.icllow tone around these scores, and she is supported by the wonderfully poetic playing of Levin. Brahms called these sonatas for viola and piano, giv- ing the instruments equal billing, and this splendid collab- oration displays the grand music of both parts. ECM's recorded sound is very lifelike. P.B. Comedy Carl Reiner an d Mel Brooks The 2000 Year Old Man in the Year 2000 (RHINO) •IWie latest in a recent series of I new recordings by long-dor- I mant comedy performers (Stan Freberg, The Firesign Theater, T o m Lehrer, T h e Rutles) is the return of the fun- niest stand-up personas of the past tw o millennia. After a 24- year hiatus, M e l Brooks tri- umphantly reprises his 2000 Year Old Man role. With inter- viewer Carl Reiner, Brooks began his 2000 Year Old rou- tine while writing for Sid Caesar in the early 19503, an d per- formed it at showbiz parties fo r years. In 1960 they recorded their first LP , which immediately established Brooks' character as a martyr who's seen and done it al l ("I have over 42,000 chil- dren," he laments, "and not one comes to visit"). Three more albums followed, in which Brooks told us history's first national anthem ("Let em all go to hell/ Except Cave 76") and offered such revisionist tidbi ts as Paul Revere's anti-Semitism ("The Yiddish are coming!"). A t the end of yet another century, Brooks' character is still alert — "smart as a ship, " he would say — an d offers insight into com- puter sex, medicine and some of th e forgotten commandments ("Thou shalt not squint"). This fifth Brooks/Reiner album isn't quite up to the duo's earlier stan- dards; there are too many Hollywood in-jokes outsiders might not get, and on occasion the 2000 Year Old Man lets ^Phe I po I 1 Celebrities loose with profanity, which ma y make the CD unsuitable for chil- dren. But on the whole, it's still a delight. I defy anyone to play this album and not crack a smile when Reiner asks if Brooks' father was a disciplinarian. Brooks quickly replies, "There w as no Aryan in that man!" Andrew Milner Various Artists Golden Throats 4: Celebrities Butcher Songs o f t h e Beatles (RHINO) Beatles' dominance in popular music during the 9603 not only led to thou- sands of rock group imitators, but inspired pop vocalists of the day to do "meaningful" covers of Beatle hits. M iddle-aged music fans during the flower-power era could listen to Tennessee Ernie Ford's "Let It Be" or Bing Crosby's "Hey Jude" and convince themselves they were with it. Of course, one man's travesty is another man's market- ing opportunity, and Golden Throats 4 slick- ly anthologizes the worst of this genre. Some of the worst offenders include Joel Grey's over-enunciat- ed "She's Leaving Home," Mae West's shaky "Day Tripper" and George Burns' "With a Little Help From M y Friends." J oe Pesci, known in the '6os as Little Joe, attempts "Got to Get Y ou Into My Life." T o para- phrase Goodfdlas, yeah, Joe, w e do think you're funny. N o ba d record anthology is complete without William Shatner, and he's here with his "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds." Shatner brings the same subtlety and understatement to Lenno n- McCartney as he did to Star Trek. The common error in these covers is the attempt to impose another musical style on the Beatles. Alan Copeland actually underscores "Norwegian Wood" with the theme from "Mission: Impossible." (Surprisingly, this cut won a Grammy in 1968.) "Norwegian Wood" appears a sec- on d time, as Jan and Dean unwisely add surf harmonies to the song. The Beatles are the most cov- ered group in music histo ry, so it's forgivable that no t every lame Beatles cover is on this CD. Surprisingly, though, nothing from the soundtrack to the 1978 Sgt. Pepper movie is here. There should have at least been room fo r Steve Martin's execrable "Maxwell's Silver Hammer." A.M.
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
scores, and she is supported bythe wonderfully poetic playing ofL e v in . B ra h m s ca l l e d these
sonatas for viola and piano, giv-ing the i n s t r u m e n t s e q u a lbilling, and this splendid collab-oration displays the grand musicof both parts. ECM's recorded
sound is very lifelike. P.B.
