and set the cd player to loop over and over all night. I occasionally woke up during the night but was asleep again in five minutes or less, and I had some very vivid dreams as well, which was cool. To avoid using headphones, I bought a portable cd player, a headphone jack splitter from Radio Shack, and two pair of small self-powered speakers. I placed one pair on the window sill above my headboard and the other pair on a table at my feet. This arrangement works very well as it places me inside the stereo soundfield no matter what, which Dr. Thompson recommends. I also bought his other sleep CD "Ambient music for sleep" and I recommend getting them both, but if you're only going to get one, I recommend this one, just because the general quality of the music seems better to me. It's also effective to play on your computer to keep you from being online all night.

Destroys the voices
For anyone that suffers from disruptive worry and dialogue in one's head, this is most definitely for you.

If you suffer from Schizophrenic symptoms, this will drown out the sudden disruptive memories without the harmful side effects of most medication.

Delta Sleep will prolong life by slowing metabolism when you need to slow it down and rest.

As someone who has suffered from mental anguish most my life, I highly recommend this as a remedy for similar ills.

Another sleepless night...
What a disappointment this CD was for me. I had read positive reviews about this CD, but unfortunately this piece of work didn't help me sleep at all. I have tried so many things for relaxation and getting to sleep, yet more $$ down the tubes. I'd love to hear about something that really works.
~sleepless in Atlanta

Very helpful sleep aid
I've had problems sleeping for years and have used medications such as Ambien to break the insomnia logjam. I've also used the Hemi-Sync products to sleep. Found out about this CD and also purchased Ambient Sleep. I loaded these on my MP3 player and use earbuds to listen. I play one or tracks through once and the MP3 player automatically shuts off. These CDS have worked for me to get me to sleep more quickly and seem to help me stay asleep longer. I used this on my recent trip to Europe and helped me get to sleep quickly and wake up feeling refreshed. It's helped me reduce somewhat the amount of sleep medication I use. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This collection gathers 19 of Sherman's humorous story-songs. The comic uses original lyrics and pre-existing tunes to poke fun at television shows and consumer items, to send-up the kids and generally riff on early and mid-'60s American pop culture. On tracks like "Pop Hates the Beatles" and "Crazy Downtown," his subject is the generation gap. "Al 'n Yetta" portrays a TV-dependent couple while "Lotsa Luck" describes the complicated hassles of dealing with faulty TVs and new-fangled tape recorders. Sherman assumed his audience had a little knowledge of history, too. On "Good Advice" and "You Went the Wrong Way, Old King Louie," he sings about inventors and French history, respectively. It's hard to imagine contemporary comedians working the historical beat. "One Hippopatami" is a delightfully goofy festival of wordplay that requires only a love of language and a tolerance for schmaltz. --Fred Cisterna ... Read more

Reviews (47)

The ORIGINAL Weird Al Yankovik!
Long before Weird Al Yakovik started entertaining folks with spoofs of famous songs, Allan Sherman had already retired. And yes, Allan Sherman sits along side Weird Al on Dr. Demento's Greatest Hits!

I remember being a kid and listening to my dad's "LP" of "My Son, The Comedian." Even as a young kid I remember laughing at many of the cuts. If only this entire album were on CD! Still, many of the best cuts have been assembled on "My Son, the Greatest."

Audiences of ALL ages will find humor in Allan Sherman's spoofs. Most of the tunes are universally familiar and the topics remain timeless. Add to this Sherman's Borscht Belt twist and you'll be holding your sides.

Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh! What more do you need to know?
Before there was Weird Al Yankovic there was Allan Sherman, the Godfather of the Witty Musical Parody. This collection only skims most of the cream off of his Sixties comedy albums, starting with his infamous "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh!" and ending with his poignant "Hail To Thee, Fat Person." In between you get "A Waste of Money," "Harvey And Sheila," "Pop Hates the Beatles" and "The Twelve Gifts of Christmas" and much, much more. You get the potpourri of "Shticks of One and Half a Dozen of the Other," and did you know that John F. Kennedy was once heard singing "Sarah Jackman"? If you have listened to any of Sherman's albums in the past ("My Son, The Folksinger," "My Son, The Celebrity," etc.), then you are going to notice that not all of your favorites are here. But this is the only CD available at this point in time in the history of the universe, so what are you going to do? We make do, people, and then we wait, patiently, for more of the same.

Ready for a new generation.
Allan Sherman was taken away from us much to soon. Even though he probably would have not been as popular as comedians became more vulgar and the times more permissive, I believe he still would have produced many more hilarious parodies like the ones you will find on MY SON, THE GREATEST.

My particular favorites on this good-natured and goofy collection are "Hello, Muddah, Hello, Faddah", "Pop Hates the Beatles", "Sarah Jackman" and "Crazy Downtown". It's good clean fun that I hope will find a home in the hearts of a new generation.

Camp Granada
Most people are familiar with his Camp Granada song "Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah!". Even if they only saw the ad recently on TV and heard the new version sung by a dog thanking his parents for a flea collar. I grew up hearing and seeing Allan Sherman on radio and TV in the 1960s. My parents had a couple of his records. I scoured for them recently to no avail. I am so glad to see this come out on CD. Even those that did not grow up in the Sixties should find his style of comedy amusing. I thank the producers for having the foresight to re-release his hits if for none other than us baby boomers. For those unfamiliar with him he liked to parody just about anything. Fans of movies like "Airplane", "The Naked Gun", or "Hot Shots!" will probably find him amusing.

5 stars are not enough for this record!
I recently found this cd in the discount rack at a local store, and it immediately caused me to flashback 30+ years to my youth, listening to records (yes, records) in the basement while my parents entertained their company upstairs. Don't let era of Allan's comedy nor the Jewish flavor deter you. His comedy transcends time and culture. This cd is a must for all the forty and fifty-somethings out there. Share it with your children, and by all means, shake hands with your uncle Max! ... Read more

Amazon.com

These days, Bill Cosby is such an established showbiz presence that it's easy to forget what a deeply influential figure he was in the '60s, when he released a wildly successful series of standup comedy LPs. At the time, an amiable, apolitical African-American comedian sharing warmheartedly-barbed observations on childhood, parenting, and other rites of passage was a gently revolutionary act. Cosby's effortless ability to address universal experiences transcended boundaries of race and economic class, uniting diverse audiences during one of the most divisive periods in American history. Wonderfulness, originally released in 1966, is Cosby at his best, with such memorable bits as "Tonsils," "The Playground," and the classic childhood reminiscence "Chicken Heart." --Scott Schinder ... Read more

Reviews (38)

Laughter is TRULY the Best Medicine -- Thanks, Dr. Bill!
I first listened to "Wonderfulness" when I was in junior high school. I enjoyed it then and I enjoy it now; it really is a classic (if not THE classic) Bill Cosby album. But even more remarkable was how this album once cured me of a severe fever.

I hadn't listened to the album for a number of years when I came home after graduating from college and got the flu. I had a very high temperature, was extremely weak, lost my appetite, and (worst of all) couldn't sleep. I decided I was going to try and be entertained as long as I had to be awake, so I crawled over to my turntable and put this album on. Ironically, the first cut I listened to was "Tonsils" where Cos tells the story of when, as a child, HE was sick with a sore throat and ended up in the hospital to have his tonsils removed. Even though I had heard this and all the other stories many times in the past, they sounded fresh after so many years and I found myself laughing quite hard. By the time the album was done, I felt MUCH better ... I was actually able to stand up, walk around, and join the rest of my family for dinner!

