Reviews (4)

Do Yourself A Favor...
One of the best comedy albums in existence. Listen to the sound of tradition breaking, as Nichols and May use improvisation to turn the world of sketch inside out.
If you're a comedian, you can't not own this.
If you're a human being, you can't not fall in love with it.

A trendsetting period piece
What these 2 artists bring to the table are heaping helpings of warmth, humanity, charm, even sweetness -- not to mention wit and originality. Their trademark parodies of everyday situations, when they work, are nothing short of uproarious. "Mother and Son" and "Merry Christmas, Doctor" are priceless, timeless routines that play so well 40 years later as to show the brilliant vision underlying this artistic duo's act and ability to push the envelope in their time. The question in buying this CD is whether the strength of those cuts, plus the generous quantity of cuts, can compensate for the faded vitality of the others imposed by the passing of time.

This is the best collection...
I have always been a big fan of "Telephone", and think it is probably the best comedy bit ever recorded. A few years ago, I had bought a number of Nichols & May albums, and _In Retrospect_ was by far the best. It is essentially a "best of" album, which is much of the reason, but also on their other albums, there were bits that just fell flat. I highly recommend starting with this collection if you don't own any Nichols & May already.

Nichols & May; they rule!
if you like a good comedy, and you like to laugh; order this cd! it's really funny and smart! Mike Nichols is great and Elaine May is amazing! especially "Mother and son" (hello arthur...this is your mother...do you remember me! ) and "telephone" (information...) are great! really, order it today! you will NOT regret it! i promise. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

a dear man to be remembered.
A great tribute to the dear late Lewis Grizzard. The best of says it all. a great son of the south.
doc ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Better alternatives out there
In 1994 Monty Python had a 25th anniversary release of a boxed set (6 CD) of everything they'd done (except Live from the Hollywood Bowl, which is essentially no different from Live at Drury Lane, which *is* included). This CD is a one-CD boiled down version of this.

There is no substitute for the boxed set, not even "The Final Rip-Off." Go find it in the secondary market.

very good
I forgot to mention the extremely funny argument clinic, but it can be found on this jam-packed album of (mostly)very funny material fromm england's own......

Excellent Live Versions
The live recordings of The Pet Shop, The Argument Clinic, and Nudge Nudge are the best I have heard. John Cleese's lively renditions in the first two sketches are head & shoulders above other releases. The Argument Clinic, sadly, is truncated and does not include "getting hit on the head" and "the complaint department."

The inclusion of snippets from The Holy Grail seem out of place with everything else.

In effect, the title represents what is here. It seems as if a bunch of recordings were thrown together out of what was on hand at the time to "instantly" make a collection. Although ineven in material, it is still a great representation of Monty Python material.

Great, but THE FINAL RIP has most everything here and more
The INSTANT COLLECTION, in its day, was probably the best Monty Python album available. Unlike much previous Python fare, this one rips most of its cuts from movies and other previous recordings. Sound quality is unusually high, and sketches are often at their most polished. Unlike so many Python albums of the seventies, INSTANT COLLECTION largely ignores often inferior "live" recordings of the sketches they took on the road. (An unfortunate exception is "Nudge, Nudge", which, though probably the best live recording available, is still not as crisply-timed as the studio version.)

Still, despite its high quality, INSTANT COLLECTION has been eclipsed by THE FINAL RIP OFF, which has much of what's here plus a good deal more. Most people would be better served by getting that two-CD collection than this one.

(It might be important to note for some that this album is similar in name only to the import INSTANT COLLECTION.)

What can I say? It's hilarious!
Every caught yourself having to stop your car because you were laughing so much that you couldn't drive? Want to feel it? Buy this! ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Good memories, but not kid-safe...
Most of this stuff is pretty funny if you're 40, but some of it is not good for kids. I had forgotten what some of these lyrics were like and I bought this for my 10-year-old for his birthday. He is loving it while I am reminding him that he is NOT ALLOWED to sing along with some of the songs and he is certainly not allowed to play it for his Nanny (my mom-in-law). I am not referring to cute little ditties like Shaving Cream either (this is actually the cute little ditty reason I purchased this CD - I mention this so you'll know I'm not a prude). I am referring to a little sexual inuendo here and there and a few bad words that are actually present and not covered up by Shhhhh-aving Cream. Enjoy this if you are an adult who loves humor - I did - but don't buy it for your kids - MY BAD!!!

It is good memory album
I recently previewed this CD.It is good for anyone needing to laugh at life...Otherwise,the songs are in memory jogger until you remember the lyrics.

Laughter is the best medicine
It's hard to believe Dr.Demento has been plying his trade for three decades now-This anthology has some great stuff-My personal favorites are "Smells Like Nirvana","Entering Marion","Moose Turd Pie","Leader Of The Laundromat",& "Sensitive New Age Guys"-If you're an aficionado of humor,like I am,you owe it to yourself to purchase this CD.

plain and simple ---- It's demented! I love it!
This is some of the strangest shhhhhaving cream (Track 18 on Disck 1 joke) stuff I have ever heared....This blows his 20th Anniversary Collection out of the water.

BUY THIS ALBUM OR WE SHOOT YOUR DOG... or something...
For anyone who is a fan of strange, bizzarre, or out-and-out weird music, this is a must have for the CD collection. Classic craziness from Benny Bell and Spike Jones (the Godfather of Demented Music), to modern madness from Weird Al, the Buoys, and Green Jelly. Laugh yourself unconcious! Why not get the 20th Anniversary while you're at it! ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Peps you up inside, keeps you going till supper...
Mel Brooks is one of those things that makes life worth living, and this is him at his best. And that Carl Reiner ain't half bad, neither. A bargain at any price.

Very funny, but not worth the cost
Mel Brooks is hilarious, but the cost is much too high for this package.

Heil, Hartler, how are you?
There may not be any funnier or more astonishingly inventive comedy records made during the 20th century than these. The routines were largely improvised, on the spot. That's a dangerous activity, and many are the bodies that have littered its shoals. Reiner and Brooks were almost preternaturally well-matched. Brooks could spin more wildly, achingly hilarious changes on a single line or word than one human being should be allowed, while Reiner (maybe the best second banana ever) is always right there with him. They seem to anticipate each other's every move, yet nothing ever feels rehearsed. Some of the humor has dated, some of its is too topical to be understood by everyone, but the best of it (which is most of it) is still screamingly funny. Phrases like, "Keep away from my eye!", "Don't sit and tear paper," and "Keep ya going 'til suppa" - non sequitors out of context - are permanent parts of the lexicon used by my best friend and me since we first heard these essential gems two decades ago. If I don't pull these recordings out and listen to them at least once a year, I don't feel fully alive.

I never do this...
But I just have to say it: He was saying they were too SHORT, you incredible fool.

I like nectarines, too.
Being funny on the spot isn't easy, but Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner succeed marvellously. At its best the collection is striking, at its worst it is at least more than moderately amusing. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Is Adam Sandler maturing? First there was The Wedding Singer, now there's the ambition he displays on his fourth album, Stan and Judy's Kid. The bittersweet character sketch "Whitey" is the best example of Sandler's stretching here; most surprising is that the 16-minute piece never gets boring. Another lengthy track, "The Psychotic Legend of Uncle Donnie," is more akin to the '90s' Saturday Night Live's endless bits, though it's impressive to hear such a grisly conceit on a comedy disc. Sandler succeeds with pure absurdity on the opening "Hot Water Burn Baby" and five brief "Cool Guy" vignettes. Still the finest thing here is a sequel to Sandler's classic "Chanukah Song," which reminds us that "Lenny Kravitz is half-Jewish / Courtney Love is half, too / Put them together / What a funky, bad-ass Jew." --Rickey Wright ... Read more

Reviews (91)

Not even compareable to his other cds
"Stan and Judy's kid" is one of the most uninspired cds i've heard in a long time. Adam Sandler's other 2 cds with skits on them, "They're all gonna laugh at you" and "What the hell happened to me?" were both laugh out loud hysterical. This cd, is just boring, and painfully unfunny.

