Library Rock's Backpages

Comedy

144 articles

George Martin: The A&R Manager Behind The Comedy Successes Forecasts...

Interview by Alan Smith, New Musical Express, 9 March 1962

...Cribbins, Drake, Sellers, Milligan, Bentine Have Bright Disc Futures ...

Lonnie Donegan: What Lonnie Needs Now

Report by uncredited writer, Record Mirror, 10 March 1962

— A FOLLOW-UP TO 'DUSTMAN' ...

Freddie Starr & the Midnighters: Joe Meek and Merseybeat

Interview by Bill Harry, Mersey Beat, 23 May 1963

Meek Records Midnighters First Disc
 ...

The Beatles, Ken Dodd: Ken Dodd Champions The Beat Groups

Interview by Alan Smith, New Musical Express, 10 September 1965

"YES!" CACKLED Ken Dodd as he stood there in his dressing room at the London Palladium, wearing big boots, baggy trousers, a yellow daisy and ...

Ken Dodd: It's Tattifalarious! Ken Dodd's The New 'In' Name!

Interview by Alan Walsh, Melody Maker, 11 September 1965

The Diddy People march on the Pop 50 ...

Leapy Lee: Bayswater-on-Sea

Interview by Maureen Cleave, The Evening Standard, 27 November 1965

ON SEA? WELL, THAT'S HOW IT SEEMS TO LEAPY LEE WHO RECKONS HE CAN TELL IT WITH HIS EYES CLOSED ...

The Beatles: Who is the Funniest Beatle?

Comment by Dawn James, Rave, January 1966

JOHN, GEORGE, Paul and Ringo stood squashed together in an hotel corridor, besieged by people young and old. One of the younger ones screamed "aahh!," ...

Bonzo Dog Band: Musical Mayhem: Chris Welch on the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band

Profile and Interview by Chris Welch, Melody Maker, 16 April 1966

"WE'RE NOT doing a Temperance Seven — we're murdering the Temperance Seven!" insisted a defiant member of Britain's most incredible new rhythm ensemble — the ...

Spanky & Our Gang: Spanky and Our Gang Building Clubhouse at Top of Pops Tree

Profile by Robert Shelton, The New York Times, 6 May 1967

FROM THE overcrowded forest of pop vocal groups, a gifted new quartet seems clearly about to rise into a Sequoialike prominence. ...

Tim Buckley, Pat Paulsen, The Stone Poneys: Pat Paulsen, Tim Buckley, the Stone Poneys: Troubadour, Los Angeles

Live Review by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 1967

Pat Paulsen Sparkles at Troubadour Outing ...

The Smothers Brothers: Forcing The Establishment To Bend

Interview by Louise Criscione, KRLA Beat, 17 June 1967

WHILE THE love-ins, be-ins, chiquita stickers and protest marchers give the Establishment an inkling of what the younger generation thinks, feels and hopes to change, ...

Bill Cosby, Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd St. Rhythm Band: Bill Cosby & Watts 103rd St. Rhythm Band: Whisky a Go Go, Los Angeles CA

Live Review by Pete Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 22 August 1967

Bill Cosby Begins Career as Singer ...

Bonzo Dog Band, Cream: Cream, Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band: Saville Theatre, London

Live Review by Nick Jones, Chris Welch, Melody Maker, 4 November 1967

IT WAS A night of great music and brilliant comedy, approaching genius in both departments, when the Cream and Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band starred ...

Bonzo Dog Band: The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band: The Bonzo's Humanoid Machines

Profile and Interview by Bill Harry, Record Mirror, 11 November 1967

THE HUGE starship from Alpha Centuri entered the Solar System and Computer XII directed it to the third planet from the sun. The expedition scanned ...

Bonzo Dog Band: Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band: Dedicated Idiocy

Interview by Chris Welch, Melody Maker, 9 December 1967

THE BONZOS' POLICY PAYS OFF ...

The Scaffold: Scaffold: Queen Elizabeth Hall, London

Live Review by Lon Goddard, Record Mirror, 17 February 1968

AN HILARIOUSLY comedic and subtly intimate evening sparsed with a few soft-core implications was to be had at the Queen Elizabeth Hall during the appearance ...

The Scaffold: Queen Elizabeth Hall, London

Live Review by Alan Smith, New Musical Express, 17 February 1968

THANK U SCAFFOLD ...

Tiny Tim Explodes

Report by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 22 June 1968

the dear sweet ageless hippy... ...