This review is for the original vinyl copy of the album (LP) which I never intend to get rid of. One thing I noticed about CD versions of his other classic albums is that there are no silent pauses between the cuts (they just segue right into one another as if he were doing one very long stand-up session), a feature which I personally dislike. Still, I highly recommend this particular collection of his stories enough to say that if you have to own only one Bill Cosby CD, this is it (but do try to get as many of his others as you can, too ... one can never overdose on laughter)!

No One Tells Stories More Hilariously Real Than Bill Cosby
Bill Cosby may well be the country's most gifted storyteller. By taking the everyday and telling it in marginally satirized form, he captures the humor that the everyday has in abundance.

All of the stories Cosby tells are stories we can immediately identify with. Though not all of us have ever had tonsilechtomies, we've all gone to the hospital as kids and were told we'd get all the ice cream in the world once the operation was over.

Likewise, as kids we've entertained the notion of some kind of grownup conspiracy, regardless of whether the battleground is a playground. We've disagreeed about lumps in cream-o-wheat, raced or at least seen downhill go-karts, and ALWAYS saw or listened to the horror show our overbearing mothers forbade us from seeing.

Cosby's funniest routine is his retelling of an old Lights Out radio program about "a Chicken Heart that ate up NEW YORK CITY!"

To close out the album Cosby tells a hilarious tale about the honeymoon of TV producer Sheldon Leonard (who produced I Spy for Cosby and Robert Culp) and his wife at Niagra Falls, "when Niagra Falls was brand new." Cosby's riff of Sheldon Leonard's speech patterns is drop-dead funny.

You'll never imagine eating ice cream or driving a go-kart the same way again.

What an amazing individual
Growing up listening to Bill Cosby, to my recollection he was the first stand up comic with whom I became aware. Literally eating up every word from his albums, by the age of 10 I was reciting many of his routines annoying my parents (and teachers as well). Recently my 10 year old discovered "The Bill Cosby Show" in the form of reruns on Nickelodeon. So I introduced him to his earlier stuff, available now on CD. What a surprise to find him laughing hysterically at the same lines I loved as a kid. This stuff is timeless.

The Genius of Cosby.
When I was a wee tyke, I remember watching the last couple of seasons of the cartoon series FAT ALBERT. I didn't know at the time that the show was based upon characters created by Bill Cosby. I also remember watching Bill Cosby color Picture Pages on tv. Later in my youth we watched the Cosby Show as a family. However, it wasn't until the 8th grade that I really learned the genius of Bill Cosby. Our teacher was doing some lesson in audio theatre and played "Chicken Heart" for us on the record player (CD's had just come out). Our class was a laughing riot. "Chicken Heart" was one of the funniest things I had ever heard. That night I told my parents about it and things all came together, FAT ALBERT, PICTURE PAGES, THE COSBY SHOW, "Chicken Heart": it's all Bill Cosby. That's when I realized that Bill Cosby was a comic genius.

"Chicken Heart" is about the time that Cosby thought that a giant chicken heart was coming after him while watching late night television as a kid. It's just one of several sketches included on WONDERFULNESS. Two other longer tracks include "Tonsils", describing Cosby's experience of having his tonsils removed and "Go Carts" which tells in vivid details the events of the World Go Cart Championship that ended in a sort of tragedy. Other selections include "The Playground", "Lumps", "Shop", "Special Class", and "Niagra Falls". The best of the bunch, though is "Chicken Heart" and for less than $10 its more than worth the price of the album.

www.livejournal.com/users/tedlothropfan
Bill cosby is genius! he has a brand new cd coming out....go to this link to find out! WWW.livejournal.com/users/tedlothropfan ... Read more

Amazon.com

This is one of his finest comedy discs, and it remains as fresh and funny as ever. Recorded at the height of his standup popularity, the master raconteur's 1968 album To Russell, My Brother, Whom I Slept With is a fine example of the multi-talented veteran's effortless mastery. Cosby discusses "Baseball" and "Conflict" with his usual blend of impishly winsome insight and flat-out yuks.The 27-minute title track, a memorable meditation on the joys and terrors of childhood, is one of his most resonant achievements. --Scott Schinder ... Read more

Reviews (16)

And I hit you in the eye! SOCK! WAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!
This is classic Cosby. Recorded live in Cleveland, Ohio in the late 60's Cosby talks about Adam and Eve (The Apple), his daughters who drives him nuts (Two Losers), the conflicts between the mind and the body (Conflict), getting hit in the back with a baseball (Baseball) and his classic 20 plus minute epic title track about the zany adventures of two brothers sharing a bed late at night. Eveything on this album will get you rolling with laughter. You'll also realize how much you can relate to what Cosby is talking about. This is a great album. Get this now if you don't have it already. It's too bad Warner Bros. didn't release 200 M.P.H. and It's True! It's True! on cd.

To Russell, My brother, Whom I Slept With
Flat out hilarious! There's something for everybody in Cosby's work. However, brothers especially, will identify with the title track. Also listen to his other older albums (I have not heard his albums produced since the mid 70's). They are all equally good.

"THE JELLO SHERIFF OF THE HOUSE!!!
The most funniest album next to bill:himself, and wonderfullness.
The way he takes his child hood and describes it for our comedy needs is hilarious!It's a must have for any cosby fan!Also recomend Bill cosby himself!

hey sankysky or however you say it
you heard me. wow its great you love bill crosby. He's great! But wait... Thiers no such person! Its bill COSBY. no r in that name. Next time why dont you look at the persons name next time. but seriosly the cd was realy great funny and the funniest thing ive ever heard

hilarious
This is Bill Cosby at his best. How many older siblings can empathize with Mr. Cosby on the joys of siblinghood? I laughed until I cried the first time I heard the title track. No Cosby connoisseur should be without this album. ... Read more

Amazon.com

One of the fundamental criticisms of New Age music is that it puts people to sleep. Here, Steven Halpern, one of the founding fathers of New Age, makes that his mission and, as you might expect, does an effective job of it. Drawing on catalog material from the early 1980s, Halpern builds an attractive collection of delicate, lighter-than-air sonic textures that nicely serves the intended purpose--to fill the silence with something prettier than white noise. Halpern does so by blending electric and acoustic piano, plus additional keyboards, to create soothing, improvisational, cloudlike musical abstractions that often convey the tranquil randomness of wind chimes in a soft breeze. The liner notes also promise your subconscious will be exposed to a series of subliminal, sleep-encouraging affirmations along the quiet, unstructured way. This may sound like so much frou-frou to the unconverted, but for anyone sincerely interested in a sleep aid, Halpern's disc is a certified snoozer, a New Age music box. Other New Age discs may accomplish the same purpose as Sleep Soundly, but few will do it as persuasively. --Terry Wood ... Read more

Reviews (7)

This is good to help you sleep and....
I have so many Halpern CDs, its unbelievable. I recommend this one and several by Jeffrey Thompson, Delta Sleep System and the two CDs sets Music for Sleep Collections 1 and 2. Great!! I have no problems sleeping now that all of these are available for me to use. Never get bored with one, because there are now so many good selections to choose from. GO GET 'EM!!

Wonderful for PTSD/trauma survivors
Suffering from PTSD, this CD has helped me to cope with flashbacks. Before getting this CD, it used to take hours for me to fall asleep and even then, I had a very troubled sleep. Now, I play this CD every night as I go to sleep and within minutes, I am asleep. No more flashbacks at night, and the CD helps create a safe feeling inside.

It works!
I never hear the end of the CD because I fall asleep so quick. The music is so beautiful and peaceful. I recommend it for all people who have trouble falling asleep!