C o m e d yC a r l Reinerand Mel BrooksThe 2000 Year Old Man
in the Year 2000 ( R H I N O )
•IWie latest in a recent series of
I new recordings by long-dor-I m a n t co m e d y p e r fo rm e rs
(S t a n Freberg, The Fi res ign
Th e a t e r , T o m L e h r e r , T h eRutles) is the return of the f u n -niest stand-up personas of thepast tw o millennia. After a 24-y e a r h i a t u s , M e l B ro o k s t r i -umphant ly repri ses his 2000
Year Old Man role. With inter-v i e w e r C a r l R e i n e r , B r o o k sbegan his 2000 Year Old rou-tine while writing for Sid Caesarin the ea r ly 19503 , an d p e r -formed it at showbiz parties fo ryears . In 1960 they recorded
their first LP , which immediatelyestablished Brooks' character asa martyr who's seen and done it
al l ("I have over 42,000 chil-dren," he laments, "and not onecomes to vis i t " ) . Three morea l b u m s f o l l o w e d , in w h i c hBrooks told u s h i s tory 's f i rs tnational anthem ("Let em all goto hell/ Except Cave 76") andoffered such revisionist tidbits asP a u l R e ve re ' s a n t i -S e m i t i s m
("The Yiddish are coming!"). A tthe end of yet another century,Brooks' character is still alert —"smart as a ship," he would say— an d offers insight into com-puter sex, medicine and some ofth e forgot ten commandments("Thou shalt not squint"). Thisfifth Brooks/Reiner album isn'tquite up to the duo's earlier stan-dards; there are too m a n yHol lywood in- jokes outs ide rsmight not get, and on occasionthe 2000 Ye a r Old Man lets
Phe
I poI 1
Celebrities
loose with profanity, which ma ymake the CD unsuitable for chil-dren. But on the whole, it's still adelight. I defy anyone to play thisa lbum and not crack a smile
w h e n R e i n e r a s k s if B r o o k s 'f a t h e r w a s a d i s c i p l i n a r i a n .Brooks quickly replies, "Therew as no Aryan in that man!"
Andrew Milner
V a r i o u s ArtistsGolden Throats 4:Celebrities Butcher Songso f t h e Beatles ( R H I N O )
Bea t le s ' dominance inpopular music during the
9603 not only led to thou-sands of rock group imitators,but inspired pop vocalists of theday to do "meaningf ul" covers ofBeatle hits. M iddle-aged musicfans during the flower-power era
co u l d l i s ten toTe n n e s s e e E rn i eFord ' s "Le t It Be" orB i n g C ro s b y ' s " H e yJ u d e " a n d co n v i n cethemselves they werewith it. Of course, onem a n ' s t r a v e s t y isanother man's market-ing opportunity, andGolden Throats 4 slick-ly a n t h o l o g i z e s t h eworst of this genre.
Some of the worstoffenders include Joel
Grey's over-enunciat-
ed "She's Leaving H ome," MaeWest's shaky "Day Tripper" andGeorge B urns ' "W i th a Li t t l eH e l p F ro m M y Friends ." J oe
P e s c i , k n o w n in the '6os as
Little Joe, attempts "Got to GetY ou I n t o M y Life . " T o p a r a -phrase Goodfdlas, yeah, Joe, w edo think you're funny.
N o ba d record anthology iscomplete without Wil l i amShatner, and he's here with his"Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds."Shatner brings the same subtletyand understatement to Lenno n-McCartney as he did to Star Trek.
The common error in these coversis the attempt to impose anothermusical style on the Beatles. AlanCopeland actually underscores
" N o r w e g i a n W o o d " w i t h t h etheme f ro m " M i s s i o n :Impossible." (Surprisingly, this
cut won a G r a m m y in 1968.)"Norwegian Wood" appears a sec-on d t i m e , as Jan and D e a nunwisely add surf harmonies tothe song.
The Beatles are the most cov-ered group in music histo ry, soit's forgivable that no t every l ameBea t le s cover i s on th i s CD.Surpr is ing ly, though, noth ingfrom the soundtrack to the 1978Sgt. Pepper movie is here. Thereshould have at least been room
fo r S t e ve M a r t i n ' s e x e c ra b l e"Maxwell's Silver Hammer."A.M.
The Kansas City soundtrackpresents an approach to jazz that
is accurately historical y ithout ;becoming sta le or documentary
— unlike many of the "Young
Lion" re leases, this project t a k e sjazz off the pedestal, dusts it off,a n d breathes present-day life into
it. The best t r acks on this album
a re those recorded with aclub
audience, a s exemplified b y therapturous crowd interjections that
br ing each chorus higfier and high-
e r during vocal ist Kevin
Mahogany's blues, " I Lef t My
Get pas t this th re e -C D b o x
set's smarmy title ( b a s e d o n th emost n o t o r io us co v e r in Na t io n a l
Lampoon h is to ry) .and i t s se l f -con-sciously hip l i ne r no tes a n d you'll
discover a hilarious compilation o f
stuff f rom the Nat iona l Lam poon
Radio Hour, which a i red f rom
1973 to 1975.The Radio Hour skewered
everything frorn establishment
t a r g e t s l ike religion, b ig b u s i n e s sa n d politics to the counter-culture
b e l ie f s o f se x , d rugs a nd rock 'n 'roll, a n d d id s o boch with s a v a g ewit (se e "The R y e n O ' Ne a lS t o r y " ) . a n d g e n u i n e whn o ,
( "Ev i l S a n t a " ) . It's appar^i '.• j . < .