Bonzo Dog Band, Joe Cocker, Peter Sarstedt, Tiny Tim: Tiny Tim, Joe Cocker et al: Royal Albert Hall, London

Live Review by Derek Boltwood, Record Mirror, 9 November 1968

ONCE UPON a time in the land of the Charity, a concert was given in aid of all the boys' clubs all over the country. ...

Bonzo Dog Band, Joe Cocker, Tiny Tim: Tiny Tim, Joe Cocker, Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band: Royal Albert Hall, London

Live Review by Alan Smith, New Musical Express, 9 November 1968

TINY'S BIG HIT ...

Bonzo Dog Band: Urban Spacemen DO Exist! The Mad, Mad Mad World Of The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band

Interview by Caroline Boucher, Disc and Music Echo, 30 November 1968

CAROLINE BOUCHER INSIDE A DOO DAH DEN! ...

Bonzo Dog Band: Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band: The Doughnut In Granny's Greenhouse (Liberty)

Review by uncredited writer, Melody Maker, 21 December 1968

Bonzo's latest piece of art ...

Bonzo Dog Band: Viv Stanshall, Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, at the Pop Think-In

Interview by Chris Welch, Melody Maker, 21 December 1968

FISH: I'm trying to become a pisceculturist. I'm less interested in fish than I am in turtles really. I like evil fish of archaelogical interest ...

Bonzo Dog Band: The Doughnut In Granny's Greenhouse (Liberty)

Review by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 4 January 1969

ONLY JUST received this one, so can't claim much familiarity, but I like it well enough already to want to include it anyway. ...

Vivian Stanshall: Face to face with Viv Stanshall: the day the cows came into the kitchen

Interview by uncredited writer, Jackie, 22 February 1969

DID YOU have a happy childhood? ...

Bonzo Dog Band, Vivian Stanshall: Loves and hates of Vivian Stanshall of the Bonzo Dog Doo-dah Band

Interview by uncredited writer, Jackie, 22 February 1969

I LOVE ...

Richard Pryor, Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd St. Rhythm Band: Richard Pryor, the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band: Basin Street, San Francisco CA

Live Review by Philip Elwood, The San Francisco Examiner, 31 March 1969

Opening Night Crowd Cheers Watts Band ...

The Congress of Wonders, It's a Beautiful Day: It's a Beautiful Day, the Congress of Wonders: Matrix, San Francisco CA

Live Review by Philip Elwood, The San Francisco Examiner, 17 April 1969

Wild Choruses 'Lift' a Rock Group ...

Bonzo Dog Band: The Bonzo Dog Band: Tadpoles (Liberty)

Review by Mark Williams, International Times, 29 August 1969

LIBERTY RECORDS have gone to an almost unusual amount of trouble to supply record reviewers, deejays and other assorted irks with a copious, track-by-thrusting-track run ...

Bonzo Dog Band, Grateful Dead: The Bonzo Dog Band, the Grateful Dead: Boston Tea Party, Boston

Live Review by Loyd Grossman, Fusion, 14 November 1969

Have You Seen My Bonzo Dog Doo Dah? ...

Bonzo Dog Band: Bonzo Dog Runs, Fucks Itself

Report and Interview by Loraine Alterman, Rolling Stone, 29 November 1969

NEW YORK — The Bonzo Dog Band, bitter over what they felt was shoddy treatment by their American record company, cut their second U.S. tour ...

Bonzo Dog Band: Keynsham (Liberty)

Review by Chris Welch, Melody Maker, 20 December 1969

BRAVO BONZOS! Never a band to take the easy course or rest on past successes, they continue to advance their unique musical properties with a ...

Bonzo Dog Band: The Bonzo Dog Band: 'We Were Unsexual, Unattractive And Musically Unexciting'

Interview by Keith Altham, Record Mirror, 10 January 1970

VIV STANSHALL TALKS TO KEITH ALTHAM ABOUT THE BONZO BREAK-UP ...

The Beatles '75

Guide by Loyd Grossman, Fusion, 20 February 1970

The Beatles – do you still want to know what they're up to? Even if, sub specie aeternitatis, it's, like, nothing? Well, go ahead, indulge ...

Bonzo Dog Band: The Bonzo Dog (Doo Dah) Band

Retrospective by John Mendelsohn, Fusion, 2 October 1970

IT GIVES ME limitless pleasure to inform you that, unless you're a member of a decidedly tiny minority of rock and roll women and men, ...