Out Like a Light! Wow
Actually, NOT out like a light because I fell asleep even before I could turn my light out. This cd is great. I purchased it because since the tragic events of September 11 I seem to have trouble falling and staying asleep. I put it on continuous play mode and woke up feeling (gasp!) eager and excited to face Monday morning. Give it a try.

VERY nice cd to have at your bedside.
This is my first Steve Halpern CD and I would have no reservations about getting more. The music is beautiful...it kind of weaves through your mind relaxing you. I, like another reviewer don't think I've ever heard the end of the tape. I'm always asleep. I love being able to play this at night and am VERY glad that I took the chance and ordered music by someone new to me. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Part of what Bob Newhart mastered, earlier on stand-up albums like The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart and The Button-Down Mind Strikes Back! and later on his long-running TV series The Bob Newhart Show and Newhart, was capturing a brand of Everyman neuroses and heightening it, bringing mundane, common scenarios into the realm of the absurd--and the absurdly funny. Newhart also perfected playing a character involved in a conversation with the other party in absentia, as in one of his most famous routines, "King Kong," in which he plays the part of an Empire State Building security guard who calls his boss the night King Kong makes his famous ascent. ("Yes, sir, I looked in the handbook index under 'unauthorized personnel' and 'people without passes' and 'apes,' and 'ape's toes,' but it's not in there....") Something Like This... is a generous sampling of Newhart's best stand-up bits, and while some of his topics--airplanes, hating to fly--have now been so overdone as to be comic faux pas, rather than making his material seem dated they often serve to demonstrate just how rare a talent he is simply because the routines still elicit involuntary snorts of laughter some 30 years later. --Mark Hunstman ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Still Works
This is the first classic comedy I've listened to in several years, so a few things struck me immediately. First, some of the conventions of stand-up have changed. In the earlier days of stand-up, the comedy was based on sketch material (almost everything here is a monologue) and the characters were as funny as the lines they were given to say. Second, the audience members withheld their applause until the end of the sketch and then applauded every bit. The third thing I noticed was that this comedy still works.

It comes as a bit of a surprise to me that satire and dark humor were not invented by Saturday Night Live. Though his first album (Button Down Mind of Bob Newhart) came out in 1960, Newhart's material and delivery are still every bit as contemporary today as they were then. Ledge Psychology, for example, is a sketch about a cop casually trying to talk a jumper down...and failing.

It helps that Newhart's material is based on historical events and industry, neither of which has changed very dramatically in the last 40 years. Budget airlines still scare the heck out of us; there's still a high turnover in driving instructors; and the more imaginitive bits (like "King Kong") still play because the reference material is still in our culture.

Newhart is the perfect understated stand-up comedian and this album really demonstrates what Ray Romano and Steven Wright owe to the older guys. I laughed. A lot.

Newhart one of america's most funniest comedians ever!
The collection is really excellent on Rhino records CD right here. I've never heard any of his live comedy album recordings on Warner Brothers before. Now I have already and he's really funny on here performing every act and skits listening to every groundbreaking masterpiece from Bob Newhart himself. He is compared to like no other stand-up comic of a lifetime. Newhart's albums were released in the early sixties on the same label during that period like Bill Cosby's was. Take for example this black comedian genius was really in his young prime and so famous. A resemblance to a racial color personality of Newhart a white talented celebrity. With lots of big laughs to his fame and fortune to the greatest legend of all-time. I know your going to love Bob Newhart as an actor on television. Best remembered from the seventies sitcom series "Bob Newhart Show" and the eighties version "Newhart" where he played Dick Laudon who was a hotel owner in a small town area of Vermont. Or to movies include like from 1977's Disney cartoon classic adventure for his voice as "The Rescuers". And also playing a high school principal who finds out that Kevin Kline is already a gay homosexual teacher from Paramount pictures 1997's controversial big screen situation comedy hit "In & Out". Trust me it's the best CD you should get and enjoy listen to it by laughing your face right off!

Pure Genius
To give you a bit of perspective on my review of this CD, I'm twenty-seven years old at the time of this writing - meaning that I wasn't even alive when Bob Newhart recorded these bits. I was never old enough to appreciate the TV series 'Newhart', either, mainly because at the age I'd have been I'd have found it incessantly boring. But fortunately, time has helped shape my tastes in entertainment, and from the moment I heard 'The Driving Instructor' on 'The Dr. Demento Show' (which I miss to this day since our local affiliate pulled it), I was hooked.

Having been granted the opportunity now to enjoy even this smattering of Newhart's stand-up work, I can safely say that it's money well spent. From the first track - "You typed it...uh, Abe, how many times do we have to tell you? On the backs of envelopes!" - Newhart can get anyone still capable of conscious thought to snicker without the need for a Parental Advisory label on the case. Each track is a brilliant snowball of a gem that just keeps building toward a gleefully unrepentant punchline, as in the bit about how police handle jumpers.

Furthermore, in the area of satirizing even the most utterly inane of human proceedings, Bob Newhart is still one of the greats. 'The Driving Instructor', 'The Retirement Party' and 'The Kiddie Show' take the most sublime elements of Americana and give them a much-needed shot of strychnine laced with sugar-coated cyncism. The beauty of Newhart's comic mannerisms, in my view, is his ability to be totally acerbic and make it seem like it's a purely natural extension of his own sense of curiosity. He's never snide or aloof in his barbs; he's almost like the thinking man's dad.

'Something Like This' is a must for any Newhart afficionado or just anyone who appreciates getting a good laugh out of someone who can do it and make it seem totally effortless. Just like we wish WE could.

Mildly amusing, a little slow.
I have always loved Bob Newhart on TV, so I thought I would love this album, but I have to admit I got a little bored with it. His setup of an absurd hypothetical situation and lead in of "I think it would go a little something like this..." gets old after a while, and his material is a little dated late 1950s. If you want some really good clean funny timeless standup comedy audio recordings, go with Bill Cosby, especially "Fat Albert", "Bill Cosby...Himself", and "Those of you with or without Children, You'll Understand."

Bob Newhart Comedy Pioneer
Bob Newhart, who was not a stand up comedy star and had actually not done stand up in a night club prior to recording his break through first album became an overnight star after it's release. It was one of the first live stand up albums, in fact Inside Shelly Berman is the only album I can think of that predates it.
Bob is such an everyman on these recordings, as in his two TV series. He let's the unseen, unheard historical figures on the other end of the phone be the wild and crazy guys as he gets laughs with his endless patience at dealing with Abe Lincoln trying to re-write the Gettysburg address, and many other historical figures who he deals with in very modern Madison Ave and pop-psychology terms.
I'm a big fan of Bob's two hit sitcoms, but this is his best work. He is so paced, taking his time, waiting so long after each laugh knowing that when you're finally done chuckling he has a few more words to reignite the laughter which he again patiently waits for you to finish. ... Read more

Reviews (27)

Cosby's first is still brilliant.
Most comedians' first records sound dated or subdued. Not Bill Cosby, who took America by storm in the mid-Sixties as the more approacheable answer to Redd Foxx (and funnier, too). This is his first disc, and it's still brilliant: it hasn't dated in any real way, which is rare for comedy, and it has moments that are so explosively funny you can't even figure out why.

I mean, why should hair tonic or hoof-and-mouth disease be funny? Because Cosby knows how to look at it and find humor in it, and make it all make sense, that's why. Nichols and May were working in some of the same vein (and Cosby even credits them with a good deal of influence), but Cosby is more spontaneous, more flexible, and more interesting to listeners of all persuasions.