I don't see what he found funny in most of these skits. "Hot Water Burn Baby" is unbelievebly stupid. "Whitey" is the longest, and most painful time waster I've ever heard. All of the "cool guy" skits are lousy, and don't even get me started on the awful songs. The only saving grace here is "the peeper" which did make me laugh, but after the first listen, it got really old.

Skip this cd and "What's your Name", buy his 2 others.

Sandler is amazing
Oh my god. This cd is so hillarious. I laugh every time I hear the cd. It's just too funny. Adam is my icon and never fails to make me hail him more. I think this cd is much diffrnet then the other cd's though.
for 1: More crude sexual jokes and less language (still a fair amount though)
2:A little less dark than what the hell happened to me. More dark than They're all gonna laugh at you and whats your name.
3: Violently sick yet hillarious track. Made me feel quisy from the sound effects (track 16 is very rough).

Even though there are some flaws it is still pretty perfect of a cd.

1: Hot water burn baby-- simply hillarious. Sily voices plus Schnieder is always good.
2: Cool Guy1-- kinda dumb but has potential
3: 7 foot man-- Adam's songs are good but not as hillarious as his skits. This one has witty lyrics and a good beat.
4: Peeper-- Funny as hell
5:Cool Guy 2-- better than 1 still not great
6: Dee Wee--Funny lyrics, funny song, funny guy
7: Whitey--not laugh out loud funny but enough to make you smirk.
8: Cool Guy 3-- worst of them all. Oi!
9: She comes home to me-- oh my god. This song is hillarious. All the stuff rhymes to the beat and the sick humor melts my butter (up my alley)
10: Champion-- so so so so so funny. Blake Clark is good in it.
11: Cool Guy 4--Funny, funny funny. Not so stupid and repeative as others.
12: Chanukah Song Part II--good, much better than part one.
13: Inner Voice-- ehhh. ummm. erm.... eh BAD sorry Adam but it sucked.
14: Cool Guy 5-- Hillarious. Should have been longer. So funny that its almsot too good. Get the cd for this, and the champion and all the others.
15: Welcome my son-- er... a against drug song thats really short and repetative
16: Phycotic Legend of Uncle Donnie: Very Disgusting. Sick twisted and odd. ALSO THE FUNNIEST THING EVER. Adam plays a guy who spits out one liners like an Arhnold Swartzanegger movie. Funny, Sick and amazingly good sound effects?

I dont count the last track for its only am inute of all the snipets of the stuff on the album. Bottom line. Get it.

Adam Sandler is funny but, not on C.D.!
Adam Sandler is my favorite actor (Comedian) but, I think it is not the same hearing comedy instead of seeing it! Adam sandler is a good singer & can sing but I think he will get more laughs on the big screen! I did like a few of the tracks of the c.d. ones which he sang on & a couple of tracks were kind of funny! I thought Hot Water Burn Baby was kind of funny! It was hard to listen to the really long tracks with out being able to watch him! I LOVE YOU ADAM BUT, I AM SORRY, I think your C.D. WAS OK! This cd contains appearances by a few of adam's friends that are in his movies! Plus he wrote all of the tracks! Which is good!But I just have to say Adam On T.V. is best so I can see him act & see his cute face! :-)

great for all Sandler fans
this is not Adam's best work but when someone as funny as Adam does a semi funny album like this it comes out as better then msot peoples stuff all Adam Sandler fans should get this cd it has Whitey in it and he is funny as hell

sandler`s back
1.hot water burn baby-4/5-creepy,dark,weird but funny
2.cool guy1-2/5-pretty stupid
3.7 foot man-5/5-damn funny song (I`M the 7 foot man)
4.the peeper-3/5-isn`t very funny until boyfriend/nipple
clips/police part
5.cool guy5-see no.2
6.dee wee-5/5-awesome with a great chorus (were da f--k is he)
7.whitey-4/5-hilarious but overlong
8.cool guy3-see others
9.she comes home to me -5/5-hilariously dirty song if u dont beleve me heres a sample (she`ll give h**d to a chic/she can stuff 3 c***s in her cheek/she`ll f**k 9 guys in a row)
10.the champion-5/5-i hate golf so it is very funn for me 2 hear a white snob get shot after s**ting in the when he loses a game dark humor
11.coolguy4-5/5- finally a funny one
12 chanekah son pt 2-4/5- funny as hell
13inner voice-3/5-ok i guess
14coolguy5- see- no.11
15welcome my son-1/5-stupid anti drug song
16 the psychotic legend of uncle donnie-5/5-darkest and funniest skit on the album
17.reprise-4/5-cool remix of the skits set 2 corduroy blues from his previous album What`s Your Name ... Read more

Amazon.com

Among his Saturday Night Live peers--Chris Rock, Chris Farley, David Spade--Adam Sandler has always been the most musically inclined. It's only natural then that the creator of Opera Man and "The Hanukkah Song" would record What's Your Name, an entirely song-based, and often hilarious, musical parody record. The album's first song commences with one of Sandler's trademark nonsense words--a menacing "Schnoin!"--then goes on to tell the tale of a neighborly old man whose hobby is "Moyda" (or murder). There's also two spot-on snipes at Bruce Springsteen, "The Lonesome Kicker" and "Listenin' to the Radio," and one of the most unsettling dance-floor throw downs you'll ever hear--the P-Funk meets Ween booty-shake of "Dance Like You Just Shit Your Pants." Sandler ransacks just about every musical genre known to western humanity, but it's his unrepentant immaturity, more than his chops, that's sure to make What's Your Name a junior high school bus classic for years to come. --Matt Hanks ... Read more

Reviews (35)

out-dylans DYLAN
let me start by saying that i live in vienna austria and i'd never heard of adam sandler the comedian when i bought this record. as a consequence, i didn't listen to it primarily expecting to be amused or in any comedy context. i realised that some of the songs were parodic -- LIKE parodies -- but not outright parodies -- THE LONESOME KICKER sounds like sandler walked inside the mind of bruce springsteen and infected it with some lunatic perspective, so that it's bruceian, all right, but entirely something else again, too. the comedy isn't the important aspect, the distortion of vision is. it doesn't matter if you find it outright laughable or risible or guffawable -- it has that dylanesque quality of giving you a strange world view. in fact my first reaction to this record was, this is HIGHWAY 61 REVISITED -- revisited again! THE BAD BOYFRIEND was like the WHO and any number of hysterical songstresses blended together in some demented pop song -- comedy if you like -- but i have since of course come across other sandler records and films which strike me as more blatantly intentional comedy of a kind -- also less amusing --whereas here, because the comedy element is perhaps held in check by the music, or superseded by it, the record becomes something else, something MORE than mere musical comedy. most musical parodies tend to be fairly vacuous affairs, and even THE RUTTLES are hard to listen to more than a couple of times. but this record really works as music, and just as dylan's classic was something like a short story collection in song, so here too you have different windows on the world, each affording a unique view and perspective. it may not be outdoing dylan but i would still rank this adam sandler record as one of the ten or twenty best POP records of the 1990s. i think people will re-appraise this cd in the fullnes of time -- maybe ten years down the road -- and acknowledge it as an overlooked classic. so get it now, be ahead of the times.