Monty Python's Flying Circus: Monty Python's Flying Circus (BBC Records)

Review by Chris Charlesworth, Melody Maker, 19 December 1970

OF ALL THE comic programmes to arrive on the magic box, Monty Python's Flying Circus seems to be the one that most people talk about afterwards. ...

Keith Moon, Vivian Stanshall: Viv Stanshall: If it's not the S.S. it's bleedin' campers...

Interview by Rob Partridge, Record Mirror, 2 January 1971

THE ABSURD strikes back. This time it's the Fuhrer and his faithful SS attendant dancing in one of London's Beer Kellers. Before that, it was ...

Ray Stevens: 'Bridget The Midget' Man Says Religious Lyrics Will Be Next Big Thing

Interview by James Johnson, New Musical Express, 20 March 1971

People are getting sick to death of the 'put-the-world-to-rights songs' ...

Martin Mull: Martin Mull (Capricorn)

Review by Bob Fisher, Cream, June 1972

SINGER/SONGWRITERS are thirteen to the dozen this year. Of the newcomers of the last eighteen months only a couple have managed completely successful albums, like ...

Cheech & Chong, Mahavishnu Orchestra: Berkeley Community Theater, Berkeley CA

Live Review by Philip Elwood, The San Francisco Examiner, 20 June 1972

Two Hours of Non-Stop Music By Mahavishnu ...

Screaming Lord Sutch: Sutch is Life...

Profile and Interview by Caroline Boucher, Disc, 5 August 1972

SCREAMING Lord "Jack the Ripper" Sutch — as he now likes to be known — is currently wearing his grudge on his chest. He is ...

David Bowie, Flo & Eddie, Sylvester: David Bowie & the Spiders from Mars, Phlorescent Leech and Eddie, Sylvester: Winterland, San Francisco CA

Live Review by Philip Elwood, The San Francisco Examiner, 28 October 1972

Bowie Band Fails To Arouse Crowd ...

Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show: The Funny Side of Dr Hook

Profile and Interview by Danny Holloway, New Musical Express, 17 March 1973

DR. HOOK were unexpectedly thrust to popularity via their international hit 'Sylvia's Mother' last summer. The strange thing is, people were buying the song and ...

Martin Mull: The Wonderful, Wacky World of Martin Mull

Interview by Arthur Levy, Zoo World, August 1973

And His Fabulous Furniture in Your Living Room!!! ...

Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show: Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show: Belly Up (Columbia)

Review by Jim Esposito, Zoo World, 6 December 1973

WILL SUCCESS spoil Dr. Hook? Or will Dr. Hook spoil success? Such is the saga of the madcap Medicine Show – a study in reverse ...

Neil Innes, Monty Python's Flying Circus: A special message to ex-Bonzo Neil Innes: "Can I have my socks back please?"

Interview by Rosalind Russell, Disc, 2 March 1974

Silly words from Terry Jones to Rosalind Russell ...

Monty Python's Flying Circus: Monty Python: Hi There, Tiger!

Report and Interview by Andrew Tyler, New Musical Express, 25 May 1974

THE DUNBLANE HYDRO bestrides a cemented hillock just five miles across freeway and dale. ...

Flo & Eddie's Media Mania

Interview by Ken Barnes, Phonograph Record, August 1974

WHEN WE LAST left our heroes Flo and Eddie (PRM September '73), they were poised on the brink of substantial obscurity. ...

Jim Stafford: The Gators Growl in Hog Town

Profile and Interview by Jim Esposito, Page One, December 1974

JIM STAFFORD stepped up to the microphone on the 15-yard line of the University of Florida's football field, pinpointed at the vortex of four spotlights ...

Biff Rose: The Half Live Adventures Of Biff Rose

Retrospective by Jerry Gilbert, ZigZag, January 1975

"My use of words is just some antics..." A chronoligical analysis of Biff Rose's albums ...

Alberto Y Lost Trios Paranoias: The Marquee, London

Live Review by Mick Farren, New Musical Express, 15 February 1975

The very serious business of trying to be funny: An assessment of ALBERTO Y LOST TRIOS PARANOIAS by MICK FARREN ...

Lenny Bruce: The Law, Language And Lenny Bruce (Phil Spector International)

Review by Mick Farren, New Musical Express, 26 July 1975

ABOUT EIGHTEEN MONTHS or so before Lenny Bruce died, he formed a loosely defined business relationship and a close friendship with Phil Sector. On the ...

Flo & Eddie: Illegal, Immoral & Fattening

Review by Richard Cromelin, Phonograph Record, September 1975

IN THE SPIRIT of fair play which should be utmost in our minds this Bicentennial year, PRM sent invitations to a wide spectrum of rock ...