"...Funny Fellow" has some of Cosby's most timeless and penetrating material, especially the three-part "Noah" skit, which says at least as much about rebellion against God and social roles as it does anything else. The punchlines ("HOW LONG CAN YOU TREAD WATER?") have entered into the cultural consciousness.

"The Difference Between Men and Women" is also telling, because it allows him to make fun of sex roles without sliding into the marriage-is-one-great-big-pain p.o.v. that dominated and dragged down so much of his later material. "Karate" is a great showcase for his powers of mimicry and frantic delivery; "A Nut in Every Car" is still a valid piece of New York humor; and even a one-off like "Superman" is worth hearing.

Cosby excelled at delivering ordinary life in extraordinary ways (and not only that, but he did it in a G-rated way, which is saying something to this day). Anyone seriously interested in comedy or Cosby should or probably already has this record.

Even in the beginning, Cos was a very funny fellow
This 1963 comedy album represents the very early Bill Cosby, when his comic riffs were about "Superman" and "Greasy Kid Stuff" rather than his family and childhood friends. But you can definitely find the seeds of greatness in his three-part routine on Noah dealing with God: it is not just that Cos does the voices, but that the humor comes out of his dry take on the situation rather than the usual punch line, such as his take in "Hoof and Mouth" on the infamous scene in the movie "Hud." After listening to this album what you come away with is not just how funny he was way back when, but also how much better he got as he honed his craft. Having these old albums released on CD allows you to really appreciate the evolution of one of the great comic talents of our time.

What's a cubit?
This was Bill Cosby's very first album. It sold over a million copies, and the rest is history. Most of this material holds up well today, but the bits about athletes doing razor blade and hair tonic commercials are a bit dated. The absolute classic routines are the ones about Noah. This is a very funny album. Recommended to fans of classic comedy. Right!

A Comic Sensation
Did you know that Bill Cosby's first 7 albums were all million sellers and that he had a top 10 novelty pop single in 1967 titled "Little Ole Man ( Uptight-Everything's Alright). This cd is one of those million sellers. Bill is also a cowboy/western movie aficionado and so am I. He produced a great western in the early 70's called "Man and Boy" which they show on the westerns channel periodically. Bill said his favorite cowboy was the late Joel McRae, I would've guessed Gary Cooper or Gene Autry or "The Bronze Buckaroo" Herb Jeffries, but Mr. McRae was a classic cowboy. This cd is a classic and a must own and thanks Bill for bringing attention to some important issues in the African American community-it's time for someone to speak up-Love ya brother!

Bill Cosby is a very silly fellow,right!
This album is the beginning of Bill Cosby's show business career,recorded during the JFK era at the Bitter End in New York City. Some of the best bits are the Noah trilogy(tracks 4,5 and 6),TOSS OF THE COIN(track 2) and KARATE(track 12). SUPERMAN is quite humourous also. On HOOF AND MOUTH,Cosby tells about the Paul Newman movie "Hud" which was in theatres at the time of this recording. On KARATE,Cosby mentions Jell-O,which he would begin speaking for in 1974. At the time of recording,Cosby was dating Camille Hanks who would later become his wife. Great album! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Harvard-educated mathematician by trade and sociopolitical humorist and satirist by avocation, ivory tickler Tom Lehrer sang irreverent ditties that both outraged and delighted listeners during his on-again, off-again heyday of public performance in the late 1950s through the 1970s. Perhaps best known for his "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park," Lehrer combined razor-sharp wit with dry delivery inspired by everything from vaudeville and ragtime to whimsical show tunes and faux folk. Though a tad dated, Lehrer's wickedly pointed That Was the Year That Was is as good a representation of the mid-'60s American social and political climate as any. Recorded live in 1965 and composed largely of songs from the contemporaneous NBC series That Was the Week That Was, the album takes on boho Americana ("The Folk Song Army"), censorship ("Smut"), and the atomic bomb ("Who's Next"). Devilishly funny as well are the outstanding "Vatican Rag" and the puzzle that is "New Math." --Paige La Grone ... Read more

Reviews (31)

I have two words for you: "The Vatican Rag" (okay, 3 words)
Of the three classic Tom Lehrer albums, the material on "This Was The Year That Was" always struck me as being somehow different from the other two. Now as I have attained the pinnacle of wisdom I believe I have an explanation for my intuitive feeling: the songs on this album were written for the NBC television show "This Was The Week That Was" (affectionately known as TW3), which meant Lehrer was working with a deadline each week. Consequently, while I am impressed that he could come up with such ditties each week to help skewer the people in the headlines, I think that most of the songs contained within are not particularly memorable (e.g., "M.L.F. Lullaby," "George Murphy") although he does rhyme "commie" and "salami" in "So Long Mom," but you know some would never have been written if he had not needed a new song for that week's show (e.g., the overlong "Alma"). I also did not find Lehrer's pre- and post-song chatter about semi-current events to be as enjoyable as on the other albums where he is the subject under observation.

That being said I must acknowledge that this album does include three absolute classic gems from Lehrer. First, there is "New Math," the lyrics to which I have been inscribing on black boards in math classes for years, undeterred by the fact I was teaching English and they were not my classes rooms. Who knew numbers could be funny? Second, there is "Who's Next?", a witty look at the nuclear arms race that is as timely today as it was way back when and which popped up once on "Picket Fences" being sung by Douglas Waumbaugh ("for the Harvard-educated musician with the nimble fingers and glib tongue, your Honor. We plead not guilty."). Finally, there is "The Vatican Rag," which brings the Catholic Church from the dim dark past into a place it most assuredly did not want to be. Along with "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park," this is the quintessential Tom Lehrer. "This Was The Year That Was" is the least of his albums, but in this particular genre you are not going to find anybody better. Class dismissed.

This is the cd that is
In spite of the datedness of a little of this material, I still feel that Tom Lehrer songs hold up after all these decades because, really, not all the issues have been resolved, and may never will. We still have pollution; we still have the threat of violent Armageddon; the Vatican still has issues; and never before has freedom of speech been under such threats.

But the fact of the matter is that Tom Lehrer is just so d*mned funny. And this live performance, "That Was the Year That Was" is, to me, the most enjoyable. I truly believe that he was better live than in the studio. The sound quality is crisp, and little monologues between songs are fun, although very tame by our standards. Not to worry, "That Was the Year That Was" is an incredibly funny collection that at the very least will have you smiling throughout.

Priceless
THe words and music to this wonderful albulm remain a part of every listener's conscience for the rest of his or her life. A must for every human being.

I Met Tom Lehrer...
in 1972. He came to St. Louis, MO during the election year between McGovern and Nixon, and he played at a private residence as a fund-raiser for McGovern. My father knew what I huge fan I was at age 14, and we all sat on the floor (the kids did, at least) and listened to him play the wonderful tunes that I had already memorized for 4 years. Afterwards, my dad introduced me and asked him if he'd be willing to play for a private party at our house, and he politely declined. But I shook the hand of the master, and to this day I sing his songs aloud while driving (with or without his accompanying CD.) Who else out there has memorized "The Elements"? Never took chemistry, but I've got em down... How about the line in "The Vatican Rag": "Step into that small confessional; there the guy whose got religion'll tell you if your sin's original!" Was there ever a funnier line written anywhere? Thanks Tom, for being you. My only regret is that you never received the true acclaim you deserved; of course, being a Harvard lib, maybe its for the best!

a younger perspective
I was only recently introduced to Tom Lehrer a few months ago through a Christmas present from my parents and this was an album that received the honored distinction of my undivided attention. Rarely do I sit rapt in front of my CD player for an hour (transportation aside) and this CD grabbed me from the first track.

