Customer Reviews

The First Family: Complete by Vaughn Meader

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This review is being written because, at the time of this writing, there is no track listing provided for "The First Family: Complete" (2007), and, as yet, no other reviews. By contrast, the previous (1999) version of this CD -- which is listed separately on Amazon but which is no longer available ("The First Family, Vols. 1 & 2") -- explicitly includes all 34 of the tracks that, together, comprised both of the LPs that Vaughn Meader released in 1962-63. The Amazon posting for that earlier release also includes multiple reviewer comments. Having spent some time unsuccessfully trying to find out whether "Complete" includes both of Meader's original recordings, I would like to save other interested buyers from having to go through the same process I did.

"The First Family: Complete" is a 2-CD set that in fact includes all 34 of the tracks that were on both of Meader's 1962-63 releases. It is identical to the "Vols. 1 & 2" CD, the only difference being that Volume 1 and Volume 2 are now each on their own disc, rather than being combined onto one.

As far as the content of the "Complete" CD set is concerned, I basically agree with most of the reviewer comments posted for "Vols. 1 & 2". The heart of the humor is Meader's good imitation of JFK's voice and Boston accent. Meader's skits put silly words into the mouth of a President who, at the time, was viewed as being urbane and glamorous ("The rubber schwan is MINE!"). Unless you remember those 3 years when JFK was President -- i.e., unless you're approaching 60 or older -- much of that humor is going to be lost. This is a nostalgia piece for those of us who owned the original LPs.

I remember listening to this as a child in the 60's. It's even funnier now that I understand the political and historical references. Younger kids who don't know much about the Kennedy years would probably not be interested. Great for Baby Boomers or students of history.

It's been over 50 years since the Kennedys have been in the White House but the humor in this album is priceless. From the message passing of The Malayan Ambassador to the hilarious business lunch with all the world leaders (Castro, Kruschev, Andenau, DeGaulle,), this album is packed with gut wrenching belly laughs. Vaughn Meader is so convincing as JFK and it is difficult to realize that he was not JFK himself. The comedy here is so good that it is timeless!

Do you remember your family gathering around the black & white Zenith to watch Jackie Kennedy guide the tour of her new-and-improved White House? Do you remember the buzz that having Caroline and John-John in the White House caused? Do you remember Nikita Kruschev pounding on the table WITH HIS SHOE to make his point? Do you have a sense of humor?

If the answers to the above questions are all yeses, then I highly recommend this cd. If you were as lucky as I am, you grew up with this comedic interpretation of the Kennedy's experience as American Royalty in the White House.

I waited for a long time for this to come out on cd. Not being able to listen to Caroline's allowance being discussed or Jackie wanting to order a pizza for dinner caused deep regret at my chosing not to replace my turntable in the 90s.

This is good, clean fun. Even if you are one of the populace who had not been born when President Kennedy died, you will benefit from listening to Vaughn Meader's Kennedy. And if you're anything like me (and the subculture of people I've found who cherish this album) you will laugh each and every time you hear it.

I first heard this as a child on an LP when it came out in the early 60's.

Listening to it now brings back fond memories and even funnier moments with lines like the 1st Family and their report on using Crest toothpaste..or the 1st Lady's White House Tour.."and we kept it as it was originally"..including the President.

It also made me realize the importance of that particular 1st family on this nation..and how we rarely laugh about them due to their personal loss and heartache. Vaughn Meader was a genius ...proven by the The First Family!

When I was growing up, my family listened to Volume 1 so much that the lines ("These sessions do him so much good") became part of the fabric of our conversation. Now with a CD, we can catch our spouses up on the stories so they can understand the jokes we're making. (And with a few decades under our belt, we understand some of the allusions better.)

I hadn't heard Volume 2 until I got this set. To be honest, I don't think it's as good; some of the jokes seem like retreads from Volume 1, and the last track with actual interviews of kids about President Kennedy ("What does the President do?") is more precious than funny. But some of the Volume 2 cuts are still standouts (and if you want, just toss Volume 2 and enjoy the original). Overall, a wonderful example of surprisingly long-lived humor. It's no surprise that Volume 1 was the best-selling album of its time.

I can't say much more than that! Only that I have heard this all my life, since my dad has the record that we used to listen to. As a little girl, I didn't know about any of the other characters featured in this except JFK and his wife. But he was assasinated when I was just a toddler so I didn't know MUCH about him. But the humor in this is just a SCREAM! I still quote one of them a lot! "I want a cheee-cone sandwich wit a liiiiii-ve cheee-cone! ("I want a chicken sandwich with a live chicken" spoken with his accent.)

This is a classic! If you remember the Kennedy White House years, you'll love "The First Family." Vaughn Meader, Naomi Brossart, and the other cast voices are splendid, clearly capturing the charm and panache of the Kennedy characters with a brand of style and wit that no one else has ever come close to. What a treat to find this on CD! The technical quality of this reproduction is not what I had hoped for, but that's the only aspect that keeps this otherwise fine piece of memorabilia from earning at least 4 stars.

Even my 5 year old loves this album. He says "is this the rubber ducky one?" Timelessly funny across age groups, you don't have to be over 50 to get these jokes. My parents had this album and I am glad to add it to my collection.

When I was a kid my family was huge Kennedy fans. We had the album as a child. I recently watched a documentary on Jackie Kennedy and she gave her review on the album. When the album came out a lot of people thought it was very disrespectful to the president. In the interview Mrs. Kennedy stated how funny the president thought the album was. He was not upset by it at all. They played pat of the album on the interview and it brought back so many memories of childhood I had to see if it was still available. The first place I looked was Amazon! They had it, much to my delight! I figured it was out of print years ago, and they had it on CD! I ordered it right away, received it, and we have enjoyed it every since! It just showed me that Amazon never disappoints! It is just as funny as it was when I was a child! If you need some old humor this is the way to go! ENJOY!