Disco-Tex & the Sex-O-Lettes, Susan Cadogan: Leicester

Live Review by Bob Fisher, New Musical Express, 20 September 1975

APART FROM the flash of inspiration provided by the Birmingham band Muscles, the evening ranked as one of the most musically boring I have ever ...

Flo & Eddie: Illegal, Immoral and Fattening

Review by Ben Edmonds, Rolling Stone, 23 October 1975

INSIDIOUS. Here we have the mainspring of the Turtles, Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan, with an album that contains two songs (‘Rebecca’ and ‘Let Me ...

Alberto Y Lost Trios Paranoias: Nashville Rooms, London

Live Review by Ed Jones, Melody Maker, 27 December 1975

"I LEARNED this one off this old Dutch geezer wot was deaf, dumb, blind and crippled, called Truck Van Rental. It's called 'I Been Down ...

Stackridge: Presenting Mutter Slater

Report and Interview by Phil Sutcliffe, Sounds, 20 March 1976

Well this is really a feature on Stackridge but even they admit that Mutter's became their front man. Still they're all getting behind a new ...

Derek & Clive: The Worst Job I Ever 'Ad

Report and Interview by Roy Carr, New Musical Express, 11 September 1976

Derek and Clive and the rich panorama of sub-human life ...

Supercharge: Charge!

Profile and Interview by Chris Welch, Melody Maker, 25 September 1976

Rollers, Quo, Wakeman – just three targets for ace satirists Supercharge ...

Fabulous Poodles: UMIST, Manchester

Live Review by Paul Morley, New Musical Express, 4 December 1976

PURE, UNDISGUISED entertainment from a crackerjack fun quartet of sly, sleazy, 'appy crups who played like the Beatles never happened — a major reason why ...

Alberto y Lost Trios Paranoias: Not Only The Whole Story Of Rock But A Killer Whale Too…

Report and Interview by Miles, New Musical Express, 22 January 1977

"DA HIPPY Church" is what my Dutch cab driver calls it. As regular readers will know, the Paradiso is a converted church in the centre ...

Fabulous Poodles, UK: UK, Fabulous Poodles: the Odeon, Edinburgh

Live Review by Ronnie Gurr, Record Mirror, 13 May 1978

"NOT AS bad as expected" seemed to be the general consensus of opinion on the yet to be acknowledged supergroup, UK. This sentiment summed up ...

Vivian Stanshall: The Urban Submarine Man

Interview by David Hancock, Evening News, London, 7 October 1978

I WAS JUST about to plunge fully clothed into the swimming pool, notebook and pencil in hand, when it crossed my mind that it might ...

Bonzo Dog Band, Vivian Stanshall: Vivian Stanshall: Afloat!

Interview by Brian Case, New Musical Express, 25 November 1978

Yes, it's the tang of the salt spray in a Force 9 from Finisterre with regard to this one, hipmates; A rollicking tale which tells how Silver's parrot changed his ...

Wild Man Fischer: Look Out, Las Vegas

Profile and Interview by Steven X Rea, Chic, December 1978

"I'LL BET YOU that if I played Las Vegas, Don Rickles, Frank Sinatra, Buddy Hackett, everybody in that place would look up to me and ...

Bonzo Dog Band, Vivian Stanshall: Vivian Stanshall (1979)

Interview by Ira Robbins, Rock's Backpages audio, January 1979

The world-class eccentric talks about the old days with the Bonzo Dog Band; demonstrates some of his favourite instruments; explains his love of Dada; recounts some adventures with Keith Moon; expresses his ambivalence towards Monty Python's Flying Circus and chats about Sir Henry at Rawlinson End.

File format: mp3; file size: 53.8mb, interview length: 58' 46" sound quality: ***

Bonzo Dog Band, Vivian Stanshall: Vivian Stanshall (1979) [transcript]

Audio transcript of interview by Ira Robbins, Rock's Backpages transcripts, January 1979

This is a transcript of Ira's audio interview with Vivian. Listen to the audio of this interview. ...

Root Boy Slim & The Sex Change Band: Boogie 'Til You Puke

Profile and Interview by Giovanni Dadomo, Sounds, 8 September 1979

TENDER MOMENTS IN THE COMPANY OF ROOT BOY SLIM AND THE SEX CHANGE BAND. By GIOVANNI DADOMO (AGAIN) ...