As a fan of the Onion newspaper and Comedy Central's The Daily Show, Tom Lehrer's biting humor was a welcome look at the 1960s. Chillingly, many of the tracks could be transported 40 years later with little alteration. National Brotherhood Week, Pollution, and (...) being three prime examples of the transcendance of human folly.

I played my new found interest for several of my friends and each time, the CD garnered the same response: awe at the audacity of this one man to say what so many others have only thought. One can only wonder how this show survived on public television outlets.

Don't let the dated references fool you, this CD is as relevant today as it was 40 years ago and, as if you would need another reason to listen, it now serves as a living history lesson for those of us untimely born. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Though this seminal British comedy team is better known for authority-tweaking absurdist wordplay and surrealist visual hijinks, music has always been an essential element in the troupe's twisted universe. Monty Python Sings collects 25 musical Python nuggets from the team's album catalogue, including such beloved ditties as "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life," "Lumberjack Song," "I'm So Worried," "Spam Song," "Bruces' Philosophers' Song," "I Like Chinese," and "Knights of the Round Table." With so much Python music gathered in one place, it's impressive to note just how many of the sextet's musical excursions have become cult classics. --Scott Schinder ... Read more

Reviews (31)

Always look on the bright side of life
I was so happy to find this collection. I've loved Monty Python series and movies and admired the multi-talented group. Nothing was too holy for them to be laughed at - and so should it be, laughing at something makes even the most horrible and difficult things shrink down to a size, where we can look at them and deal with them. And yet they always maintained quality in their work.

This record is a good example: it has songs from the series and such movies as 'The meaning of life', 'The life of Brian' and 'The quest for the holy Grail'. Of course, Eric Idle shines here with his 'Always look on the bright side of life', hilarious 'Penis song' and 'Bruces' philosophers song' being the author and composer of all these and many others. And as a performer... well, you can't listen to his voice without bursting into a huge smile. 'Always look on the bright side of life' really saves the day, no matter how bad things look.

The subjects are varied, some of them laugh casually at sex, such as 'Sit on my face'. It wasn't at all awkward to listen to them, because the ambitious, very serious way everything is arranged with violins, flutes, male choirs and symphony orchestras lifts the songs from being a bit naughty to something absolutely irresistible. You can only laugh and sing along. And can anybody go to church and listen to hymns seriously after hearing the lovely boy choir singing Eric Idle's 'All things dull & ugly'?

'Bruces' philosopher's song' and 'Knights of the round table' weren't technically as good as others, unfortunately. I was going to give four stars, but had to give the fifth one for Michael Palin for making 'Finland', even if it's clearly made by someone who's never been here - and I understood that's just the point. Sorry, Michael, we don't have mountains. Only some fells, none of them even a mile high.

Have a laugh, get this. The songs are so well made, that you can listen them still, when you already know the joke.

Indulging the terpsicorean muse
This a record with something for everyone. Obviously first and foremost it's a convenient collection of Monty Python's best-known songs, many of which have become comedy classics. If you don't have any other Python in your collection, then this is a good place to start, with all the familiar songs from the films mingling with lesser-known items from the studio LPs.

But even if you're a fanatic who's already got all the "proper" Python albums, it's still worth getting this compilation as it's the only place you'll find the full-length "Medical Love Song" (previously featured on "Contractual Obligation Album", but only in a shortened form), a studio recording of Terry Gilliam singing "I've Got Two Legs" or the marvellous exclusive track "Oliver Cromwell" (sung hilariously badly by Cleese). Best of all, the version of "The Lumberjack Song" included here is actually the George Harrison-produced single version, which is (a) brilliant, and (b) pretty much impossible to find anywhere else.

In brief, then: an essential purchase for all Python lovers.

Monty Python Does it Again!!!!
This is by far the BEST damn Monty Python CD ever.

Eric Idle's "ALways Look on the Bright Side of Life" song is one of the song's I listen to when I'm feeling down.*****

Michael Palin's performance "The Lumberjack Song" was very well put togeather.*****

And now for "song"-thing completely different
And now, for something completely different. There are 25 songs taken from Monty Python's TV series, movies, and other comedy albums, some that are so memorable, it isn't surprising to hear someone singing them at a whim, other obscure ones that are downright hilarious and/or gross, and those featured in their TV show and movies. But others are like, "Gordon Bennett, this is so naff! What'd they include it in 'ere for?" Consequently, I'll not go through every song, but be warned if I do get silly--Python tends to do that to people.

"Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life", sung by Eric Idle and the crucified prisoners at the end of Life Of Brian, starts out the album. Basically: "life's a piece of ****, when you look at it/life's a laugh and death's a joke, it's true/you'll see it's a show/keep'em laughing as you go/just remember that the last laugh is on you." A breezy, humorous, but pointed look at "the final word."

"The Lumberjack Song" is by far THE classic Python song. In this rendition, Michael Palin leads off by a weather report, before he sings, "I didn't want to do this for a living. I wanted to be... a lumberjack!" and the rest is history. Note: if anyone hears me singing "I cut down trees/I wear high heels/suspenders and a bra", PLEASE don't take me seriously. I'm an environmentalist and would NOT cut down trees. Yours etc. D.J. Hamlow, Mrs.

The brief "(Not the Noel Coward Song)" from Meaning Of Life is a 41 second laugh-out-loud ditty on "your wife's best friend", the one sung before Mr. Creosote comes into the restaurant.

"Oliver Cromwell" sung by John Cleese, is set to Frederic Chopin's Polonaise No. 6 and is a delight for English history buffs. The twisted tone they give is apparent in the spoken intro: "The most interesting thing about King Charles I is that he was 5'6" tall at the start of his reign, but only 4'8" tall at the end of it... because of..." and the song begins, listing the key events of the English Civil Wars.

"Medical Love Song" is so disgusting, I won't mention it, but it is funny, and the chorus is a list of medical conditions.

"Every Sperm Is Sacred" is a latter day classic that needs to be sung a lot more. This hilarious parody on the Catholic mindset of conception was a highlight from The Meaning Of Life. I wonder if the kids in the movie knew what they were singing, especially the little girl who sings "Let the heathens spill theirs/on the dusty ground/God will make them pay for/each sperm that can't be found."

The brief "Never Be Rude To An Arab" is a guilty pleasure ditty for these PC times. After a nice first verse extolling the virtues of respecting a "Saudi, Israeli, or Jew", the next verse includes some derogatory racial words before an explosion sounds, cutting off Terry Jones.

Those who have or are taking a philosophy course right now will enjoy the "Bruces' Philosopher's Song" by those lovable Australian Bruces. You know, "Immanuel Kant was a real p----ant, who was very rarely stable..." and how different philosophers drank. And remember what Rene Descartes said. "I drink therefore I am."

"All Things Dull & Ugly" is a bitterly cynical but funny take on the British choir song "All Things Bright And Beautiful." Yes, it is true, isn't it, "All things scabbed and ulcerous/All pox both great and small/putrid, foul and gangrenous/The Lord God made them all."

The other Meaning Of Life songs are included, and those are among my favourites, such as the title track sung outrageously by Eric Idle: "What's the point of all this hoax?/Is this the chicken and the egg time, are we just yolks?", the Vegas-style "Christmas In Heaven" number and the contemplative "Galaxy Song." Yes, "pray that there's intelligent life somewhere up in space/because there's bu--er all down here on Earth."

