Comedy from the Second City

Got this as a birthday present from my brother (thanks, Ben!) -- it's pretty interesting to listen to. A snapshot of intellectual comedy from 1961. Unfortunately, I think you kind of had to be there to appreciate it. It kind of felt like the sort of laughter that you get when people are amazed that someone smart is making a joke, as if the idea of intelligent humor had never occurred to them, and they are delighted to find it... in other words, the kind of laughing you do to sound smart. There is an extended sketch about people at an intellectual book club, for example, and a song about how Shakespeare's wife must have suffered... that kind of thing. There are some "old standard" jokes on here -- but the audience tends to ignore those. I only got one really solid laugh out of it -- a silly bit where Alan Arkin sings the works of William Blake as if they were cowboy songs. It was brief, but sharp and funny. Severn Darden is on here too -- I grew up fascinated with his solo album, with its Oedipus sketch. I can't say he was quite that funny on here, but he was definitely the one who taught me that intellectuals could be funny, and I was glad to know it! I remember being in junior high, and being really disappointed with his appearance in Saturday the 14th, as it was very lowbrow. Sounds like I would have been a perfect fit for that 1961 audience!

I Think We're All Bozos On This Bus

Well, I won't say I understand everything, but it was certainly different, and... oh, yes — well worth a dollar.

I have easily listened to this album 30 times, and every time I notice something new. It is, by far, my favorite in the massive Firesign Theatre oeuvre. I listened to it this time in celebration of completing the Daniel Tiger ride (Daniel is no Artie Choke, nor a hologram, but he and his mechanical friends do converse and sing songs at Idlewild Park). We listened to it in the car on the drive out there. It was new to the others on the Daniel Tiger team. I think it is hard for younger people to even imagine the nature of Firesign Theatre albums -- having to sit still and just listen to a complex surreal story is quite different from so much of what we do today. Certainly, we have podcasts, but are there any that put that level of attention to detail into what they create? This album was so wildly ahead of its time. Recorded in 1971, it predicts Epcot Center, Turtle Talk with Crush, hacking, Disney Magicbands, Robot Wars, and, oh, so much more -- a lot of stuff that hasn't happened yet. Having spent much of my life trying to create interactive theme parks, this album was a major influence on me. Back in 1995, when I started at the Disney VR Studio, I could not have been more thrilled that our two Onyx mainframes were named "Barney" and "Ahclem"... it made me feel like I had truly found my people, that I was truly home.

I had a weird run-in with the future when we listened to this on the way to Idlewild -- I hunted for my CD of the album all around my house in vain (I believe I likely lent it to a student who did not return it). But, this being the future (a fair for all and no fair to anybody) I easily found a copy of it on youtube, and streamed it through my phone via bluetooth to the car stereo while we drove there, and it sounded great. The surreal part was hearing the computerized messages of the album ("Mister alclem, please report to the nearest hospitality shelter") be interrupted by the car's navigational system, which might as well have been saying "Antelope Freeway, one mile." Versions in quadraphonic (both vinyl and 8-track) were released. Given my new fascination with 8-track, maybe I should try one of those out?

There is something so weird and true about this album, really, to be fair, about all four of the original Firesign albums, in their strange, connected tetraology. Why exactly did things go downhill for them?  None of the followup albums (I think have them all) is anywhere near the greatness of these four. I've never understood it. I've never understood the artists who do their best work when they are young. That always scares the hell out of me -- the idea that my best work might be behind me, or that one must sell one's soul to do something perfectly. Gah! Four members of FT, four perfect albums, in exchange for four souls! I won't dwell on it. In my head, I keep a list of perfect works of art -- this is definitely one of them. I hope one day to create something this visionary and inspirational. If it's new to you, heed my advice: don't multitask with this. Find a dark room and some headphones, and see if you can keep still for 39 minutes. Maybe you'll be the first one who actually understands the thing.

Scream on Someone You Love Today

This record is from 1967... but culturally, it feels more like, say, 1959. It's a collection of "snappy answers to stupid questions", mother-in-law jokes, dusty gags, and eye-rolling one-liners from Rodney Dangerfield prototype Jack E. Leonard. Interestingly, it has a cast, and comedy songs interspersed with comedy patter. I can't say I did any laughing, but I appreciated the effort. The only part I like is the cover. So... why do I keep listening to it?

PS -- Scream "on" someone? Who says that?

Strategic Grill Locations

And here, finally, is Mitch's first CD. I wish he had more than just the three. He was so smart and clever, and had so much promise. Who else could come up with silly, simple jokes like "I haven't slept for ten days -- because that would be too long." Other jokes are eerie portents: “A girl came up to me and asked, ‘Why do you drink red wine, doesn’t it give you a headache?’ I said, Yeah eventually! But the first and the middle part are amazing. I’m not going to stop doing something for what happens in the end. ‘Mitch you want an apple?’ No, eventually it will be a core!”

Bah. Come back to us, Mitch.

Mitch All Together

This is Mitch's second CD, and it comes with a DVD as well, which is actually completely different material from what is on the CD. The CD and DVD seem such an interesting contrast -- on the CD, he seems so at ease, so comfortable. But on the DVD he is clearly very uncomfortable, to the point that it kind of spoils the performance.

So many great jokes on here. I think this is probably the strongest of his CD's.

Do You Believe In Gosh?

I finally got around to finding some Mitch Hedberg CD's -- I always found him a fascinating comedian. There is something about his combination of innocence and intensity that makes him more than just funny -- he seems like a guy it would be fun to hang out with. Zippy the Pinhead says that comedy is the unity of opposites, and Mitch Hedberg is a perfect example -- a cool, stoner character who stands up telling corny one-liners like Henny Youngman. Part of his charm is that he never seems comfortable onstage -- he always seems nervous, like he doesn't belong there. But on the other hand, you can tell that he thinks a lot about to how best present his material. "A comedian has to start strong and finish strong. You can't be like pancakes: all exciting at first, but by the end you're sick of them."

This album was released shortly after his tragic drug overdose. I keep wondering ... was his drug use just recreational, or was it related to his insecurity? Or was the insecurity all an act? Or was it all one inseparable package? All I know is, it sucks that you left us, Mitch. We miss you.