I just re-acquired two old records that I'd lent to someone a long time ago, both by a group called The Bonzo Dog Band. The name probably means nothing to most Americans, but I went to a lot of trouble to find these records in the first place. Why? Because one of the core members of the band was a guy named Neil Innes. If that still doesn't ring a bell, Neil was the guy who at least partially wrote the funny songs in the movie "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", which is an obscure little film that most people who'd read this blog may have seen once or twice (probably more like two or three hundred times). Neil appears in the film as Sir Robin's lead minstrel, singing the song about Sir Robin bravely running away.
Paul McCartney and George Harrison were known fans of the Bonzo Dog Band, with Paul producing a song for them ("I'm the Urban Spaceman", under the pseudonym Apollo C. Vermouth).
Neil was also involved with a TV movie called "The Rutles" which was a Beatles parody involving members of Monty Python and the original cast of Saturday Night Live. It was a ratings catastrophe for NBC in spite of the quality cast, probably because you had to know a fair amount about the Beatles in the first place to get some of the jokes. The music demonstrates impressive understanding of what made the Beatles distinctive. If some of the lines weren't so damn funny, you'd think some of the songs were actual lost Beatles tracks.
Fans of Pythonesque humor will probably find it worthwhile to track down anything recorded by the Bonzo Dog Band or the Rutles (though the Bonzos 40's/50's era style is probably funnier, overall). My personal Bonzo favorites are "Hunting Tigers Out in Indiah" and "Canyons of Your Mind", which I guarantee contains the worst guitar solo you'll ever hear in your life. You'll hurt yourself laughing even as you cringe. "Mr. Apollo" is great for those of us old enough to remember the Charles Atlas ads in comic books. "I'm the Urban Spaceman" is good, if not especially funny.
Now I just need to find a way to get these records into a more modern format so I can play them in the car. Any suggestions as to how to do that would be appreciated.
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3 comments:
Spin it again is some software that looks like it does what you're looking for. Might even be able to test it before you buy it with a free download.
I've never heard of these guys, by the way, but I think i'd probably dig them.
yes converting your vinyl record into a portable sized clay pot could be difficult, i recommend playing the music loudly while you're at the potters wheel. warning: do not talk too loud during this, for the not-yet-completed-pot will record your voice also. oh, and relax your fingers, and make sure the clay is at it's proper consistancy.
get a portable record player, or enjoy listening to them as a more time consuming ritual. i.e. take the time to listen to them.
As always, Professor, your knowledge of Things Pythonesque astounds me!
I shall raise a small glass of sherry to Mr. Innes herewith. Huzzah!
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