The Blues Brothers, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles, Rev. James Cleveland, Aretha Franklin: Various artists: The Blues Brothers Soundtrack (Atlantic SD16017)

Review by Richard Cromelin, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 1980

DESTRUCTION OF THE BLUES ...

Splodgenessabounds: The Max Factor

Interview by Deanne Pearson, Smash Hits, 24 July 1980

Deanne Pearson gives a compact account of Splodgenessabounds ...

Splodgenessabounds: Woolwich Tramshed, London

Live Review by Garry Bushell, Sounds, 31 January 1981

The Splodge is dead, long live the Splodge ...

Monty Python's Flying Circus: Monty Python: Monty Python's Contractual Obligation Album (Arista); National Lampoon: White Album (Label 21)

Review by Richard C. Walls, Creem, April 1981

I HATE COMEDY albums and I hate the kind of people who like them. I hate it when they play their latest comedy acquisition for ...

The Firesign Theatre's Nostalgia for the Future

Interview by Mark Leviton, BAM, 2 December 1983

LOS ANGELES — Joey Yolk, wearing his T-shirt from the 1997 Rolling Stones Farewell Tour, has just struck out on foot for the big city, ...

Spinal Tap: the Comics Behind the Funniest Rock Movie Ever

Interview by Michael Goldberg, Rolling Stone, 24 May 1984

Celebrating seventeen years of heavy metal's most painful career ...

Weird Al Yankovic: In 3-D (Rock ‘n' Roll)

Review by Jeffrey Morgan, Creem, August 1984

JUST IN CASE anyone should ever ask you, here are seven good reasons why this album should be a part of every collection: ...

Spinal Tap: This Is Spinal Tap (15)

Film/DVD/TV Review by Ian Birch, Smash Hits, 30 August 1984

Remember The Bad News Tour? How The Comic Strip tore into the ludicrous excesses of heavy metal groups? ...

Tracey Ullman Must Work

Interview by Karen Schlosberg, Creem, September 1984

WHAT'S A nice girl like Tracey Ullman doing in the music business? First we have to clear up several pieces of information that are rather ...

Spinal Tap: This Is Spinal Tap

Review by Cynthia Rose, New Musical Express, 8 September 1984

Director: Rob Reiner; Starring: Rob Reiner, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer ...

Spinal Tap: The Spinal Solution

Interview by Cynthia Rose, New Musical Express, 8 September 1984

Cynthia Rose shares a wake-up cuppa with Derek Smalls, Nigel Tufnel and David St Hubbins, the unlikely rockers who made it from New York back ...

Bonzo Dog Band: Roger Ruskin Spear (1985)

Interview by Ira Robbins, Rock's Backpages audio, 1 March 1985

The ex-Bonzo Dog man talks about his current activities, and brings us up-to-date with the activities of his fellow Bonzos.

File format: mp3; file size: 18mb, interview length: 19' 42" sound quality: ** (phoner)

Half Man Half Biscuit: System Club, Liverpool

Live Review by John McCready, New Musical Express, 29 March 1986

WARNING: PACEMAKERS TO BE SHOWN ...

Ted Chippington, The Nightingales, We've Got a Fuzzbox And We're Gonna Use It: We've Got A Fuzzbox And We're Gonna Use It, the Nightingales, Ted Chippington: Fuzzed Among Equals

Report and Interview by Cath Carroll, New Musical Express, 2 August 1986

The Vindaloo roadshow blitzes Britain with firm-hold hairspray, firm-hold Fuzzbox parents, lobbed bunnies and drape jackets. Entertaining FUZZBOX, THE NIGHTINGALES and TED CHIPPINGTON are the ...

The Fat Boys: Getting just desserts

Profile and Interview by Richard Harrington, The Washington Post, 15 August 1987

THE MAITRE D' at Samplings on M Street hovers over a table that looks like it's just had a serious accident. ...

Frank Sidebottom: Contact Theatre, Manchester

Live Review by John Robb, Sounds, 9 January 1988

PAUL MCCARTNEY, the famous ex-Beatle and big mate of top bubble head comedian Frank Sidebottom, once said, "The only thing that I ever got from ...

Frank Sidebottom: 5/9/88! (In Tape Double LP/Cassette only)

Review by Len Brown, New Musical Express, 17 September 1988

THE VERY existence of 5/9/88! is a triumph of art over antagonism. Like The Smiths at Strangeways… and The Beatles during Let It Be, Sidebottom's ...

Frank Sidebottom: Would You Marry This Man?