The "Spam Song" ends the album to please the hardcore fans. If you want something affordable that's just songs and without sketches, such as the Final Ripoff double CD, then sing with Monty Python Sings. However, be warned that there are a number of naff songs that may warrant hitting the fast-forward button. Yours etc. Brigadier DJ Ham-And-Cheese, with shallots, aubergines, and a double scoop of lemon curry.

Very funny album
I've had this album for a couple of years and it's always good for a laugh. The Pythons aren't the best singers in the world (that's half the fun of it), but the songs are good and the productions are solid. The "weather forecaster" version of The Lumberjack Song on this CD was produced by none other than George Harrison. If you're looking for a good laugh, look no further. This is the CD for you. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In the wake of the '80s comedy boom that made casual obscenity and bodily functions safe for TV, a listen to these '50s classics from a piano-playing Harvard grad student with a thin singing voice sounds tame if not quaint. Yet Lehrer's first two self-produced albums, among the first generation of comedy LPs, remain beloved gems of musical parody, and noteworthy for their original success in an era when their topics were strictly taboo for broadcast media. He kids cold war paranoia ("We Will All Go Together When We Go"), sends up then-hip folk revivalists with a cheerful murder ballad ("The Irish Ballad"), and gets laughs out of incest ("Oedipus Rex"), drugs ("The Old Dope Peddler"), and racism ("I Wanna Go Back to Dixie"). Closer to Gilbert & Sullivan (whom he in fact raids for one melody) than Def Comedy Jams, Lehrer can still raise a modern frisson when he plays necrophilia as romance ("I hold your hand in mine dear, I press it to my lips/ I take a healthy bite from your dainty fingertips..."). --Sam Sutherland ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Happiness returned
In the sixties an enlightened uncle bought my brother and me a Christmas Present LP 'Songs by Tom Lehrer, and a year later 'More Songs'.

These 'went down a treat' at twenty-something parties; unfortunately they also 'went down a treat' with one party goer and went with him or her. A recent BBC radio programme ran interviews with the Prof. together with a selection of his songs, and prompted me to search the net successfully for the re-issues.

So, after 30 years the performances are as fresh and cynical as ever, and surprisingly little dated - as is evidenced by the younger reviewers

I love it and I'm young!
I'm 18 to be exact, and lets just say Tom Lehrer was the subject of my college application essay (I'm going to Berkeley). I was ever so glad when this cd came out, it comprised the two album I had yet to find. I recoment it to everyone I know, everyone can understand it. His lyrics are so simple, yet genious, the man is amazing, his power over humor is greater then any comiedian today. he has a talent for rhyme and a emmence vocabulary, like in such songs as: Lobachevsky, When You are Old and Gray (my favort rhyme flow), The Elements(The ulitment rhyming machine), and other great works like Oedipus Rex, and Clementine. What makes Tom Lehere so powerful is if your dumb you'll get his humor, and if your smart you'll really get it.

Sir William Gilbert reincarnated
His tongue twisting lyrics and rapid fire humor are very reminiscent of Gilbert & Sullivan's works. They lack some of Gilbert's intense political jabs, but I even hear a bit of retired hippie hiding in the background. I wonder what he could do writing a musical?

With a chuckle (and a snicker)
THat says it all. Surprisingly (or not so) I can sing all the lyrics along with Tom. But then again, I have been aquainted with his songs since childhood!

Some of these songs a little dated - we have after all moved beyond the MLF. However, Lehrer's wicked humor and good natured cynicsm still communicate to us all. Have fun listening and learning these songs.

The smartest, funniest records I've ever heard
I grew up on Tom Lehrer. My parents had both of his 10" LPs and we listened to them often. His 60s albums were dragged out EVERY time we had a party and often just when we had the stereo turned on. I had every single song Tom Lehrer ever did memorized and I have NEVER heard a comedy artist as perceptive or as intelligent as Lehrer.

Then things changed, as they will. I moved away from home, never bought the CDs and pretty much forgot about him. Recently, though, the issue of academic integrity reared it's ugly head in a discussion and I found myself quoting Lehrer's 1955 masterpiece, "Lobachevsky." It was perfect for the moment. I was asked what they hell I was talking about and to illustrate Lehrer's genius, I wound up singing "The Elements" (the entire periodic table sung to a Gilbert & Sullivan tune) and "The Hunting Song" (a brilliant parody/analysis of hunters and gun advocates).

After 35 years, there's not a single song on this collection (first two albums of piano & singing, 4 orchestrated versions and one bonus track) that isn't funny AND perceptive and only a couple have become (only slighty, mind you) dulled by time. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Lively, upbeat walking workout for intermediate walkers!!
I've been an aerobic walker for about 8 years. It's very hard to locate music designed for an aerobic walking workout performed by original artists. This CD is a find!!! It starts at a pace of 120 beats per minute and builds to 134 beats per minutes in 11 selections. The last selection is the cool down at 120 beats per minute. This pace is great for an intermediate walker - a workout, but not fast enough that you feel you need to jog. It is an hour-long workout and the songs are "blended" together so there's no gap in the music. Most of the 70's songs are easily recognizable and I find myself singing to them as I walk. I'm sure you'll enjoy the CD.

Great to get you going! LaVanda from GA
After walking for exercise for over a year, I was getting bored with the music I had. This CD is wonderful for keeping your pace, starting slower, picking up to 4.3 mph and then slowing to cool down. Even though these songs are from way back, it's great to hear again. I will try more of these CD's.

upbeat music
I've had my cd for a week now and I love it. It starts out a little slow, but then again, I hate to warm up so it is probably good for me. I like to hit the trail walking at a brisk pace so I usually start on song #3. I love the music and I probably look crazy to people driving by. This cd has definately added a quickness to my step and an energy to my walk. I plan to buy more music!

Great for Aquatics
I teach an aquatic shaping and toning class and this is my favorite CD. The class, which varies in age from 30 - 70, enjoys this music and it contains nothing objectionable. I only wish SHAPE would put out some more of this great stuff.

Great songs, mid tempo walking
I have 3 of the Shape walking CD's and this is a good one if you like disco. This CD has a good pace if you are wearing ankle weights and pushing a stroller (as I do). If you are just walking on your own though I'd recommend one of the faster Shape CD's. Modern rock is a good one. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The king of pop parodies returns with another zany collection of tunes that poke fun at pop culture. There are a handful of undeniably funny moments--notably "The Saga Begins," which pairs the tune to Don McLean's horrendously sentimental "American Pie" with the plot to the first Star Wars prequel, and a fun, nonstop-dancing polka medley of late-'90s hits that starts with the Spice Girls and ends with Semisonic. Overall, Running with Scissors is well-executed and actually humorous, but the material is a day late and a dollar short. "Pretty Fly for a Rabbi" is funny once, maybe, but the majority of the disc consists of tepid takes on yesterday's news; the best jokes are devoted to Jerry Springer, Eddie Vedder, the Swing craze, and this place called Silicon Valley where they make computers. Why didn't someone tell Weird Al that a parody of Nine Inch Nails' lifeless industrial pop would have already sounded dated in 1995? It must be hard to stay on top of all the current trends and parody them as they happen, but that is something that Weird Al has done in the past, and perhaps will do again. --Mike McGonigal ... Read more

Reviews (433)

RUN WITH SCISSORS TO GET THIS!
My family has all of Al's CDs and records and were recently at one of his concerts. How good is this CD?

