Customer Reviews

Wit & Wisdom of Andy Griffith

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I remember first hearing portions of this back in 9th grade (1977). Our English teacher, an old gal even back then, thought we'd enjoy it.

We sure did. Andy is an absolute riot, playing the bewildered, curious country bumpkin trying to make sense of unfamiliar things such as American Football and Shakespeare. No wonder why he went on to have such a huge role in the early days of TV.

I hadn't heard this since I was but a youth and I wasn't ready to hear it when a local station played What It Was, Was Football on the radio while I tried to drive across Seattle in a rental car. If the essential element of comedy is truth, then Andy Griffith made one for the ages when he wrote this sketch. The Simple Soul trying to understand a game such as football and unashamedly relaying his thoughts is as pure and funny a story as I have ever heard... I wish he was still doing this kind of comedy today... I did actually manage to stay on the road...Barely.

Andy Griffith is my favorite comedian of all time. If you love to hear funny stories. Listen to the very first one where he talks about going to a football game he thinks everybody is out there kicking a pumpkin. And playing this funny game out on a cow pasture instead of a football field. Then at the end he says "the only way to win this game is to get from one end of the cow pasture to the other with that pumpkin without getting knocked down or stepping in something."

With all due respect to Andy Griffith as a storyteller, there are a couple of problems with this CD. First of all, it lacks the "No Time for Sergeants" song found on the old LP version. Next, the mix of the stories with the musical performances lacks a clear direction. Finally, the material is almost exactly duplicated on the AMERICAN ORIGINALS album. Capitol would be doing fans a favor by combining the two albums and including "No Time for Sergeants"--they would all fit on one disc, and savvy justaposition of tracks would make an entertaining hour.

This is one heck of a CD. Great for car trips and the like--I can listen to this over and over, and I just never get tired of hearing it. Buy this for Mayberry fans as well as for the uninitiated--this is stuff that pre-dates the classic TV series, but it recalls the gentle humor that was its hallmark. Great, great stuff, and for the whole family!

When I was a little girl, my dad played this on the record player. It was hilarious to me then and whenever I thought of it, I laughed! Today, the record probably lives in the attic of my parents house--and they no longer have a record player. Now that I am 50 years old, it has become a classic. I am enjoying sharing it with my family and friends who agree that it is of "classic comedy" status! The football story and Romeo and Juliet are my favorites!

We watched Andy when he first began to guest on various TV shows and thoroughly enjoyed his routines. Due to the fact that his body language and facial expressions were a large part of his humor we had to recall that aspect but listening to the CD made us laugh all over again.

I bought this for my father, who was a fan of Andy's back in the day. He really seemed to like this CD, since it brought back a lot of memories for him.

I still remember listening to "What It Was Was Football" and "Romeo and Juliet" with my Mom, in the 50's, when Andy was a newcomer to radio. How we laughed our fool heads off! Some of his phrases, like "...big aahranj draank..." and "...I'm rat cheer..." became part of our family vernacular, and still are.

I love it!

I bought this CD for the football story. Since superbowl time was upon us, I wanted to share this memory of my childhood with my two sons. I remember my mother and I listening to Andy's story of a hillbilly watching his first football game and laughing hysterically. After I ordered this CD, I worried that my two sons (ages 15 and 11) would think it was lame. However, it did not disappoint; both boys laughed as I did and I still find them imitating Andy.

The other stories on the CD were a bonus and most just as funny.