Contender For Yankovic's Crown
After watching Adam Sandler's parodies on SNL and his singing abiltiy on the Wedding Singer,I took a punt on WHAT'S YOUR NAME? and boy,am I glad I did!Sandler takes apart certain rock singers/bands with skill that would make a surgeon envious.He spears Bruce Springsteen(LONESOME KICKER,LISTEN' TO THE RADIO),Aerosmith(SWEET BEATRICE)and Guns'N'Roses(CORDUROY BLUES).Sacred cow music styles recieve a bashing as well:country(ZITTLY VAN ZITTLES),heavy metal(BAD BOYFRIEND),funk(DANCIN' AND PANTSIN',MOYDA),and reggae(VOODOO).THE GOAT SONG is an epic that almost defies analyses;let's just say that it sets back the animal rights movement back twenty years and makes me scream with laughter every time I hear it.THE RESPECT CHANT is just that . . . and damn proud of it!WHAT'S YOUR NAME? is the first fully song laden album by Adam Sandler and if he keeps on producing material like this,Weird Al should start looking over his shoulder.All together now . . ."I am a simple goat" . . .

Hillarious- Adam Sandler is the funniest man alive!
I've always been a huge fan of Adam Sandler, and this is the best one I have so far. My favorite songs are The Lonesome Kicker and The Goat Song.

I'm sorry. I just don't get it.
adam sandler is a very funny commedian. His movies are hilarious and his album, "they're Gonna Laugh at You is one of the funniest things I've ever heard in my life. "What's Your Name", however, is just not funny. I think sandler has always wanted to be a musician and he tries to be one on this album moreso than a commedian. "the Lonesome Kicker" is kind of funny and 'The Goat song" is absolutely hilarious, but the rest of the album is just plain boring. It's not funny and the songs aren't good enough musically to listen to despite the lack of humor. When Sandler does skits no one can touch him in the funny department and when he mixes one or two songs in with the skits they work very well, but I'm sorry, he's just not good enough a musician to make a cd with nothing, but songs on it, especially when the words aren't funny.

I love it! I love Adam Sandler!
This is a cd you can listen to over and over again! Even if you get new cds. You'll keep coming back to this one! Its so funny its just good! I dont think you should listen to #3 if you dont like the f word but thats just too bad because its really funny. But the goat song is the best.

So hear me now and believe me later. BUY THIS CD ... Read more

Amazon.com

Brother Dave Gardner contains multitudes. For starters, this Southern comedian was also an ordained Baptist minister as well as being a drummer and a singer. Judging from this pair of albums from 1959 and 1960, his live shows were amazing performance pieces. His truly expansive routines included Shakespeare parodies, swinging musical passages, and funny digressions. There's also room here for cool-cat philosophizing, riffs on outer space, and preacherlike inflections. Brother Dave can spellbind the listener with his freewheeling rambles one minute and tell a riveting story the next. The routines feature countless hilarious voices and characters, not to mention jaw-dropping vocal sound effects. Incredible charisma and warmth imbue the entire CD. Brother Dave was an artist who was liable to draw from just about everything and anything and somehow make it all work. It's hard to imagine what '50s audiences made of this hipster from Tennessee. Country music legend Chet Atkins produced both of the original records. --Fred Cisterna ... Read more

Reviews (10)

The most celesial cat ever!
I first heard these (then) albums when I was 8 years old. My father and his best friend (the two funniest guys I ever knew), LOVED "Brother Dave". Better still, they would let me in on their adult world and let me listen along. Back then, I loved the outrageous vocal effects and other-worldly voices. As I got older I "got" more and more of the humor. thirty years ago, the albums disapeared, seemingly lost forever. Then I recently found them on CD. I cried at my fathers memory and DIED laughing all over again. This time I got ALL of the humor. I swear, there was one joke that my father NEVER got and which took me fourty years to get (The one where Chuck says 'lets blow this joint', and Baby says 'naw man pass it on to the waitress'.) Often imitated, (just listen to a Ray Steven Record), but never duplicated, Brother Dave was equal part philosopher, preacher, con-man, metaphysicist, and comedy pioneer. Buy this disc, set your brain to allow for the cultural reference time warp, and REJOICE, dear heart! By the way, disclosur forces me to admit that I'm a born and bred Southerner, but as Brother Dave says, We all live South of somewhere!

Still one of the Funniest Recordings ever made!
I first heard Brother Dave's "Rejoice Dear Hearts!" in about 1968 at the age of 14. The record belonged to a friend's parents who were great fans of recorded humor-- Andy Griffith, Red Foxx, and Brother Dave. I still consider it to be one of the best I've heard. I later bought a used copy and place it at the front of my collection which includes David Frye, Firesign Theater, Cheech and Chong, and George Carlin. It still measures up to the best and is Pure Southern Humor without the gratuitous low-brow foolishness of later artists (although they're funny too). It is great that it is back on CD--it was always hard to keep from having the needle "skip" when flipping the record while laughing your ___ off. Brother Dave's characters are alive and well--and my kin!

Rich in Southern Humor, this CLASSIC is Timeless!
Having not heard a Brother Dave recording in many, many years, I was delighted to run across this CD. WOW!!! Amazingly STILL FUNNY, this guy was truly an original. His rich southern humor was on the cutting edge in the late 50's, yet it remains timeless. Had me actually laughing out loud. The characters he created, the weird sounds he made, the "think about it" jokes should tickle most everyone's funny bone...even if they "ain't from the south"!

Earth is a Southern Planet
The fact that dear, beloved Brother Dave made the Essential Comedy selection proves beyond a doubt that Earth IS a southern planet. Glory! On a deeper note, this Brother Dave set brings back my father's philosophical style and rich humor. Remember, it doesn't matter where you are when the bomb drops -- just as long as you can say, WHAT WAS THAT??

Refreshing after all these years!! Can't be beat. 29yrs-71
This is such a great recording. Can't believe I Found it again. Heard him originally when I was 29 and now 43 years later he is as timely and funny as ever. I am only from Southern California not from his South, but we knew talent when we heard it and he was an original. So happy you have it and so happy to give it 5 stars. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Sure, you'll laugh at the zany sound effects (gunshots, auto horns, and sounds that can only be described as semiflatulent) and delightfully loopy monologues from the great Doodles Weaver (his absurd horse-race call on "The William Tell Overture" is classic). But Jones and his City Slickers display impressive musical chops as well. Just how easy can it be to play "Dance of the Hours" on a cowbell, anyway? "Der Fuehrer's Face" has huge historic interest, but the faux earnestness of the vocal is just as funny today as when it was recorded. An icon of irreverence, Jones turns the bland tunes of the day into infectious outbursts of madcap craziness. --Heidi MacDonald ... Read more

Reviews (10)

In the beginning there was Spike (Whiz, BANG, Zonk) Jones
I still remember being in elementary school and if we were good our teacher would play songs from a Spike Jones album. This album features the three classic pieces from the Spike Jones oeuvre: "Cocktails For Two" and "Der Fuehrer's Face," both featuring the vocal stylings of Carl Grayson, and the epic "William Tell Overture" with commentary from the immortal Doodles Weaver ("Bananas coming up through the bunch!"). When you go backward in history from Weird Al, you end up with Spike Jones. Get this album and go back to those thrilling days of the 1940s, when novelty records were, uh, novel!

Spike Jones-Music's Clown Prince
Musicologist Barry Hansen,better known as radio personality Dr.Demento,has said that Spike Jones was the first novelty artist he remembers hearing as a child-This disc features all the big hits that Spike & his City Slickers had in the 1940's:"Cocktails For Two","William Tell Overture","Laura","Dance Of The Hours"-I'll bet Weird Al Yankovic would cite Spike as one of his influences-Anyway,if you love silly music,this one's right up your alley.

This would probably be the one to get
All of the well-known Jones numbers, BUT! If you don't get Spike's absurdist operatic parody (via hillbilly parody) "Pal-Yat-Chee" (on another disc) you don't yet have everything you need!

Also, for a whole nother dimension of fun, check out the VHS videos from Spike's 1950s TV show!

Absolutely hilarious...
Spike Jones and the City Slickers were among the most accomplished musicians ever to fall all over the stage. Whatever kind of music you love, from jazz to opera, this insanity will tickle your funny bone. The William Tell overture in Spike Jones'
hands ranks as one of the five funniest skits I've ever heard, Abbott and Costello's `Who's On First?' included... and that is praise of the highest kind. Is good stuff! I also saw the Mickey Katz album here on Amazon. If I remember correctly, Katz was Joel Grey's father, a singer with an insane tenor voice, and an incredibly accomplished clarinet player... along with being a Spike Jones' alumnus. Is also good stuff!

The Robin Williams of the 1940s!
Spike Jones was one of the pioneers of the novelty song. He and his "City Slickers" turned big hits of their day into "goofy take-offs". The great 30s torch song "My Old Flame" starts out innocent enough, but then takes a turn into the grotesque, making the listener think "whaaaat?". "In The Fuehrer's Face" made it to #1 back in 1942 and certainly boosted the morale of US troops. "Cocktails For Two" is my personal favorite and will always be Spike's signature song. This is sweet nostalgia for anyone who lived the good-old-days, and for those of us who hold on to the memories left on recordings like these. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

BEWARE this title!
This is a particularly dangerous album; be warned. They start you with this CD, then before you know it, you're buying recording after recording of PDQ Bach and Peter Schickele. While I don't know that these necessarily are the best (or wurst) of the full collection (continued excavations reveal material as funny and literate as when first discovered in the mid-50's), it is certainly the definitive exposition and invitation to the works of PDQ Bach. I'm listening to it as I write this, and it's as wonderful as it was when my mom got me hooked on it twenty years ago: I received a copy for my birthday, but didn't listen to it for several weeks after. While doing homework one evening, I put it on as background music, not realizing the subconscious effect it would have on me for the rest of my life. I'm scarred to this day.

If you enjoy classical music and a good belly laugh, this isn imperative addition to your collection.

One for the ages: An Introduction to PDQ Bach
This was my very first PDQ Bach album, and still my favorite.
Thanks Kevin!!! There are things here that Peter Schickele (PDQ Bach's ghost composer) has never equalled, at least not in the few other records that I have heard or own.

For first-timers: this is an excellent introduction to PDQ Bach. The trouble with some of the other collections is that they don't have the broad variety that this one has. (And the laugh track--yes, there is one--does add to it.)

Many of the jokes are better enjoyed by people familiar with the warhorses of classical music: Mozart, Beethoven, Handel, Haydn, Tchaikovsky, and so forth. (But sometimes just listening to Schickele cracks me up.)

Quite honestly, PS's humor is rather eccentric. It ranges from subtle to heavy-handed to over-the-top, but once you've heard it, you need to keep hearing it every once in a while. For instance, the aria "Now is the season" from the Seasonings pops into my head for no reason at all, and then keeps running through my head for a week. (Incidentally, this aria is beautiful, and belongs in the Soprano/Mezzo-soprano repertoire. It is a spoof of Scarlatti-era arias--or is it Purcell?--and PS has got the harmonies just right. Hey, if I was a Soprano, I'd sing it!)

I own the double-LP (a beautifully produced set on Vanguard; the CD can't possibly match it in style!) and have been searching for the CD for years, and never thought to look here!

If you like PDQ Bach, this album is an excellent introduction to PDQ Bach for your friends (and enemies).

Arch

Recaptured (Twisted) Youth
My friend and I saw the good Prof. Schickele here in Pasadena last night (March 29th-- AND the conductor of the Pasadena Symphony is Jorge Meister!)-- and the last number on the program was the WONDERFUL "The Seasonings"-- I had a very hard time even after all these years of first hearing this on a REAL record of not singing along with every little tune!!! This piece last night, being sung by singers whom I do not doubt were not even born when I first heard a recording of it, were as good as the ones I remember from my decadent youth on the original recording. Buy this C.D. if only for this piece!

I store it in the CD changer in my car.
My favorite single line of music from this is from "The Unbegun Symphony". Who would think to combine "You are my sunshine", a
tune I have always thought of as sappy sweet, played on violins,
with a background of horns, (I don't know what piece, but it
makes me thing of something noble and civilized) making it a
definitive statement of a benevolent sense of life.
PDQ Bach's other works are delighfully absurd, as are Peter
Schickele's commentaries. (Well I have a new set of friends now)

New Horizons in Music Appreciation Indeed...
It was while sitting in Music Appreciation in college that I was first introduced to the work of P.D.Q. Bach, specifically the track "New Horizons in Music Appreciation: Beethoven's Fifth Symphony," in which Professor Peter Schickele and Robert Dennis serve as the announcers for a spirited game involving the first movement of that particular work. Not only was it funny ("He's playing a cadenza! He's out of his mind! He thinks its an oboe concerto!") it was also more informative than the professor ("I get the feeling we are going to hear a lot of that four note motif, Bob").

One of the things about P.D.Q. Bach is that the more I learned about classical music the funnier I found it. Yes, I have enough memories of my mother insisting on playing the Texaco Opera quiz throughout the house on a Saturday afternoon to appreciate why "What's my Melodic Line?" and its exploration of the mysteries of the Baroque is funny, but it was not until I saw "Amadeus" and listened to "The Marriage of Figaro" that I understood why the recitatias in the Cantata "Iphigenia in Brooklyn" were hysterical (I was tempted to share this story of Iphigenia with my Classical Mythology class, but given their tentativeness to explore Euripides I did not think it wise to have them get neck deep in Schickele). Then again, the Madrigal "My Bonnie Lass She Smelleth" really needs no explanation, so there is something for everybody here, no matter what you level of understanding of classical music.

In discussing the works of P.D.Q. Bach with others it becomes clear that you can no more put together an idea collection of his "best" work than you can for lesser composers like Mozart or Beethoven. But you are certainly going to find a few old favorites and maybe one or two pieces that you have hitherto managed to avoid.

Now, if we can only get a University of Southern North Dakota at Hoople t-shirt... ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Great Comedy, But Buy The Separate CDs
Bill Hicks is a master commentator (it sounds to belittling to call him a comedian). This CD collects the "best of" Hicks's routines from his other CDs. The work is masterful. However, it loses some of the momentum when parsed and compiled here.

Part of the mark of a legendary comedian is the ability to "compose" a comedy routine which is like a symphony, it has crescendos, valleys, ebbs, and flows. Hearing the routine in full gives it the greatest comedic impact. This CD, by cutting the routines up, takes away some of that impact.

Therefore, if you want to get your feet wet with Hicks, start here. But please, don't stop here. Go to the original material to discover the full impact. The material is five star; presented in this manner makes it a four star CD.

An introduction to the work of a genius
If you are dubious about Bill's rep as 'the next Lenny Bruce' etc., start here, you'll soon be convinced enough to buy all his albums. The entire school of angry, independently minded socially conscious comics - Dennis Leary, Bill Maher, Chris Rock, Dennis Miller - owe a debt to this guy, who labored at the edge of obscurity, totally brilliant, totally uncompromised and totally screwed over by the media in this country. Like all true American geniuses, he was recognized abroad (England) and died early and the world is a worse place for his passing. This guy was not only caustic but also insightful; angry, but compassionate; smart but willing to be foolish from time to time; iconoclastic but spiritual. Nobody could touch him. Willy, we miss you, man. At least i do.

A Decent Overview of Hicks' Work
But the full five stars go to any one of the original releases. Worth getting if you want the Whitman Sampler version.

