Alen Robin, a comic with a droll, very nasal
voice, took the Buchanan & Goodman
"Flying Saucer" concept - intercutting found
recordings with original comedy - and applied it to political speeches. His
"Welcome To The LBJ Ranch" hit the top of the pops in the mid '60s, and can be
found in approximately 84% of American thrift-stores.
This
album continues the concept, with American politicos Humphrey, Thurmond, Rockefeller, Lindsay, Nixon, LBJ, Agnew, Buckley, Reagan, and Daley finding their voices ripped out of their original context, now making
various bizarre and neurotic statements to Robin, playing their
psychiatrist. It's still quite funny and clever, even if you don't know much
about the speakers. Even more impressive: it's recorded live. Not sure how he
did it in the days before laptop samplers. Maybe he had all the voices, and
pauses allowing for him to speak, pre-recorded on a long tape. If so, his timing's amazing.
The above review was taken from my review of another Alen Robin album I posted few years back, with the names of of the sampled parties changed. There is one difference with this album, tho - the groovy psych rock of Billy Mure that abruptly cuts in and out of the funny faux-interviews.
Both sides of this album are pretty short (side two's only ten minutes long) so you just get two tracks here, one for each side:
Alen Robin: "SUPERSHRINK!"
3 comments:
I used to have this record!
It's very funny.
All I remember (I think it's Hubert Humphry) at a psychiatrist's session repeating "Naked, really naked" over & over with Nixon laughing.
Can't wait to hear it again.
Ah, old childhood comedy memories.
Thanks.
Yes, that "naked" phrase is used on this album, as well as the other Robin album i posted years ago which is, in fact, entitled "Naked, Really Naked." Hopefully I can get that one up again one day....
He has an album titled "Naked. Really Naked"?
Wow, that's funny.
I listened to some of it with my kid yesterday (he graduated college last year) & we were both laughing heartily.
Thanks again.
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