Interview by Cathi Unsworth, Sounds, 12 November 1988

Frank Sidebottom reckons he's the world's most eligible bachelor. Cathi Unsworth succumbs to his charms and checks out his prolific vinyl output. ...

Rudy Ray Moore, Clarence Reid (aka Blowfly): Blowfly, Rudy Ray Moore: Club Lingerie, Los Angeles CA

Live Review by Don Waller, Los Angeles Times, 12 December 1988

Blowfly Captures Crowd ...

Dame Edna Everage: "I'm A Sort Of Fairy Godmother"

Interview by Tom Hibbert, Smash Hits, 14 December 1988

Absolutely! For you are the "legendary" "housewife-superstar" Dame Edna Everage, mentor of the rich and famous, guru of "style" and big pal of Sir Clifford ...

Frank Sidebottom: 13:9:88 (In Tape)

Review by Bob Stanley, Melody Maker, 13 May 1989

SO WHAT do you reckon will be the first significant movement in Pop Music in the Nineties? Dreampop? Crotchquake? Stone Rose Psychedelia? Nah. The one ...

The Simpsons: The Simpsons Sing The Blues (Geffen)

Review by John Harris, Sounds, 12 January 1991

SO YOU thought Bart Simpson was a pubescent anarchist who spat in the face of the American way and sowed chaos wherever he went? ...

New Kids On The Block: A Secret History of New Kids On The Block

Special Feature by Chuck Eddy, Throat Culture, 1992

"Rap is a toilet, not a design for a toilet, or a better toilet...It is the first toilet. It is a toilet for sitting on, ...

Spinal Tap: Royal Albert Hall, London

Live Review by Simon Price, Melody Maker, 18 July 1992

THE VERTEBRATE ROCK'N'ROLL SWINDLE ...

Bonzo Dog Band, Vivian Stanshall: "Vivian, You Look Awful – Where's Your Shoes?" – an interview with Vivian Stanshall

Interview by Phil McMullen, Ptolemaic Terrascope, November 1992

SOME DAYS are made in heaven, some days are made in hell and some inhabit a nowhere-land somewhere in-between. ...

Butthole Surfers: Independent Worm Saloon (Capitol)

Review by Keith Cameron, Vox, April 1993

WITH THEIR last album, 1991's half-hearted Pioughd, the Butthole Surfers appeared to be relying on a well-cultivated knack for elaborate in-jokes, almost to the exclusion ...

John Shuttleworth: Buzz Club,  Manchester

Live Review by Simon Warner, The Guardian, 28 April 1993

ONE-TIME PUNK parodist in the guise of Jilted John, actor Graham Fellows has emerged in a new incarnation – a singer-songwriter of dubious pedigree by ...

Bonzo Dog Band, Vivian Stanshall: Vivian Stanshall 1943-1995

Obituary by Ira Robbins, Rolling Stone, 20 April 1995

VIVIAN STANSHALL died in a fire at his apartment in London on March 5. At 51 he was the Renaissance man of English absurdity. A ...

The Lightning Seeds: Three Lions '98: They Shoot, They Roar!

Report and Interview by Johnny Cigarettes, New Musical Express, 16 May 1998

Eng-er-land, Eng-er-land, Eng-er-land! Oh yes, we're gonna win the World Cup. Why? Because FRANK SKINNER, DAVID BADDIEL & IAN BROUDIE have updated Three Lions' — ...

Barenaked Ladies: Northern Exposure

Interview by Will Hermes, Rolling Stone, 10 December 1998

The improbable and partially nude true story of how five funny guys from Toronto called Barenaked Ladies became the biggest new rock band in America ...

The Firesign Theatre: Sixties Laugh-In: The Firesign Theatre

Retrospective by Gene Santoro, The Nation, 21 January 1999

"THEY'VE COME TO steal my dreams," whimpers a female voice. A series of male voices drifts past: "Get up, lady." "It's the trade of the ...

Bonzo Dog Band: The Bonzo Dog Band: Neil Innes

Interview by Richie Unterberger, Perfect Sound Forever, 26 June 1999

IF THERE was ever an equivalent to Spike Jones in rock music, the Bonzo Dog Band were it. ...

Supergirly: Pop tarts

Interview by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 18 August 1999

Madonna loves their parodies; so do Elton, Mick and Boy George. Dave Simpson meets Aussie sensation Supergirl ...

Chris Morris: Blue Jam

Review by David Stubbs, Uncut, November 2000

'Is Morris operating from a high plane of disgust or from some pit of personal rage?' Compilation of best bits from the dark ambient comedy ...