"Come here, Mr. Dealer! Let me show you my balance!"
Wow, there's a lot of mixed feelings about this album. I admit, I am not a die hard Hicks fan, at least not yet. I have just heard about the man a few weeks ago, and ever since then I have bought all of his albums, (or at least all of the ones I could find.)

Although I agree with the others when they say that listening to the albums whole is always much better, I have to admit that I like listening to this album. Then again, maybe it's because I already own ALL of the other albums, and am able to appreciate it more for what it's worth.

This is a compliation of Bill Hicks' best materials from his other four albums. If you really think about it, that is IMPOSSIBLE, because EVERYTHING Bill Hicks did was his best. But, it's a start. It's a good CD to listen to, especially if you have little time but would like to listen to a variety of Hicks' material from the other albums. Think of it as a companion to the other albums.

I don't recommend you getting this album first if you do not own any Bill Hicks albums but plan to. Get the others first. The magic to Bill's comedy is listening to them as a whole. At least if you already know the material by heart, chances are you will be able to enjoy this CD more than someone who has never heard of any his material. Might I recommend you getting "Rant in E-Minor" first? That is the one I first bought and it was the one that got me started.

Bill Hicks was such an underrated comic genius. Edgy and different, he talked about things others feared. The Church feared him. The government cringed at the sight of him. And shallow and fake people ran away to take cover when he was in town. I wish Bill was still around, and it is a shame I had to discover him long after his death. He really was a talent that had you in awe. A great commentator on the world's disfunction, error, and chaos, he was.

This album covers all of his rants and ideas on drugs, sex, politics, celebrities , Easter, religion, smoking, the show "Cops," and many more.

Again, I really did enjoy this album, but that's just me. It's really the listener who decides. Again, I do not pretend to be a die-hard Bill Hicks fan. Like I said, I only discovered the man a few weeks ago. But he has grown on me like no other comic. "Philosophy" is an album that'll make you laugh, make you think, and even maybe cringe at times. Bill Hicks was, and still is, a genius. Even today. And no, I am NOT saying that because I'm on some sort of "Bill Hicks Bandwagon." If that were the case, I would've given this album a low rating like everyone else, now wouldn't I?

Philosophy?
Hicks died in 1994, he released only 4 albums in the last few years of his life - Relentless, Dangerous, Rant in E Minor and Arizona bay. This album is culled from these fine gems of comedic observation and so it is not a "new" album.

Nevertheless, for a first time Hicks initiate, it would probably be a "gentle" foray into the turbulant world of Bill Hicks.

If you want unseen Hicks, find the "Sane Man" video, offerd by Hicks friend, Kevin Booth - it's a commercially unreleased video of Hicks in a small comedy venue and is funnier and more biting than a snake with a clown hat on. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Top Ten effects
The Top Ten Sound Effects are as listed:

10. BITE, CARTOON - BIG CHOMP
9. BOING, CARTOON - WINNIE'S SPELL
8. HIT, CARTOON - COCONUT HIT (2 of them)
7. HIT, CARTOON - LID ON MANHOLE HIT
6. PLINK, CARTOON - SOUR PLINK
5. BOING, CARTOON - TROMBOING
4. HIT, CARTOON - BRAKE DRUM AND BULB HORN HIT
3. HIT, CARTOON - KABONG
2. GAZOO FADE IN
1. RUN, CARTOON - TEMPLE BLOCK RIOT, SHORT

Very high quality, and USEABLE.
I've purchased many CD sound effect collections over the past few years. Overall I would characterize them all as either poor recordings(with lots of white noise in the backgound), or cheesy clips created on a cheap computer that sound nothing like the sounds they claim to represent.

This CD however, delivers. The recordings are of very high quality, and are separated into very useable clips. There are also short blurbs that show you how the studio used the sounds. And there are also a few answering machine messages and birthday greetings thrown in.

This is a great compillation guarranteed to spruce up your home movie! I recommend it wholeheartedly.

Plain fun!!!
This CD is plain fun from beginning till the end. You don't get songs but only sound fx from the Hanna Barbera cartoons. Also, you have some spoken phrases from some Hanna Barbera characters for using on your answering machine, PC, home movies, etc.

nostalgic, hilarious and actually useful
These are extremely crisp and clean sounds and immediately recognizabel as being from Hanna-Barbera. Some of the really short sound effects are perftect for digitizing into effects sounds for either Windows or Macintosh theme sounds or to add into a fun flash movie you're creating. The possibilities are endless when used sparingly and in the right places. This is not a CD that you just pop in your stereo and listen to beginning to end... you can do it once, but that's about it! But it's a fabulous resource for impressing a visual with a sound. If you're mixing flash movies, creating Director presentations or just making Windows/Mac themes, I highly recommend this disc for the high quality. Note that the CD is marked "NOT FOR COMMERCIAL USE, " so you can't be using these sounds for profit, but you can for artistic expression. :-) ... Read more

Reviews (3)

It's up to you!!
Along with Bill Hicks, Jackie Mason is my favorite stand up comedian.
While there is so much anger and frustartion in Hick's genuis comedy, Mason shrugs his shoulders, relaxed, and observant.
While Hicks wanted to start revolutions, Mason made fun of everything and anything in a non-committal style.
Mason, the ex rabbi is jewish, very..He says so himself, when he always stresses in his shows that the jews find him too jewish, and certainly his humour relies largely on the difference between jews and gentiles, which is what made him famous.
But to pigeonhole him as a jewish comedian is unfair, because he delivers the laughs in the other topics he tackles, from Clinton and Bush, Shakespeare and ballet, to Newscasters and Weather forcasts. It is his style, timing and delivery that makes him different from the other comedians, and although some of the subjects do recurr a lot in his shows, despite the sometimes misleading 'brand new' tags,it is always very funny to hear.
As a brit of arab origin, many people are quite surprised by how much I rave about Jackie Mason, especially because he tackles political issues in his shows, and is an obvious supporter of Israel, and my answer is always the same,
comedy, is like music, an art form that is sophisticated and can help to bring people together regardless of culture and faiths, in an intellectual platform and Jackie Mason, has made me laugh my head off over the years, and for that, he is a true artist, regardless what he is and what his political affiliations are.
Pity there aren't many recordings of his available on CDs. In UK where he has gained a large following, there are more titles available, but nonetheless I hope there will be more release of this talented comedian.

Better than a barrel full of lochs
Oy, that Jackie sures tickles my ribs - in a manly sort of way. I laughed, I cried, it was much better than Cats. That story about the Rabbi, Jesse Jackson and Bill Clinton had me in stitches! I would recommend this CD to my own mother, if I had one, but that's another story. Shalom.

The Yiddish Zinger
Jackie Mason zings just about everyone on this great CD. He looks at the world from a uniquely Jewish perspective and lets the chips fall where they may. While torching both liberals and conservatives, he has fun with everyone. His preoccupation with Jewish views and attitudes about food and Jews' relationships with gentiles permeate his "Shtick". To fully appreciate his comedy, one needs to be potically aware of the Middle East situation and the "players" in the area. His Yiddish accent and style add to his warmth, but could make it more difficult for the "untrained" ear to fully appreciate his wit. All-in-all, this is a very funny, endearing album that I heartily recommend. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Down and Dirty Hilarity
DEFINITELY not for the easily offended, or even the moderately easy offended, but those who can get past the explicit material and a reasonable amount of cursing, Joe Rogan is one funny guy. He's not afraid to let loose with his opinions on anything, as his riffs on Anna Nicole Smith and the death of Princess Di will prove. Songs like Voodoo Punanny also go one better by being a dead-on parody of Chris Isaak-like tunes. Joe Rogan probably won't endear himself to everybody, but for his audience, this is a great CD.

