Customer Reviews

In Retrospect

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have always been a big fan of "Telephone", and think it is probably the best comedy bit ever recorded. A few years ago, I had bought a number of Nichols & May albums, and _In Retrospect_ was by far the best. It is essentially a "best of" album, which is much of the reason, but also on their other albums, there were bits that just fell flat. I highly recommend starting with this collection if you don't own any Nichols & May already.

if you like a good comedy, and you like to laugh; order this cd! it's really funny and smart! Mike Nichols is great and Elaine May is amazing! especially "Mother and son" (hello arthur...this is your mother...do you remember me! ) and "telephone" (information...) are great! really, order it today! you will NOT regret it! i promise.

One of the best comedy albums in existence. Listen to the sound of tradition breaking, as Nichols and May use improvisation to turn the world of sketch inside out.
If you're a comedian, you can't not own this.
If you're a human being, you can't not fall in love with it.

This CD is a reissue of an old double LP collecting the "best" tracks from Mike Nichols and Elaine May's three comedy albums. Most of it is very funny. My personal favorite is "Telephone", an extended routine about one man's quest to complete a phone call. This is a great sampler of material from a great comedy team.

Nichols and May remind one of a time when comedians understood they did not have to be off-color to be very, very insightful and very, very funny. Track 12 "Nichols and May at Work" is more than delightful as we get a glimpse into their brilliant and sometimes hysterical recording studio work.

What these 2 artists bring to the table are heaping helpings of warmth, humanity, charm, even sweetness -- not to mention wit and originality. Their trademark parodies of everyday situations, when they work, are nothing short of uproarious. "Mother and Son" and "Merry Christmas, Doctor" are priceless, timeless routines that play so well 40 years later as to show the brilliant vision underlying this artistic duo's act and ability to push the envelope in their time. The question in buying this CD is whether the strength of those cuts, plus the generous quantity of cuts, can compensate for the faded vitality of the others imposed by the passing of time.

Wonderful trip down Memory Lane ... and a reminder of the tremendous influence these two great writers/performers have had on comedy.

The first cut ("Telephone") is a classic that I heard in the early 1960's and it is still very funny to me. The last piece ("Nichols and May at work") is probably one of the funniest things I have ever heard. It had me on the floor practically in hysterics, paralyzed with laughter. (I'm sure it won't do this for everyone; humor tends to be specific to individual personalities and preferences.) Not only is this last piece extremely funny, but you also get the treat of seeing two famously creative people working together spontaneously. It is absolutely amazing.

The rest of the material I would rate as OK.

I was thrilled to receive the CD earlier than anticipated and to listen to my favorite track again, i.e. Mother and Son. But disappointed that the first track of the CD is damaged and unplayable.

One of the best from the old days (60s). I loved it so much I bought one for my sister.