Tom Lehrer

Retrospective by Everett True, Tangents, 2001

TOM LEHRER WAS the man who first taught me that Americans could be both smart and satirical. He was also indirectly responsible for one of ...

Richard Pryor: ...And It's Deep Too! – The Complete Warner Bros Recordings (1968-1992)

Review by Charles Shaar Murray, MOJO, January 2001

A 9-CD box showcase for the greatest stand-up comic who ever lived... and it's funny, too! ...

Neil Innes: Innes's Humor Doesn't Compromise His Rock

Live Review by Jim Sullivan, The Boston Globe, 9 October 2001

CAMBRIDGE – Neil Innes, a bald man sporting a gray, Beatles-like wig, took the stage at the House of Blues Sunday night. The members of ...

Ali G: The joke's on you: Ali G's 'Me Julie'

Comment by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 13 March 2002

This week Ali G releases his first single, 'Me Julie'. Caroline Sullivan wishes he wouldn't. ...

Tenacious D: Astoria, London

Live Review by Ian Winwood, Kerrang!, 20 July 2002

OUTSIDE THE Astoria, on the Charing Cross Road, "Filthy Phil The Preacher" is holding a Bible and a broken megaphone. ...

Tenacious D: D-linquent, d-generate and d-praved!

Interview by Stephen Dalton, New Musical Express, 16 November 2002

Leaders of the satanic rock revolution, cult spunk guzzlers Tenacious D have already lured Dave Grohl, Weezer and Tool into their sleaze-sodden underworld where orgies ...

Lenny Bruce

Book Excerpt by Gene Santoro, 'Highway 61 Revisited', 2004

THE SCENE: MIAMI in 1951. A 25-year-old strip show emcee initiates his first public demonstration of what would, decades later, be called performance art. It ...

The Firesign Theatre

Book Excerpt by Gene Santoro, 'Highway 61 Revisited...', 2004

IN THE LATE 1960s, millions of us walked around with alternate visions of reality dancing in our heads. No, it wasn't just drugs and the ...

Various Artists: A Mighty Wind

Review by Ken Hunt, Record Collector, March 2004

THE QUANTITY OF hot air expended in the wake of A Mighty Wind, Christopher Guest's spoof of the US folk scare and its fall-out, has ...

Vivian Stanshall's Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead

Review by Rob Chapman, Uncut, June 2004

GENUINE ECCENTRICS don't fill out an application form to join the Eccentrics Club and then sit in wood-panelled drawing rooms trading well-honed anecdotes with fellow ...

Bonzo Dog Band, Neil Innes: Neil Innes: Taking Off/The Innes Book Of Records

Review by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, March 2005

A TV SHOW like The Innes Book Of Records would struggle for a terrestrial timeslot these days, but back in the late '70s former Bonzo ...

Goldie Lookin' Chain: Goldie Lookin Chain

Interview by Simon Price, The Independent, 3 April 2005

One minute they were an unknown posse from Gwent, the next they were music industry darlings. Are Goldie Lookin Chain — the "Welsh Wu-Tang Clan" ...

John Cage, Keith Rowe: Seriously funny

Comment by David Stubbs, The Wire, June 2005

David Stubbs on discovering that humour and music do mix ...

Rutles.The: The Rutles: Rock Café 2000, Stourbridge

Live Review by Stephen Dalton, The Times, 18 June 2005

A COMEDY sketch that grew into an cult, the Rutles may be a joke that delivered its punchline almost three decades ago, but 200 or ...

Goldie Lookin' Chain: Safe As Fuck (Atlantic)

Review by Dan Gennoe, dotmusic.co.uk, 19 September 2005

THE PROBLEM WITH jokes is that they're only really funny the first time round. Nowhere is this truer than in music. ...

The Darkness: The gathering Darkness

Interview by Simon Price, The Independent, 13 November 2005

What a year it's been for Lowestoft's campest band of brothers. They've lost a bass player, found a new one (it took, ooh, seconds) and ...

Jake Thackray: Jake In A Box/Live Performance

Review by Daryl Easlea, bbc.co.uk, 2006

AFTER HIS LATE '60s and early '70s heyday, when he could be found on national telly and Royal Variety Shows with his hilarious vignettes of ...

Tenacious D: MEN Arena, Manchester

Live Review by Stephen Dalton, The Times, 15 December 2006

NO ORDINARY BAND could have made their Manchester debut by packing the city's largest rock venue. But Tenacious D pulled off this impressive feat, thanks ...