Funnier than Schimmel could ever be
Besides Bill Hicks, this is the funniest comedy CD I have ever owned. Here's my first question: If Joe Rogan can be this funny on CD, how come he has made such horrible career decisions: Newsradio (funny, but not Joe's role), Fear Factor (he constantly appears to be smirking).

About the CD: The Anna Nicole Smith track may be the funniest thing I have ever heard. Also, Getting Pumped is so funny you may cry. Overall, this CD is one of the top three comedy CDs I own.

Long live Joe the standup comedian.

A final word of warning: To say this CD has explicit lyrics may be the world's biggest understatement. Parents be warned: Not for the ears of children.

Great standup...... Lousy Man Show host....
This CD is drop dead funny. I thought I was going to have a heart attack listening to this. He is on funny guy. The opening skit with the weight lifting is a little disturbing but once you get on with the routine it is all up hill from their. I think that my favorite part is either "girls night out" or the deal about the "Tiger p@$$y". I definatly reccomend picking this one up if you are a comedy fan. If you are a Fear Factor fan I reccomend that you go out and get some help!!

If you have balls you'll love this
Oh baby I like it RAW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If most funk albums were this stanky they'd have been banned years ago by the PMRC. Unbelievable.

A MAN"S COMIC. Yeah, I Stumbled onto this by accident online a couple years back, looking up Bill Hicks stuff. I found some clips of Rogan's 'Live from the Belly of the Beast' video (which has much of the same material as this CD- with some great anti-Hefner bits, a brilliant retarded jesus bit and a hilarious joke about inter-racial porn with which I have offended god only knows how many people) and instead of spending the evening working on a term paper I sat in the wusc (FM Columbia) college radio library, all night long, laughing my asss off and searching down more stuff. I Bought this that night.

This is platinum. If you got this far because you dig him on the man show- hey, just buy this now. Comedy albums this consistently hilarious are a rare breed. He breaks all the rules, molests all conventions and simply rules. The only sleepers are the three middle tracks (the voodoo poonanny song just doesn't do anything for me at all, nor anyone else that I know), regardless- this still deserves the best rating that I can offer up on bended knee. Yes, it's sexist as HELL (and refreshingly so), no it's not homophobic (in fact, the handful of gay guys I've played the 'cockconscious bit' for, they all laughed- one laughed so hard he fell off a chair- for real). It's in your face from the first second. Great CD for road trips.

It's the kind of CD you keep to yourself and steal jokes from to rule at a bar- I should probably give it a one star rating just so I can steal more easily with less chance of getting caught. But that would be the un-manly thing.

In a world of PC jackasses preening their mundane everyman BS chatter- Rogan burns through the scene like Alien blood. Don't take it from me, take it from 'johnnykungfu' below with his 1 star rating- Rogan is so good he scares off the bloodless zombies back to the holes and churches, let them pray for him. we can laugh like the men we are.

...go home and kill yourself...
...she's a liar, she smokes cigarettes, she drives a pickup truck, and she has a big ass

Joe Rogan: if your afraid of the truth... pass this'n on by. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

What a difference a hysterically laughing audience makes
I once had a chance to hear the 1953 LP "Songs by Tom Lehrer, which consisted of a dozen songs banged out on a piano with nobody else in the room. This 1959 albums is called "Tom Lehrer, Revisisted" because it features those songs as recorded in a concert at Harvard, when Mr. Lehrer was mistakenly employed as a mathematician. Ah, what a difference an audience makes.

Clearly these songs reflect the early part of Mr. Lehrer's career, including the 1945 effrot "Fight Fiercely, Harvard," and while you will find none of his most famous songs here, you will not consider it a wasted evening (because that is the title of his other 1959 album). My personal favorite is "I Hold You Hand In Mine," a tender love song that I used to great effect during several failed attempts at seduction in my callow youth. There are also a pair of bonus songs, covering Mr. Lehrer's work for "The Electric Company," to wit, "L-Y" and "Silent E," although the intrusion of full orchestra in support of his awkward singing voice is rather strange.

Tom Lehrer is Great (but this is not his best)
I love the front cover of this CD, that shows an empty auditorium, except for 2 half-asleep people, slumped into a quasi-heap in their adjacent chairs, with Tom Lehrer playing the piano on stage.

I also enjoyed the two extra Electric Company songs, "Silent E," and "L-Y," though they are not his best songs, by a longshot.

The bulk of these songs were first recorded by Mr. Lehrer in 1953, on his first album, "Songs by Tom Lehrer." The original recordings of these songs are available on the CD called "Songs and More Songs by Tom Lehrer."

Here are the differences:

1. The original versions were recorded in studio, with no audience, while these later versions were recorded in 1960, with a live audience. In this case, I much prefer the studio recording to the live performance.

2. The original 1953 versions are basically perfect, musically, while the live versions of 1960 are very different. Mr. Lehrer actually changed the notes in the music, and the vocal intonations, and some of the words in these songs, in the live rendition. This is unusual, because Mr. Lehrer's other live recordings are always musically perfect, and they do not differ in notes or intonation, from the studio versions.

3. Something is slightly off sonically, in the live version (this CD, called "Tom Lehrer Revisited,") and the sound seems a bit low.

4. The audience is not as "with it" as the audiences in Mr. Lehrer's other live recordings. They don't seem to get many of the jokes, which takes away from the exuberance and hilarity that Mr. Lehrer's live performances usually cause.

However, with all that said, for the true Tom Lehrer fan, there are songs on here that offer interesting musical variations upon the originals. "I Wanna Go Back To Dixie," is just one example of this. The songs in that category are worth getting, for the true Tom Lehrer fan, but they are, in my opinion, still not as good, or as funny, as the original studio versions, of 1953.

If you're not familiar with Tom Lehrer, and you want him at his best in recordings, buy any of the following:

"An Evening (Wasted) with Tom Lehrer" (live--my favorite)
"Songs and More Songs by Tom Lehrer" (studio recording)
"That Was The Year That Was" (live)

For the true Tom Lehrer afficianado, "Tom Lehrer Revisited" is definitely worth getting, but it is not Tom Lehrer at his best.

"Only To Call It, Please . . . .Research !"
This is basically the album 'Songs by Tom Lehrer' in a live setting . . .and is a whole lot better for it. The audience reaction is preferable to the sterile studio-and-solo-piano of Lehrer's first release. The audience gasps at the sheer audacity of Lehrer's lyrics; stomping on subjects that some still won't talk about today . . .and this was in 1959! Tom Lehrer is the yardstick to which other satirists have to be measured . . .may this album show you exactly why!

INTRODUCTION - What better way to save costs than to introduce yourself to your audience . . .and in such a modest way,too!

I WANNA GO BACK TO DIXIE - All the Southern song cliches are skewered (and a few civil rights points scored) in a song that makes the controversial lyrics of Neil Young's Southern Man seem like a nursery rhyme.

THE WILD WEST IS WHERE I WANNA BE - A barb directed at nuclear testing out in the desert and arid regions of the west in the 50's. Those who were in that region certainly felt the effects eventually . . .remember John Wayne and the cast/crew of 'The Conqueror'?

THE OLD DOPE PEDDLER - A disrespected fixture of the community.
.You can hear the audile audience gasp on this one.

FIGHT FIERCELY,HARVARD - A football fight song as sung by an intellectual snob who would've probably gotten creamed if he stepped on a football field.

LOBACHEVSKY - An ode to the great Russian mathematician, Lobachesky; sung in the tongue twisting style of an early Danny Kaye routine. The secret of his success: "Plagiarise; only to call it please . . .research!"

THE IRISH BALLAD - A more ghoulish Irish ballad you'll never, ever hear.Sounds like a script of an old cheesy early '80s slasher flick. You can bet they'll never be singing this little emerald isle parody in any Irish Pub soon.