1. The Saga Begins- parody of "American Pie" by Don McClean. All about Star Wars Episode One. Very nice. A-

2. My Baby's In Love With Eddie Vedder- Why would Al's wife be in love with the Pearl Jam frontman anyway? C

3. Pretty Fly For A Rabbi- parody of "Pretty Fly for a White Guy" by the Offspring. Expect many odd Jewish words. B+

4. The Weird Al Show Theme- the theme to Al's dearly departed show on CBS or NBC, I forgot. Very stupid! B

5. Jerry Springer- parody of "One Week" by Barenaked Ladies. Extremely raunchy but well-sung. B

6. Germs- very dull at first but gets better at the end. C+

7. Polka Power- includes Al's renditions of songs by Spice Girls, Marcy Playground, Marilyn Manson, Hanson, Beastie Boys and more. Very good! B+

8. Your Horoscope For Today- apparently, I should get ready for an unexpected trip when I fall screaming from an open window. And I should work a little bit harder on improving my low self esteem: I'm a stupid freak. A-

9. It's All About The Pentiums- parody of "It's All About the Benjamins" by Lil Kim and some other bozos. Great work with those computer geek terms, Al! A-

10. Truck Drivin' Song- a kid in my 6th grade class (back in 1999) said this is making fun of Al's wife. Must be a cross-dressing song. Creeeeeepy. C+

11. Grapefruit Diet- parody of "Zoot Suit Riot" by Cherry Poppin' Daddies. Oh boy, get ready for ALL the fat jokes Al left out of his old hit "Fat"! B

12. Albuquerque- Get ready for 12 AND A HALF MINUTES of the sad story of Al's childhood with saurkraut, a plane crash near Albuquerque, a run-in with a huge Albanian hermaphrodite with a Flock of Seagulls haircut and only one nostril and meeting Zelda, a calligraphy entusiast with a slight overbite and hair the color of strained peaches. B

Weird Al, The King With The Midas Touch
Weird Al Yankovic, the King of Parody, strikes gold with "Running With Scissors," arguably his best album yet, and highlighted by the single best song he's ever done, "The Saga Begins." To the tune of Don McLean's "American Pie," "Saga" captures the story of "Star Wars, Episode I, The Phantom Menace" to perfection; it's all there, and it's brilliant. Pearl Jam fans especially will get a kick out of "My Baby's In Love With Eddie Vedder," but even those not familiar with them will get the drift, and it's hilarious. Then there's a foray into the world of high-tech, computers and the internet in "It's All About The Pentiums," with a great line, "What kinda chip you got in there, a dorito?" Also included in the twelve cuts is the obligatory polka piece, "Polka Power!" And yes, there's one about food, "Grapefruit Diet." Country fans get a taste with"Truck Drivin' Song," and television talk show host "Jerry Springer" gets the treatment in a song about a guy addicted to the show. This is one funny album from beginning to end, and I highly recommend it to anyone just looking for a good time and plenty of laughs.

I love this album except for one thing.
When he parodied Sean "P Diddy/Puffy" Combs' "It's All About the Benjamins" he parodied that annoying rock remix version with Foo Fighters leader/ ex- Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl. I like both songs (P Diddy and Weird Al's) but I can't stand the instruments used in this version. I think Weird Al should used the music from the original version of P Diddy's "No Way Out".

One of Al's best albums
It's hard to believe Weird Al Yankovich has been at it for over 20 years now. "Running with Scissors is the follow up to the mega popular album "Bad Hair Day." A lot of expectations where put out and Al doesn't disappoint us.

Al give us a good mixture of new material and parodies. The one knock that can be said against the paraodies is the lateness in a lot of them. The Saga Begins is a hilarious song. It came out a little to late after Star Wars Episode One. Al didn't get the MTV exposure like he did on Amish Paradise and the song flopped in that area. The song however is great writing by Al and is quite funny. It goes along great to American Pie and is one of the better parodies written by Al.

It's All About the Pentiums is a fantastic song. The one knock again is how late Al was with this song. If he had put this out right after Puffy had lost some of his popularity instead of a year this could have been a hit. The internet had also lost some it's mystic awe by this point and was available in more homes. The song however is great songwriting and Al proves again he is rap. It's got some great computer dialogue.

Grapefruit Diet is a great song. Al does a perfect job writing a perfect paraody. Everything sounds good and its a perfect parody of Zoot Suit Riot by Cherry Poppin Daddies.

I didn't like Germs. Why do you go out and paraody Nine Inch Nails at this point. Nobody is talking about them anymore. Why parody Offspring at this point. Pretty Fly for a White Guy was so overplayed on the radio and people were sick of it. Pretty Fly for a Rabbi is a wasted song. It's good song writing that will only be appreciated by his fans and not all of the public.

The new material is good. I love the polka song. It's got a lot of hits from the late 90's from semi-sonic to the spice girls and more. Jerry Springer is a great song and it's one I think should have gotten some radio play. Al could have had a field day if he had made a video for this song. Albuquerque is one of the funniest songs Al has written. It's over 11 minutes long and is full of great lines and plenty of energy.

Thi is a fantastic album. It's got lots of great material. I wish the album had come out earlier though. This could have such a big album, but despite that I love it. It's funny and has lots of great songs. Mad props to Al for making a great album.

Al Doesn't Disappoint
This is a great Weird Al CD. Al doesn't disappoint and this may be his best album yet. I going to break it down and rating every song on a scale of 1 to 27.

The Saga Begins - This is a parody of "American Pie". Al sings another Star Wars song and while in my opinion it's not as good as Yoda it's still good. Rating: 23

My Baby's In Love With Eddie Vedder - Al sings a song about a jealous guy whose girlfriend falls in love with Eddy Vedder. Rating: 18

Pretty Fly For A Rabbi - Parody of "Pretty Fly For A White Guy". Al sings about a rabbi who really knows his shtick. Rating: 20

Weird Al Show Theme - The theme song to Al's short lived Saturday morning TV show. We learn Al really makes a mighty fine
Jellybean and Pickle sandwich (for what it's worth). Rating 24

Jerry Springer - Parody of "One Week". Al sings about everyone's favorite trash TV show. Rating: 19

Germs - A song about... germs. Probably my least favorite on this disc but still good. Rating: 16

Polka Power - One of Al's polka melodies. Rating: 21

Your Horoscope For Today - Al takes the funny idea of fake horoscopes and runs with it. The result, hilarity! Rating: 25

All About The Pentiums - Parody of "All About The Benjamin's". A song all about computers. Being a geek, this is one of my favorites. Rating: 26

Truck Driving Song - A strange, strange song that could have only come from the mind of Weird Al. Rating: 19

Grapefruit Diet - Parody of "Zoot Suit Riot". Al sings about a fat guy that goes on a Grapefruit Diet. It kind of felt like Al was trying to use some the fat jokes left-over from when he wrote "Fat". Rating: 18

Albuquerque - My favorite song on this album. There's really nothing I can say to describe it but trust me it's good. Rating 27 ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

This is it--the one Monty Python album that you must have. A compilation drawn from various films, TV series, and performance sketches, The Final Rip Off consists of two CDs of absolute classics. One of the very first tracks is the famous "Constitutional Peasant" scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Also included are "Spanish Inquisition," "Argument," "Lumberjack Song," and several other sketches that have achieved much-deserved pride of place in popular culture. The members of Monty Python are quite aware of this--the much-loved dead-parrot sketch is listed here as "Parrot (Oh, Not Again)." It's a testimony to the artistry, not to mention timing, of the group that the great majority of this stuff is still funny after decades of wear. --Genevieve Williams ... Read more

Reviews (27)

Compilation to end all compilations!
If you absolutely HATE Monty Python, if you can't stand the weird antics, the bizarre songs, the nonsensical sketches....listen to this and change your mind! :) However, if you're like most Python fans, you will instantly be in heaven listening to this compilation of all the most famous sketches and songs from the original series, as well as excerpts from their classic "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" ("You silly English kiiiiiiiniggets!").

