Customer Reviews

Greatest Hits of the National Lampoon

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It's hard to remember what a cultural force Nat Lamp was in the 1970's. Only an institution such as the Lampoon could have helped to create the keystone epic "Animal House" and, of course "SNL", arguably the two most important and influential comedy forces of the decade. So it is with this in mind that I try to remain at least mildly unbiased in my assessment of this disc as, frankly, some of it absolutely first rate, even thirty years later. And some of it is, well...

So, why should you buy this disc? Well, here's why you shouldn't: "Save The Whales" is good for one listen only, and frankly, should have been done much better; "I'm A Woman" is a testiment to the fact that Gilda Radner was both overrated and, at times, incredibly annoying (although, in all fairness to her, the material itself was dated and silly probably 18 months after it was first recorded and would have been if anyone else had done it); "Pizza Man", a "tribute" to vocal stylings of 1950's rock/doo-wop that comes across as one of those "Is this supposed to be funny or just stupid?" moments; and "Those Fabulous Sixties" which is a head scratcher in terms of why in the hell this one was included. So, you ask, what is left? What is left indeed. The remaining tracks teeter between incredibly funny to sheer, total brilliance. "Deteriorata" is an amazing, and amusing, parody of the incredibly insipid "Desidorata", one of the top selling singles of the early 70's. "Colorado" demonstrates that not only was Chevy Chase once funny, he was also undeniably multi-talented; "Well-Intentioned Blues", a hysterical blues parody by Christopher Guest, and, arguably, the best thing on this CD; "Mission:Impeachable", another Chase gem that both amusingly and chillingly distillates the entire Watergate scandal in about two minutes; "Kung Fu Christmas", another funny song, "Mister Roberts", a howlingly funny (and loving) take on Mr. Rogers, with both Guest and Bill Murray displaying their collective genius in what is the funniest bit on the disc; "Gymnasty", a short, shockingly funny bit that will bring back memories of anyone who remembers the 1976 Olympics; "The Immigrants", a funny take on documentaries and, finally, "Magical Misery Tour", with lyrics that I believe must have been lifted directly from interviews that John Lennon gave in the 70's (there is no way that anyone at the Lampoon could have written anything both this brilliant and twisted!) So, there you have it. Most of the CD is terrific and you will listen to it over and over again. And thanks to the digital age for being able to move quickly past the dumb stuff. Buy it today!

This 1978 release harkens back to the days when almost everyone in college knew what "NatLamp" was, National Lampoon, the hottest college comedy magazine there was. A good three years before the Not Ready for Prime Time Players introduced an entirely new generation of comedy to a USA waking up to the schlocky comedic drudge of Uncle Milty, Jack Benny and Foster Brooks, these guys and gals were laying the groundwork with biting irreverence, funny takes on violence and sex, and liberal profanity. A few short years later they brought us Animal House, then the Vacation series of films before the magazine crumbled and they flared out.

There's some heavy-duty comedy horsepower in here, with Chris Guest, Bill Murry, Chevy Chase, John Belushi, Michael "Mister Mike" O'Donoghue, Gilda Radner, Harold Ramis and Paul Shaffer. You only get 13 short tracks, which was a lot on an LP, but which doesn't last long in a CD player. There's a mix of studio tracks and recordings from National Lampoon live shows.

This is a classic collection for those who remember it. If you liked it then, you still will, although you won't be listening to this release as often as you did way back when. I've run this past my teenage kids, and they just plain don't get it. Like Jack Benny before it, it's now dated, with a lot of the jokes needing that now-missing 70s context, in vocabulary, current events, and cultural touchstones (when was the last time you heard someone called a "turkey?"). This is the case for the "I Am Woman" bit, the John Lennon "Magical Misery Tour" rant, and especially the Watergate spoof, "Mission: Impeachable."

There are a number of classics in here, but where in the world are you going to hear these played these days? In the grand days before XM and Sirius merged and every other channel became some form of classic rock channel, XM would actually run a gonzo Christmas/Holidays station called Special Xmas. That was the place I heard a public playing of "Kung Fu Christmas," a deep R&B spoof--arguably racist--on the holiday season in the ghetto. But as a 70s riff on Barry White and others, it's really funny stuff.

Yes, this is the CD that's got Bill Murray doing the bass player deal with "movin' da piano" and "egg-a-muff'n."

Take a listen to "Well-Intentioned Blues," and despite the extensive discography and documentaries outlining the band's ups and downs, you're truly hearing the very roots of The Folksmen, A Mighty Wind, and Spinal Tap. This is another one that's funny while being mildly racist; it was not played during last year's Spinal Tap Unwigged Guest/McKinney/Shearer tour.

Bottom line: this is a CD purchase to have in the collection, since you had it on vinyl, probably on 8-track, then on cassette (oh yes you did).

This album is an absolute must-have, because "Magical Misery Tour" is just about the funniest thing ever recorded. Give it a listen and you too will shriek "Mother! They're trying to crucify me!"

Actually, every word in the "Magical Misery Tour" was lifted from John Lennon's famous Rolling Stone Interview, which was even released as a paperback book. Or as Yoko said, "The Dream is Over."

If for nothing else, buy this for the brilliant parody of The Whatevertherata. Although, this will be completely lost on those born in the 1960's, to date. I can guarantee you that they will all be truly baffled by it. And, You have no right to be here. And whether you can hear it, or not, the entire Universe is STILL laughing behind your back.

I owned this vinyl album, (still do,) and this is absolutely classic humor from amazing pre-SNL comedians. I love this album.

There are some minor differences from the original recordings, but nothing off-putting. Highly recommended !