Bonzo Dog Band: Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band: Pour L'Amour Des Chiens

Review by Johnny Black, MOJO, January 2008

The '60s' best-loved musical satirists return; guests stand in for Viv Stanshall. ...

Bonzo Dog Band, Flight of the Conchords, Freddie & The Dreamers: Flight of the Conchords, the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band and other pop comedy acts

Overview by Robert Sandall, The Sunday Times, 25 May 2008

It's business time for pop comedy again – but why now? ...

Half Man Half Biscuit: CSI: Ambleside

Review by John McCready, The Word, June 2008

Forget the TV-obsessed japery of their John Peel years. Half Man Half Biscuit are now the most perceptive satirists in British music. ...

The Mighty Boosh: One mighty impressive line-up

Preview by John Lewis, Metro, 24 June 2008

The Mighty Boosh get their very own festival ...

Cheech & Chong: Lost in the ozone again

Interview by Bill Holdship, Detroit Metro Times, 17 September 2008

CHEECH MARIN AND Tommy Chong require little introduction. The countercultural comedy heroes turned movie superstars took several decades off to pursue solo careers (and Chong ...

The Barron Knights: Duke D'Mond, 1943-2009

Obituary by Alan Clayson, The Guardian, 28 April 2009

Singer whose group's top 10 hits brought parody to 1960s pop ...

Flight of the Conchords

Comment by Bob Ruggiero, Houston Press, 29 April 2009

WOW. FOR ONLY being "New Zealand's fourth most popular novelty folk duo," singer/guitarists Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement must be pretty ambitious to book Jones ...

Bonzo Dog Band, Frank Zappa: ROCK CLIMBING: Jon Stewart Asks, 'Does Humour Belong In Music?'

Column by Jon Stewart, Guitarist, July 2009

HIGH SUMMER, the silly season, is the time to examine humour in music. ...

Flight of the Conchords, Pavement: Flight of the Conchords: NIA, Birmingham/Pavement: Brixton Academy, London

Live Review by Simon Price, The Independent, 16 May 2010

Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie's anti-folk television duo are superstars of comic pastiche, now the Conchords show they're also top flight on stage. ...

Frank Sidebottom: Chris Sievey 1955-2010

Obituary by Rob Hughes, The Guardian, 22 June 2010

Musician, entertainer and alter ego of the cult comedy creation Frank Sidebottom. ...

Die Antwoord: Scala, London

Live Review by Ian Gittins, The Guardian, 16 November 2010

IF DIE Antwoord are a joke, they're a painfully acute one. This over-the-top South African rap-rave trio, comprising rappers Ninja and Yolandi Visser and a ...

Bonzo Dog Band: The Bonzo Dog Band: A Dog's Life

Review by David Quantick, The Word, March 2011

The ever-rising legacy of the Bonzo Dog Band — every shade of music and humour faithfully packaged in one 3CD box. ...

Half Man Half Biscuit: 90 Bisodol (Crimond)

Review by Stuart Maconie, The Word, November 2011

Antacid, pierced glook and regional epithets — the enduring joy of a new album from Birkenhead's finest satirists. ...

Screaming Lord Sutch Is Alive And Well And Living At Number Ten...

Retrospective by Alan Clayson, unpublished, June 2012

...10, PARKFIELD ROAD, South Harrow, that is – where the mere mortal christened David Edward Sutch had tumbled out of bed just prior to the ...

NOFX: 30th Anniversary Box Set

Review by Ben Myers, bbc.co.uk, 2013

Satirical Californian punks display cockroach-like endurance. ...

Craig David

Interview by John Lewis, Baku, May 2013

WE'RE AT THE O2 in London to see Craig David's first UK tour in four years, and there's a weird buzz of excitement. Just over ...

Spinal Tap Redux

Interview by Jim Sullivan, Rock's Backpages, December 2013

I LISTENED to some of it in my youth, but spent most of my post-teenage years trying to avoid this crap: pandering, patronizing, mono-dimensional, unimaginative ...

The Faces, Michael Jackson, The Police, Slade: John Pidgeon, 1947-2016

Obituary by Richard Williams, The Guardian, 21 July 2016

Rock writer turned broadcasting executive who did much to reinvigorate BBC radio comedy. ...

10cc, Alberto y Lost Trios Paranoias, The Beatles, Bongwater, Bonzo Dog Band, David Bowie, Culturcide, The Darkness, The Detergents, Hannah Diamond, The Dukes of Stratosphear, James Ferraro, The First Class, