Wonderfulness

Bill Cosby | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 28, 1998)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Warner Bros / Wea
• ASIN: B0000062TJ
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (58 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #110,181 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #47 in Music > Miscellaneous > Comedy > Classic Comedy

Track Listings

1. Tonsils

2. The Playground

3. Lumps

4. Go Carts

5. Chicken Heart

6. Shop

7. Special Class

8. Niagara Falls

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

These days, Bill Cosby is such an established showbiz presence that it's easy to forget what a deeply influential figure he was in the '60s, when he released a wildly successful series of standup comedy LPs. At the time, an amiable, apolitical African-American comedian sharing warmheartedly-barbed observations on childhood, parenting, and other rites of passage was a gently revolutionary act. Cosby's effortless ability to address universal experiences transcended boundaries of race and economic class, uniting diverse audiences during one of the most divisive periods in American history. Wonderfulness, originally released in 1966, is Cosby at his best, with such memorable bits as "Tonsils," "The Playground," and the classic childhood reminiscence "Chicken Heart." --Scott Schinder

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cosby's Best Comedy Album, October 17, 2002

By 

Brian D. Rubendall (Oakton, VA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wonderfulness (Audio CD)

Once Upon a Time, standup comedy was a storytelling art form rather than just someone standing on stage cracking jokes. And in his heyday, nobody told funnier stories than Bill Cosby. This was Cosby before he became a megastar, when he still had a warm, regular guy kind of appeal. As much as any entertainer, he managed to break down racial barriers in the entertainment inductry. The universal nature of his tales of childhood and other observation were likely a big reason why.

"Wonderfulness" contains three Cosby classics "Chicken Heart," "Go Karts," and "Tonsils." All three are lengthy childhood tales that resonate as much today as they did when they were first recorded live four decades ago. Along the way, he introduces us to characters he would later refine on the Saturday morning cartoon show "The Cosby Kids."

Overall, "Wonderfulness" is one of the best stand up comedy albums ever recorded.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cosby's Best, August 4, 2004

By 

T. Bratz "gwfeds0" (Beaverton, OR USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wonderfulness (Audio CD)

We grew up on Bill Cosby records. We had several of his records at our house and never got tired of listening to them. This is his best album ever. The three best cuts on this are Go Carts, Tonsils and Chickenheart.

Cosby has a great talent for telling stories from a kid's perspective, much like Mark Twain did with Tom and Huck. These are mostly stories about his childhood and they still crack me up after all these years. When they finally put his records out on cd, I had to rush out and buy this one right away.

The problem with most comedy albums is that they get old after you hear them a few times, but Cosby is such a great story teller, that it's fun to hear these records over and over. While most comedy records are just recordings of jokes, Cosby tells funny stories that you can enjoy hearing repeatedly. You really can't go wrong with any of his records, but if you haven't heard any of them and want a real treat, do yourself a favor and buy this one.

If you enjoy this one be sure to check out "To Russell, My Brother, With Whom I Slept." If you ever shared a room with a brother or sister when you were growing up, this will probably bring back a lot of memories of the good old days.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Start smearin' that Jello!, May 6, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Wonderfulness (Audio CD)

The Chicken Heart is one of the funniest stories I have ever heard. Attach other great tracks like Tonsils, The Playground, Go Carts, and Special Class and you've got yourself an ideal Bill Cosby album! If you like Cosby or you just love to laugh, "Wonderfulness" is the album for you! Kids'll like it, too!