THE HUNTING SONG - Dedicated to all would be 'wild sportsmen' out there. "You just stand there looking cute, and if something moves . . . you shoot!" LOL!

MY HOME TOWN - A town full of weirdies and nasties crawling out of the woodwork; guaranteed to kill off any thoughts of homesickness. During the stanza about Parson Brown, Lehrer would always imply that he had to leave a lyric line out due to censorship; it always left the audience wondering.

WHEN YOU ARE OLD AND GREY - This couple will not grow old gracefully together. For the male protaganist of this ditty, youth holds all the charm.

THE WEINER SCHNITZEL WALTZ - An fractured take on the love ballad
, this time on the romance of the waltz. "I drank wine,you drank chocolate malts".

I HOLD YOUR HAND IN MINE - A love song that some rockers like Alice Cooper would later draw inspiration from (check out Alice's song 'Roses On White Lace' for comparisions). Another audience gasper.

BE PREPARED - Lessons never taught to real boy scouts! Some of them are really helpful: "Don't write diry words in books if you can't spell!" LOL!

L-Y - A bonus track from Lehrer's quick flirtation with 'The Electic Company'. See kids, learning can be funny.

SILENT E - Another 'Electric Company' bonus track. It's a pity that this collaboration did not lead to another album of fresh Lehrer material,but we must be thankful for what we do have.

Absolutely brilliant
Tom Lehrer's first album may not be his best (the humor of That Was The Year That Was is far more mature and sophisticated), but it's a wonderful showcase of his very unique style. Lehrer's humor is subtle and sophisticated; he sings simplified, stereotypical versions of popular musical styles, with almost banal lyrics; the jokes, when they come, usually at the end of a line or a verse (or sometimes just as a punchline at the very end of the song), are so grotesque and blunt that they take you completely by surprise. Some lines are shockingly gorish, and they create a wonderful contrast with Mr. Lehrer's bored, slightly monotonic singing voice and his simple, cheerful tunes and piano playing. 'I Hold Your Hand Is Mine' is shockingly, brilliantly horrid, as are 'My Home Town' and 'The Irish Ballad'. 'I Wanna Go Back To Dixie', 'Be Prepared' and 'The Old Dope Peddler' are also songs that did not do well with critics and mostly censors at the time of the album's release. All of them are brilliant satires. In complete contrast, the bonus tracks (Silent E and L-Y) are a fine example of Lehrer's more recent work, far calmer and tamer. Still, these cheerful little tunes posess at least some of Lehrer's unique wit.

Most of the songs on Revistited were later re-recorded in a studio, fully orchestrated, and put into some collection albums, but Lehrer's studio recordings were never as funny as his live ones. His between-songs comments are almost as funny as the songs themselves, and should not be missed; also, his solo work with only his voice and a piano is beautifuly simple and makes the jokes all the more surprising. For a good Lehrer record get one of his three live ones (the other ones are That Was The Year That Was and An Evening Wasted With Tom Lehrer). Better yet, get all three. You won't regret it.

I loved it as a kid...
and it is so much funnier now. I'm speaking of Tom Lehrer's humor of course.

This is largely dark stuff, not politically correct by any stretch of the imagination and has significant liberal slant (which is what I like most about it).

My mother introduced me to Lehrer's musical satire when I was about 10 when she got all of her old clay LPs out of storage. She explained to me then about how she used to have to ask for Lehrer's records at the counter of the record store when she was in college because local laws forbade selling "communist propaganda" in plain view.

It's so nice we no longer have such censorship.

I highly recommend this CD! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Lots of comedians like to think of themselves as rock stars, but Leary makes good on that threat with Lock 'n Load. Leary's frantic concert ranting is intercut MTV-style with comic song parodies (including a gothic mocking of the Love Boat theme), idle chatter, noise bursts, sound collages, and guest spots from the likes of Janeane Garofalo (slamming Fiona Apple) and musicians Adam Roth and Greg Dulli. Leary takes no prisoners as he goes after Michael Flatley, Marv Albert, Hanson, the Kennedy clan, the pope, ecology activists, 7-Eleven counter help, fat Vegas gamblers, and even his own kids. He's at his angry, acid best when he takes on the annoying '90s trends of multiple body piercings, microbrews, and flavored coffee. --Michael Ruby ... Read more

Reviews (35)

"Wake ... up and smell the maple-nut crunch!!!!"
Denis Leary is one awesome comedian, I don't care what anyone says. I think he's funny as hell. He is one (ticked) off guy who isn't afraid to show it. You will hear some of the funniest rants and other material that will make you laugh until you're in tears.

The best tracks on the CD are the actual comedy bits that were from the actual performance...

The bits and songs are funny too, but not as good as the original material from the show. Some is not included on this album, while little moments ARE that were never aired on HBO... I wished there could be more of his comedy routine and less bits and sketches. Oh well.

Word of warning: Mr. Leary loves the "F" word. If that's a problem with you, then put the CD down ...All in all, funny CD. Could've been better. It's really better to see him live and in action. Hey....when is this going to come out on VHS? Or on DVD, for that matter. Come on! I'm dropping a hint here! Please, release this out on VHS or DVD ...

Denis Leary is Still Hilarious
the first Leary track i heard was called "smoke" on the Dr. Demento show (Bleeped). after that i wacthed the special that that track was from, no cure for cancer on HBO, and i laughed like hell. later, i heard another Leary track on the Dr. Demento show, called "Life's Gonna Suck". i did some research, and found out it's from "Lock 'N Load". so i bought this album. this cd is as hilarious as the first one, even more.
features some true facts:
"...Santa Claus On My Beer? Why not put the easter bunny and the tooth fairy on there too, call it Pussy ale!"
-- people keep messing with beer and cofee
"Don't Buy The Toys That Make The Noise"
-- kids
plus, a bunch of songs, too.
Save This: true, too
Elvis & I: i don't know why Leary did this song. i think he was just trying to get on one of Dr. Demento's Elvis tributes, which he didn't.
Insane Cowboy (In Africa): funny 'cause it's weird
Life's Gonna Suck: absolutley hilarious. this should go on a Dr. Demento collection.
anyway, go out and buy this album. buy NO CURE FOR CANCER too. You Won't Regret it.

Lacking in originality and generally a bore.
Bill Hicks was funny. Denis Leary isn't. Any questions?

awesome
Funniest comedy hour I have ever seen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Still waiting for it on DVD!!!

Great Cd although the hbo special was better
I'm tired of reading about how Denis stole material from Bill Hicks. I've heard Hick's cd's and I thought for the most part they were funny although the political stuff got a little boring. Now here is what I think about this whole stealing thing if you want to pick at things. Hick's stole political type comedy from George Carlin and Sam Kinison, then Andrew Dice Clay stole his love of women bit's from Sam Kinison and then Andrew Stole from Hicks because they both smoke and talk about it and then everyone stole their love of the F-Word from Lenny Bruce and the cycle keeps going. Look because people talk about similar things doesn't mean they stole it. If it makes you laugh then it's all worth it and that's all that really matters. This Cd does just that makes you laugh of course you have to have a high tolerence for foul language but if you've liked any of he other stuff by Denis then you'll like this...now if they'll just put the special on DVD. ... Read more

Amazon.com

It's true that "nobody walks in L.A.," but this '80s-rock exercise collection could change all that. The Missing Persons song is missing, for obvious reasons, but that only makes room for what (by rock-of-the-'80s-compilation standards) is a relatively inspired selection. Tracks like Talk Talk's "It's My Life" and ABC's "Be Near Me" are as timeless as synth-driven pop songs can be, while Q-Feel's "Dancing in Heaven" and Yello's "Oh Yeah" are unusual choices that ratchet up the quirky novelty factor. Of course, there's also Re-Flex's "The Politics of Dancing" and the Romantics' "Talking in Your Sleep"--songs that have been so overplayed that some could go a lifetime without needing to hear them again. Even so, this mega-mix of one-hit wonders and other '80s artifacts will have you rolling up those blazer sleeves and hitting the pavement in no time. --Bill Forman ... Read more

Reviews (6)

MY KIND OF MUSIC THEN....AND NOW!
I haven't heard a lot of these songs since the mid 80's in high school. Hearing them now, and working out to them now, make me strive harder to get back to the shape I was in back then!! If you loved new wave music then this is a must have!!!

