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I am a collector of old and rare music and comedy. I saw this CD when Tom Lehrer was on TV in the 1960's and I did have an LP of it until my brother used it to make an ashtray in cub scouts! How? You heat the record and bend up the 4 edges and then cool it. I was very surprised not to find it on Amazon but at eBay you had all the Tom Lehrer records on CDs. I had despaired of ever finding this gem which is why I bought two CDs of it so I have one to trade if one of my fellow collectors wants it and they have something I want.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
I grew up with Tom Lehrer's LP's. My father was a huge fan. I loved his musical talent and his politically incorrect lyrics. His use of odd words to effect his rhymes is hysterical! Interspersed amongst the polital satire, are a few gems worthy of note. One such, and my favorite from this CD, is, "The Elements." Now what, you may ask, is this song about? Well, very simply, it is the Periodic Table...every element thereon, sung in the fast-paced, tongue twisting, style and tune of Gilbert and Sullivan's, "I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major General!" My other favorite from this CD is the "The Masochism Tango." Yes, bizarre is a wonderful way to describe this song! Tom Lehrer is an Ivy League graduate, who entertains the listener with witty lead-ins to his songs. These are great, and everyone seems to get a kick out of them the first time through, but then, of course, want to hurry up to get the the somg! It is, after all, a recording made from a live performance, so the lead-ins go with the songs. I've enjoyed his music for years, and the CD allows me to enjoy it in the modern electronic format!Read full review
I recently blogged on the subject of my eBay reviews, which led a reader to suggest that I do a review of a Tom Lehrer album. Unlike the apparently obscure items I normally review, it turns out that the Lehrer albums had received reviews already. Rather than simply adding my voice to the chorus, pointing out that he's funny and witty and clever and amusing and satirical, I thought I'd tell a story about a song on An Evening Wasted with Tom Lehrer. "An Evening Wasted" sports the following tracks: 1. Poisoning Pigeons In The Park 2. Bright College Days 3. A Christmas Carol 4. The Elements 5. Oedipus Rex 6. In Old Mexico 7. Clementine 8. It Makes A Fellow Proud To Be A Soldier 9. She's My Girl 10. The Masochism Tango 11. We Will All Go Together When We Go All the titles that sound bizarre are precisely that. All the titles that don't sound bizarre are just as bizarre as the ones that do. This leaves The Elements with a somewhat ambiguous status. Bizarre or not? Well, here's how it begins: "There's antimony arsenic aluminum selenium, and hydrogen and oxygen and nitrogen and rhenium"... It continues through nobelium, sung to a jaunty piano rendition of Gilbert and Sullivan's "Modern Major General" song. I assume you've made your "bizarre or not" decision by now. Another example of bizarre: I didn't look up those lyrics. I have committed the song to memory! I did it back in my high-school days, along with many of Lehrer's other songs. Did I ever expect the ability to sing the names of the chemical elements to be useful? Sure I did. I would sing them at my presidential inaugural address, right after emerging from the armored limousine in a Mao suit. Remarkably, it HAS proved useful, for it led directly to my three-pen-nerd status. The nerd hierarchy is similar to the "stars" of a general, although there are no corresponding lower ranks. If you have the Calling, you automatically start out with one pen ("star"). This isn't a great distinction; pretty much anyone who has assembled a Heathkit, subverted his parents computer, or built a rudimentary stun gun is entitled to a single pen on his own recognizance. It's a "starter." The second pen isn't an enormous challenge, either. Although you have to apply to the Board, it's pretty routine - you fill out a form with your nerdish accomplishments, attach a photograph of yourself, and send it in. People are rarely turned down; when they are, it's usually some guy who is not only posing but isn't smart enough to have put a little tape on his glasses for extra points. The third pen, however, is quite an honor. You don't just write to the Board. If they decide you might qualify, you must attend them in person. Needless to say, it's a nervous-making ordeal. You're put to the Question about not just your accomplishments–but also about your attitude. I was told that I shouldn't report too much about these questions for obvious reasons, i.e., others will be following and it should be a surprise. At the end of the I was asked if there was any final thing I wanted considered. I had an inspiration and burst into The Element Song! Smiles all around, and I left the room while they deliberated. They invited me back in just a few minutes and handed me my ceremonial pen with congratulations. Notwithstanding the above, my favorite song on the album is "In Old Mexico." Its terminal rhyme is worth the price of admission!Read full review
This was always a favorite album back in the day.. It arrived securely packed and in great condition.Unfortunately, I thought this was a vinyl record and not a CD. I intended to give the record to my granddaughter, so it's my fault I didn't see the CD part. I'll still keep the CD, but will probably buy the vinyl record later
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
As it turns out, this is the album that first introduced me to Tom Lehrer when I was very young. It took me several years to understand a lot of what he was singing about, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. There aren't many satirists (or indeed, comedians) like Mr. Lehrer and I'm very glad he made as many albums as he did.
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