This awesome 2-CD set features the essential classics: Fish License, Argument Clinic, Cheese Shop, SPAM! Perfect for in-the-car insanity! I find myself singing along and mock-tap dancing to "I Like Chinese" everytime....a bit dangerous, perhaps, but somehow necessary. :)

So get the Final Rip-off....when you're sick of listening to stupid radio and don't feel like sitting in silence, break it out and enjoy the ride. You'll have your 7 best (and certainly wackiest) friends right in the room with you.

This is a great 2-CD set, it's funny, and a good buy.
This is probably the best Monty Python CD or CD's there is. It's jammed packed full of funny sketches and songs from all of their previous albums. It's basically a 2-CD compilation for the price of 1-CD. Get it. It's good!!!

Another Python compilation
If you're looking for the LIMITED new material on this album, like I did, you'll be disapointed, as there's maybe a total minutes of new material, which is simply Micheal Palin, bantering about nothing.

If your looking for sketches that you haven't heard for a while, or at least not the Drury Lane versions, sadly, I still don't Drury Lane, then get this album. There is also a small booklet with new stuff, and pictures some of which I haven't seen anywhere else. It's not essential, but you can still have a nice time.

Classic Python Goodness
As a long-time Python fan, I jumped at this CD when I saw it at a pretty good price. It's loaded with nearly two hours of goodies on two discs -- tons of classic sketches, sound bits from the movies and the lot. The Spam song? It's here. The Lumberjack song? Got it. Sit On My Face? Fear not. The only notable absence is "Every Sperm is Sacred" from "The Meaning of Life," which would have been nice to have, but isn't a requirement for me to fully enjoy this CD, especially since we've got greats like the Parrot sketch and the cheese shop.

Just one caveat, though... what on Earth is that picture on the cover supposed to be? Ew. Gross.

Very weird, very funny
This is a very weird but highly hilarious sketch. On the first CD, the sketches are on different tracks than as said on the back of the case. The sound quality with the live performances isn't very good, but they are extremely funny. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This three-CD set collects many of Tom Lehrer's tunes, described by Time magazine as "brilliant and coruscating parodies," bringing back a bygone era when the "liberal consensus," as Lehrer calls them, knew who they were and could, therefore, laugh at both themselves and the well-defined enemy. Delivering clever, witty rhymes about topical subjects was Leher's strength. In "Wernher Von Braun" [the Nazi German scientist who later worked for NASA], Lerher sings: "I'll sing you a tale of Wernher Von Braun / A man whose allegiance is ruled by expedience / Once the rockets are up, who cares where they come down / 'That's not my department,' says Wernher Von Braun." Using a rollicking piano as accompaniment, Lehrer will remind some of Mark Russell, the current political satirist, but Lehrer's more pointed humor and grating, nasal voice make him a much tougher listen. His Jimmy Durante-like delivery, however, doesn't completely trump his truly quick mind and clever use of language. --Wally Shoup ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Satirist for the ages
The first time I heard a Tom Lehrer song was in one of my classes in junior high school circa 1972-73-Later on,I started listening to Dr.Demento's nationally syndicated radio show & found out that Lehrer is a regular fixture of that program-This box set is fantastic!!!-Lehrer is truly possessed with a rapier like wit & he's one hell of a songwriter-Certainly if a DJ were to play some of the more salacious songs like "Smut","I Wish I Were in Dixie","My Home Town",& "Masochism Tango",he would probably be out of a job (Excepting Dr.Demento,of course)-Disc 3,which is comprised of songs that Lehrer wrote for the short-lived TV series "That Was The Week That Was",are obviously dated by today's standards,but they're still quite hilarious-I also enjoyed the book that came with this set-The Dr.Demento bio on Lehrer's career makes for great reading-It's too bad that Lehrer has packed it in for good-Just think,he could've come up with more topical material such as Watergate,the Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinsky affair,Reaganomics-the possibilities are endless-Anyway,lovers of satire,take heed & purchase this boxed set-You won't regret it.

Lavish treatment of this generation's greatest satirist
Tom Lehrer is one of the greatest anomalies in popular music: he burst on the scene for a dozen years with five albums (two of which where essentially live versions of studio recordings), then retired into academia, not performing in public for decades. To further discourage any chance of his becoming popular, his song medium was "novelty" parody and social satire, both of which tend to have short shelf lives.

Despite all this, Lehrer's pointed wit has remained popular among a small but passionate group who appreciate brilliant, cutting comments about the hypocrisies of our race relations ("National Brotherhood Week"), collegiate life ("Bright College Days"), and parodies of every song type.

This box set combines all of Lehrer's previously released albums, plus a smattering of bonus tracks, including songs written for the children's show "Electric Company" (who would've thought that the man who wrote "Masochism Tango" and "Vatican Rag" would be a good educational influence on children?)

The real bonus of this handsome box set, however, are the (hard-cover bound!) lavishly illustrated liner notes, which include an interview, notes, complete lyrics, and rare photos. Rhino did its homework on this one, and it shows. It would've been nice to hear some of the real obscurities ("Physical Revue" or the "Subway Song"), but I guess those would entail another studio session.

There are only a handful of novelty songwriters who deserve this kind of treatment, and none with the relatively limited output that Lehrer has. Congratulations, Rhino for a beautiful package on one of the seminal performers of this age.

America¿s great musical satirist
The complete Tom Lehrer oeuvre is to be found in this outstanding box set. For the uninitiated, Tom Lehrer was a recording artist, whose incredible wit and singular ability to comment on politics of the time with a hummable melody is unparalleled. Contained within are his first two studio recordings, which allows the listener to focus on the clever melodies and wordplay, but the real gems are his three live recordings where audience reaction to Lehrer's outrageousness and his command of a crowd are on fine display. College fight songs ("Fight Fiercely, Harvard"), folk music ("The Irish Ballad," "Clementine"), and even the Boy Scouts ("Be Prepared) are all fair game. Lehrer is at his finest when creating a melody that is pleasant and enjoyable and then putting in lyrics that horrify the listener. (Ex: "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park" which is simply one of the funniest songs ever.) Included are some recordings that Lehrer did with a full orchestra, that work very well (Although Lehrer himself was not totally comfortable recording them).There are some relatively new cuts that Lehrer did in the 90's and a special treat for those of you who grew up in the 70's, Lehrer's songs for The Electric Company, which are still a lot of fun, but this is basically everything that Lehrer did during his relatively brief musical career, before returning to academia. I discovered Lehrer's work in the 70's and am glad that this set exists for my listening pleasure. (Now that I've written all these nice things, Mr. Lehrer, can I go home now? Please?)

Most beautiful box set I've ever seen
Tom Lehrer is brilliant, and some of the other reviews will eloquently tell you why. Chances are if you are looking at thsi item, you already know his brilliance. Even if you have the original CDs, you may want to get this, for it is the most beautiful box set I have ever seen. The hardcover, full color book has fun comments, Mad Magazine excerpts, and all the lyrics. The only improvement I could think of is I wish the "Critical disdain for Tom Lehrer" sticker that is on the shrink wrap had been put in a place where it could stay in good condition.

Repetitive Redundancy
I love Tom Lehrer's work, BUT... When you buy this boxed set, don't expect each of the CDs to have unique songs. The same songs appear on all three CDs. They may have been recorded at different times, but I had hoped to purchase a set of CDs with unique songs on them. Too much redundancy! ... Read more