Stan Freberg Albums (5)
'Presents the United States of America, Vol. 2'
Release Date 7/2/1996
Tracks 48
Label Rhino
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
This follow-up to Stan Freberg's Presents the United States of America, Vol. 1 (1961) came 35 revolutions of the earth after the original. Under the parenthetical title "The Middle Years," the satirist has once again gathered an all-star cast of luminaries to lend their multifaceted talents, including Peter Leeds, June Foray, and Jesse White from the first installment. They are joined by Freberg's children Donovan Freberg and Donna Freberg Ebsen, as well as Tyne Daly, John Goodman, Sherman Helmsley, Lorenzo Music, Harry Shearer, David Ogden Stiers, and last but certainly not least, Freberg's longtime musical director, the illustrious Billy May. Following the same format as its predecessor, resembling that of a staged presentation, United States of America, Vol. 2 (1996) lampoons several crucial periods from American history, bringing them to life for listeners by incorporating tactics and techniques from his conceptual "theater of the mind." Every story is firmly based on unequivocal facts and figures taken right out of any given U.S. history book, commencing with the formation of an ad company -- something the artist knew intimately about -- by none other than the country's founding fathers. The story of "Madison, Jefferson, Franklin & Osbourne: The First Advertising Agency" is broken into several spoken dramatizations, separated by the original songs "Madison, Jefferson, Franklin & Osbourne" as well as "America! America!" Other embellished incidents chronicled within include the reprise of Freberg in the role of Stephen Foster. He is joined by Shearer and Stiers on "Stephen Foster, Beloved Songwriter," recalling "Rock Around Stephen Foster" from the classic albeit short-lived Stan Freberg Show. While the entire project is well conceived and even more adeptly executed, the Civil War entries "Lincoln at Shiloh, With General Grant," the ensuing "As Long As You're Up/A Sober Life's a Good Life" medley, and "Custer's Last Stand," featuring Foray as Mrs. Custer and the elder Freberg as the General, are simply golden. The disc concludes with "Two Tin Pan Alley Songwriters" -- Freberg and Goodman -- coming up with the new patriotic selection "Hello, Peace, Hello" as the country enters the post-World War I industrial age. [In addition to being available separately, Rhino Records also combined both volumes into a double-disc package.] ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide
'The Presents the United States of America, Vol. 1: The Early Years'
Release Date 10/25/1990
Tracks 14
Label Capitol
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Released in 1961, Presents the United States of America, Vol. 1: The Early Years offered satirist Stan Freberg the opportunity to poke a bit of fun at and embellish American mythology in the same irreverent light that he shone upon pop culture with his parodies of soap operas ("John & Marsha"), rock & roll ("Heartbreak Hotel"), and television ("St. George and the Dragonet"). To animate his tall tales and hysterical history lessons, Freberg employed a talented troupe of voices, many of whom had worked with him on his previous recordings and radio show. His short list of primary players boasted Peter Leeds, June Foray, Jesse White, Paul Frees, and Billy May. They turn in an impressive musical comedy that takes on History 101 as if it were a Broadway smash. Adding to that feel is May's opening "Overture," aptly enough leading into a retelling of "Columbus Discovers America" with Freberg's quelling a potential "mutiny, mutiny, mutiny" from his shipmates on "It's a Round, Round World." The number is a precursor to the 1963 Stanley Kramer film It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, which Freberg had a bit part in. Frees furthers the plot, weaving the narrative through specific incidents including the arrival at Plymouth Rock on "Pilgrim's Progress" -- with Freberg (Mayor Pennypacker) trying to drum up support for the Indian vote with the feel-good "Take an Indian to Lunch." The signing of the Declaration of Independence ("A Man Can't Be Too Careful What He Signs These Days") and the legend of Betsy Ross and the story behind the first U.S. flag ("Everybody Wants to Be an Art Director") are among the other events of significance augmented with a big production number, while the dialogue of "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere," "The Discovery of Electricity," and the Revolutionary War are all covered in Freberg's inimitable "theater of the mind." In 1996, after decades of threatening to create a sequel, the artist picked up the story right where he'd left off some 35 years earlier. The result was Presents the United States of America: Vol. 2: The Middle Years, with a cast that included original contributors Leeds, Foray, White, and May along with a new troupe highlighted by Tyne Daly, John Goodman, David Ogden Stiers, Sherman Helmsley, Harry Shearer, Lorenzo Music, and Freberg's children Donovan Freberg and Donna Freberg Ebsen. ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Stan Freberg's radio show on CBS lasted only 15 weeks, but he managed to get a few record albums out of the deal, and this album was one of those radio shows. The material is pretty solid throughout, including an interview with the Abominable Snowman in which Freberg ably handles both voices, a segment on the excesses of hi-fi aficionados, and a bit in which Freberg goes to an ad agency to get commercials selling himself as the show's sponsor (a bit of a poke at the network, who had neglected to get any ads at all for the entire run of the series). Of course, the centerpiece here is the track that inspired the album's title, "Grey Flannel Hatful of Teen-Age Werewolves," in which teenage horror movies are combined with the real-world horror of working at an ad agency on Madison Avenue (apparently Freberg really had it in for advertising folks around this time). If there's anything dicey, it's that "Literary Giants of Our Time" plays a bit on racial stereotypes, but to be fair, it's pretty mild compared to some of the other stuff being trotted out by less-sensitive writers and comedians -- Mickey Rooney in Breakfast at Tiffany's this isn't. [A special note: This album was included in its entirety as the second album in Capitol's The Best of the Stan Freberg Shows compilation, so you probably won't need both unless you're a completist.] ~ Sean Carruthers, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Distressed with the move of commercial radio away from shows and into disk jockeys, Stan Freberg came up with a new idea: pay radio. Using his recording contract with Capitol, he presented old-style radio shows on-stage, with plans to record them, release them on LP, and let people buy them (that's pay radio in a nutshell). As this release was the only one in the series, listeners can only assume that the public wasn't as interested in the idea as Freberg was, but this album was quite funny regardless. There's a reminiscence about radio, a sketch about the switch to all-number telephone dialing, and new folk songs for people to sing in the year 2066. The best bit is a parody of Batman and Robin that drops Ronald Reagan into the Robin part; the villain fought by the pair is a Democratic governor who keeps trying to thwart Reagan's plans to become the next governor. ~ Sean Carruthers, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
This long-player contains key components from the short-lived yet highly influential Stan Freberg Show -- the final CBS Radio comedy which aired for 15 weeks from July through October of 1957. The regular cast was nothing short of an all-star voice-over ensemble consisting of Daws Butler, Hans Conried, June Foray and Peter Leeds with Billy May and the CBS Radio Orchestra handling the musical scores and chores. "Elderly Man River" is surreal in its timelessness. The underlying subject matter of the rather pointed sketch is censorship and its effects on art. The network censor is given the suitably milquetoast moniker of Mr. Twidley and is brought to life by Butler. The premise of "Face the Funnies" likewise has no expiration date. In true absurdist fashion he mocks typical "serious" roundtable discussion programs. Here, the so-called experts have their degrees and/or authority not in the typical current events, but rather the two "L'il's" -- Orphan Annie and Abner, as well as Tarzan and Dick Tracy. Nowhere is Freberg's uncanny knack for perfectly scripting and authentically executing sketches that expand the "theater of the mind" concept better exemplified than on the made-for-radio "Zazaloph Family" acrobatic troupe. Or the idea of "Tuned Sheep" as Freberg interviews a French instrumentalist whose act, as it were, are sheep. Their version of "Lullaby of Birdland" isn't bad either. The controversial "Incident at Los Voraces" -- which is presented in its complete 21-plus minute glory -- is the centerpiece not only of Face the Funnies, but the entire Stan Freberg Show series. The original -- which is used here -- was not cleared for public broadcast because of biblical and cold war references. Not to mention the stinging attack on the increasingly seedy Las Vegas strip -- and this was in 1957! So, before the very first show went to air, Freberg and producer Peter Barnum had to re-script, re-rehearse, gather a second studio audience, and re-record the lengthy bit as was deemed suitable for broadcast by CBS Radio. The piece is given several distinguishing subtitles, such as "Rock Around Romeo and Juliet," "Florence Chadwick Spectacle," "Inaugurieties of 1960," and "Gaza Strip Revue." Parties interested in hearing all 15 unedited installments of the Stan Freberg Show are heartily encouraged to seek out the Stan Freberg Show, Vol. 1 and Stan Freberg Show, Vol. 2 (1996) box sets. ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide
