Customer Reviews

The Tom Lehrer Collection (CD/DVD)

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As a fan of Tom Lehrer, I'm very happy with this "Tom Lehrer Collection." I now own every single song Lehrer released- which fits on a couple of cds. Some songs here were only previously on "The Remains of Tom Lehrer", and so without paying $100 for that, it's nice to have these tracks. Also, there is a dvd with clips and videos of Tom Lehrer and his songs and is very nice. If you've never listened to any songs by Tom Lehrer before, then this Collection is a great sampling. If you are a fan of Lehrer, then I know you, like me, will enjoy this. So I'm very happy with this- the only thing I'm not happy about is that Tom Lehrer didn't produce more. But what's out there is excellent. Even all these years later, the songs are still relevant and very funny.

I've loved this guy since hearing one of the funniest songs of all time , Poisoning Pigeons In the Park on Dr Demento decades ago...but have never bought any of his releases for one reason or other. This looked to be the perfect intro and I was not wrong. The CD is crammed with 26 intelligent and hysterically funny songs that sound like something Groucho Marx would have sang. The bonus DVD is truly a treasure chest of fun with a classic black and white performance and many extra videos. If you want an intro I can't imagine a better one and if you are a fan I can't imagine not owning this.

I'd love to hear what he'd write about todays crazy society/world. That said, much of this still could apply...but a good laugh is timeless and priceless and this set is worth much more than the asking!

The Tom Lehrer Collection is what I see as a "must have" for any Lehrer fan, as it contains a huge amount of his work. The biggest plus is that it contains video recordings of him singing, which until now just have been available via Youtube in not-so-very-great-quality.

If you're not a Lehrer fan I still recommend this product since the songs are very funny/entertaining, and the topics discussed in most of them are still relevant today.

I had a teacher in elementary school who played us Spike Jones songs from time to time, which introduced me to the joys of funny songs. Yeah, there were novelty hits like "They're Coming to Take Me Away" and "Please Mr. Custer," but these were mostly done by one hit wonders. Then I discovered the Smothers Brothers in the 1960s. It was not until the 1970s that a friend introduced me to Tom Lehrer and I discovered he was a staple on Dr Demento. For a while I had to suffice with hearing "The Masochism Tango" and "The Vatican Rag" from time to time, until I was able to get tapes of Lehrer's albums and revel in his particular brand of insanity. As the years have gone by it has been nice to see his songs pop up from time to time, such as when Douglas Wambaugh (for the defense) sang "Who's Next?" on "Picket Fences" or when April Nardini's class sang "The Elements" on a school bus trip on "Gilmore Girls." Once you hear Tom Lehrer's songs, it is hard to forget them and you will find yourself humming "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park" when spring gets sprung each year. It goes without saying, that Lehrer is my favorite mathematician.

Often people buy greatest hits collections because they do not have any of the albums by an artist. But I am willing to bet that most of the people who buys "The Tom Lehrer Collection" already have all of his other albums on CD. That being said, there are three reasons for Lehrer's fans to pick up this collection. The first is the DVD, that includes a dozen songs from a concert Lehrer gave in Oslo, Norway in 1967 (10 of the songs are also on the CD), along with bonus videos of eight more songs, half of which are the animated clips from "The Electric Company." I did not know that Lehrer was doing songs for that show or I would have been watching it to catch "L-Y," "Silent E," and the others, which I first heard when Lehrer's albums were first released on CD. So it was a treat to finally see the pictures that go with the words. Second, on the CD there are several songs that I had never heard before, such as "I Got It From Agnes," "Selling Out," and "(I'm Spending) Hanukkah in Santa Monica." Beyond that, all of the classics Lehrer songs are here, although I will confess that I think the album should include "I Hold Your Hand," a song that I like to sing to unsuspecting women from time to time so I can endear myself to them, and "Oedipus Rex," which I always played my students before we starting reading Sophocles' tragic play, but since I have them on CD already, that is not a real complaint. Third, Tom Lehrer is still alive and therefore getting royalties for this album, and given all the joy and laughter he has given us over the years, he can certainly have some more of my money. Plus, the sale price on this CD/DVD combo is pretty sweet.

Despite having most of the tracks on this cd by collecting Lehrers single album releases over the years it is well worth a double dip to get some of the rarer tracks only available up til now on the Box set.
The real bonus is the v. rare concert footage on the dvd. I only had the 'Hey Mr Producer' dvd to refer to up to now. Dvd picture and sound quality is excellect considering the age of the footage.
He,s still hilarious after all these years. What we need now is a cd release of the London production of 'Tomfoolery' as the vinyl has been deleted for many years.

This is the best of Tom Lehrer, a Harvard math professor with a gift for satirical songs. Some of the songs are dated as far as the political references, but some are still quite relevant. The video files of him performing in his prime are especially enjoyable.

This is an excellent retrospective for those who first heard Tom Lehrer in the 60s, and an excellent introduction for those who are curious about him now. The songs are as always, and the DVD is an added bonus. Sound quality is excellent, and the memories are as good as ever.

The Tom Lehrer Collection satisfies. The songs, while often timely, have held up well over the years. The video is a collection of gems one is surprised to have been preserved at all, let alone presented so well.

The Tom Lehrer Collection is a treasure. Not only are many of The Living Legend's finest recordings compiled herein, but, at last, there are many fine performances captured on film. Professor Lehrer was seldom on television, so these performances are truly rare and to see him in his prime, which he is still in by the way, is a wonderful treat. You should buy this because it is wonderful and the man no doubt needs the money.

Often regarded as the founder of modern musical satirical political humor, a la Mark Russel, this is a real treasure. It includes in the same jewell box a CD collection of some of his best bits as well as as a DVD with early, and later, live (rare!) appearances. This a great product for any fan of Tom Lehrer.