My Favourite Comedy Albums

Does anyone remember the comedy album? Most of you have probably grown up with online specials of your favourite comedians, or at least seen a few sketches and videos on YouTube of standup comics. But maybe I should be careful here. For every Taylor Tomlinson, there are hundreds and maybe just thousands of other comedians who never get the exposure or luck they need to build a career. We have too many options out there for entertainment and one platform is not enough.

But, we did have one once…and I am feeling very nostalgic.

I have created a list of my favourite comedy albums of different standups and teams over the last sixty-odd years. Some of them are quite well known; many others might be obscure or too controversial for some sensitive souls. Comedy is not about playing nice; by definition, it is about giving offense (thank you, S.J. Perelman!). If you really want to hear anything from the list below, I am sure that there are links online that I have not found or at least one other nostalgic soul out there willing to sell it to you. Just remember that comedy does not always age well…and that I have a very odd sense of humour!

In no particular disorder:

The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart (1960):

Here are the facts: a number one album for seventeen weeks; 600,000 copies sold in the first year (one of the best-selling records on Billboard); Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards (first comedy record to do so) and Best New Artist (the only comedian to do so); and it was his first album…and I almost did not hear it. It would take me a long time to acknowledge his genius, and that was because I judged the package, not the man.

My bad.

“Abe Lincoln vs. Madison Avenue”, “Driving Instructor”, and “Nobody Will Ever Play Baseball” are masterpieces of monologue comedy and should be studied and preserved…oh, wait, they are (in 2006, the Library of Congress put it on their National Recording Registry). Enjoy!

Indecent Exposure – Some of the Best of George Carlin (1978):

This was it. I was invited over to a friend’s home, actually his basement, and discovered heavy metal (Black Sabbath), Pink Floyd (those covers haunted me), and this record, which featured the infamous “Seven Words You Can’t Say on Television” (list should probably be revised and reviewed today). Even as a child, I knew that I should not be listening to that language…but I loved it! And even today, I feel that any comedian worth his standup time should be listening to George and his particular takes on language and our culture. And also, his close friend…

Richard Pryor’s Greatest Hits (1977):

No one believes me when I say this, but I found this library at the central library of my hometown, and I grew up thinking that Pryor was a film actor, not a standup comic considered the greatest of all time. And then I found this while working at the library, wondering why it was there, and also why he was trying to channel James Taylor or Jim Croce’s pose on the cover (even my guitar was better). A compilation of some of his most well-known sketches – “Ali”, “The Exorcist”, and the brilliant “Mudbone” pieces – it was a true revelation for a kid who had been told that bad language (whatever that meant) lowered the quality of any artwork. I was told that I should have spent more time listening to…

The Best of Bill Cosby (1969):

America’s Dad. Head of the Huxtables. The comedian that one of my teachers would use to teach us life lessons. Ah, it is amazing how reputations change; it is amazing that this was the only comedy record I could find in my dad’s record collection… It really was surprising to me. Yes, I know that many of you are probably cringing right now as I share these memories, but I learned much about how to speak and make an audience laugh by listening to “Revenge”, “Old Weird Harold”, the “Noah” pieces, and of course, “Fat Albert”. I knew the cartoon, but Cosby created such an incredible narrative in my head that he cannot be denied (should I note that he and Woody Allen would discuss comedy together on long walks between sets in the sixties?). Oh dear…

Let’s move on…

I Have a Pony (1985):

Oh, dear Steven Wright, we are still learning what it is like to live in your particular world. I had started to listen to a comedy routine program on Sunday nights just before heading off to bed. Most of the voices were recognizable for the time – Eddie Murphy, Monty Python’s Flying Circus, and so on – but who was this monotoned genius who could discuss hitchhiking, ants, the number 7, someone called Jiggs Casey and Rachel in a wonderful sung and spoken ballad routine? His fingerprints are all over my sense of humour, and I am still wondering why this Oscar-winning talent (look up the link here) developed such an interesting voice and style.

Thanks.

what. (2013):

It was an interesting time in the early teens. I had an iPad (a No. 2, I believe), some lucrative teaching contracts, and access to the Apple Store. The thing that strikes me today is what I chose to listen to with this new tech. I went onto the podcast link and chose to listen to…Desert Island Discs. And in the music department? Every early Cheech and Chong record. I wanted to stay away from the obvious, and dealing with comics was one way to do it. But with Bo Burnham, I had a bit of a problem. Much like the Monty Python albums I heard, he was a comedian and a musician who seemed right at home in both worlds. He seemed to be one of those comics who wanted to touch all of the topics of the above comics and even more. “God’s Perspective”, “#deep”, and “Repeat Stuff” are remarkable takedowns of religion, prejudices, and the music industry. You have the feeling that here is a talent that could go anywhere…if his mental health can be harnessed without being fixed.

And finally...

Well, I can't decide. And you are probably wondering if it is worth your while to look for these classics. Here is a link for a list of the top-40 (according to the AVClub), and you could probably find an old relative who has a collection of vinyl sitting idle in some basement or attic, full of laughter, clever asides, and the minds of our cultural canaries in the coalmine.

Start hunting!

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You can find more poems, stories, and articles by Kendall Defoe on my Vocal profile. I complain, argue, provoke and create...just like everybody else.

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