Good music for children of the 80's
This is a fun and motivating CD for all of us who grew up in the 80's. The songs are pretty fast-paced, but the music is up-beat so the workout goes fast.

Molly Ringwald Flashbacks!
This is a huge return to the eighties. Throughout my walk I was bombarded with images of my high school years. But I do have to say, the pace is perfect for walking.

I purchased this CD because I wanted to shed a few of those leftover baby pounds. So far I'd have to say that it's been pretty effective in that arena. The pace is quick, great to keep you going, but not too fast for walking with the jogging stroller.

And a simple warning for those of you with young babies. These songs, while kicky and fun, have a way of seeping into the crevices of your brain. It is for this very reason that I suggest skipping song #13 entirely. If you are up at two AM feeding a hungry baby, and this little ditty pops into your head, honey, you may never get back to sleep!

I made a fool of myself...
... singing and "dance-walking" along the boardwalk at Jones Beach State Park last weekend. This CD is packed with the music of my club years. The beat is FAST. With my short little legs I generally do this particular 4 mile walk in an hour, but with this CD I finished (with blisters) at around 50 minutes. I also popped it in the player at a poolside party on Sunday afternoon and my fellow 40-somethings thoroughly embarrassed their children by dancing on the deck (without the assistance of alcohol!) the rest of the afternoon.

exercise cd
It's a good selection of songs, but mostly an 'exercise tape'. The sound quality's good, but all tracks run together (no breaks) and the tempo of some tracks (specifically Send Me an Angel) is speeded up to match some desired pace.

Unfortunately, I was looking more for of a set of studio tracks on the CD. ... Read more

Amazon.com

As a reader and performer of his own words, Kerouac wasn't as potent as his beat-generation pals. He lacked the greasy charisma of Allen Ginsberg or the razor squawk of William Burroughs. But what Kerouac did have was real joy, a certain innocence (despite his wild experiences), and an Everyman's charm. This last quality infects these historic recordings, making Kerouac's freethinking, beautiful words and images jump out of the past with as much potency as when he laid them down in the late 1950s. The Collection gathers Kerouac's three albums (which feature the author riffing alongside jazzmen Steve Allen, Zoot Sims, and Al Cohn) and a brace of bonus tracks. The performances are coupled with expansive liner notes, photos, and commentary. This set is required beat listening. --Michael Ruby ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Melts your mind into the beat mind-set....
If you've read everything Kerouac ever published, then this collection is a marvelous review and memory jogger. If you've always heard of him and the beats but you've never read him, then this is a perfect first introduction. I've heard people say that they can't read his flow of consciousness style. Well, these recordings in his own voice shows how to read him- like a long flowing jazz riff. You've got to hear him like this in your own mind to get him. Put these recordings on and close your eyes, it transports you to a better place, a better time, a better mind-set. Of course, if you look for Kerouac's America it is still out there, here and there in certain forgotten corners, certain moments out of time....

I'm still absolutely amazed by Jack Kerouac. Who else could discuss Dostoevsky knowingly one moment, then without missing a beat, switch to the three stooges? Who else could instantly switch from Sanskrit to scat? Yet it works perfectly, for a great soul can encompass entire worlds without contradiction.

I damn near want to cry when . . .
This set takes me back so far in time, I can hardly consume the oxygen required to revive myself. I bought a copy of this at Cyrano's Book Store in Anchorage, Alaska on tape. I parted with it over the years but it was a mistake. I re-purchased it the other day, once more; but this time on the crisp delivery of CD. Kerouac's voice to me, is what I imagine god to sound like. If they would've made track 15 from the first disk available to listen to, you'd buy it too, without hesitation. Hearing Jack read the last paragraphs from On The Road, makes one realize that it stands to be one of the greatest passages ever written in Literature (of any genre).

Jack Kerouac with voice intact becomes reverant, gracious and invisible all at once. You'll read and hear him say how in his life, he was hated by most he met, even the musicians who play on the disk. Do we have to alienate ourselves so much to really 'see'? I'm just thankful that it took place and was released. I couldn't find a better way to live on.

Hoka hey, Jack.

joy & sorrow
The first album in this box set, which contains 15 tracks of Kerouac reciting prose while Steve Allen plays beautiful jazz piano, is dazzling. There is something magical and heartbreaking about the record.. Listening to it makes you feel as if you're sitting next to Jack himself at a bar, drinking, as he tells you these stories and talks to you. For any fan of Kerouac's writing, this album is a must. Once you've heard this, you will read his books knowing the sweet voice that is talking emphatically.

Jack's voice
Jack Kerouac is one of the greatest writers of the 20th century, and I beleive he also has one of the best voices. The difference between reading the book yourself and listening to Jack read it is all in his voice. It is, in a word, mesmerizing. I first heard some of this collection in my Beat Generation class in college, and I had to get the collection.

Salvador Dali said that Jack Kerouac was the most beautiful person he had ever seen. I don't think anyone can listen to his voice, see his pictures in this collection, and appreciate his writings without agreeing whole-heartedly.

This collection of works is more than a few good CDs--it's an experience.

Melts your mind into the beat mind-set.
If you are familiar with everything Jack Kerouac ever wrote, then this set is a great memory jogger. If you are new to his work it is a superb introduction. Or perhaps you've tried to read him but never got into his "flow of consciousness" style. Then, these recordings teach you how to hear him in your mind- as one long, sweet jazz riff. Just close your eyes and let him transport you to better times and better places. Of course, Kerouac's America is still out there, here and there, in forgotten corners, in special places and special people.
Kerouac was the soul of his age. Who else but Jack could go from commenting on Dostoeveky one minute, then switch to the Three Stooges without missing a beat? Or just as easily go from Sanskrit to scat. And it works. That is because a great soul can encompass entire worlds without contradiction.... ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Can't top a Bob Newhart recording
To claim that this is a disappointment compared with Bob's first album is doing this one a major disservice. It is very difficult to separate the first two of Bob's recordings. I find A Private in George Washington's Army, The Grace L Ferguson Airline (and Stormdoor) Company, and Bus Driver's School every bit as funny as the material on the first album. As you listen to this one, remember back to when you were in school hearing about the winter of 1776, the crossing of the Delaware and the picture of the men marching with the fife, drum and flag. Bob's rendition of those events will have you rethinking history.... Think of the Bus Driver's School as a complement of the the Driving Instructor and you will understand why bus drivers are the way they are..... Listen to both of Bob's first two recordings a couple of times and you won't be able to distinguish between them...

Bob Newhart's smarter than the average comedian!
Somewhat of a disappointment after the almost flawless first Button-Down Mind album, it's still proof that Bob Newhart, even way back when, could make even those without a fully developed sense of humor laugh. His style of humor transfers well to audio, and you can easily picture his routines in your head. This is truly thinking man's stand-up comedy. If only today's comics could hold a candle to this!

One of the top 5 comedy albums ever!
My parents had this back in the days when they were made out of vinyl and they were 12" in diameter. To this day it is one of my favorite memories of comedy. I'm so glad it has been released on CD! Bob's "Bus Driver" monologue and the "Ledge Psychology" bit are my favorites from this album. ... Read more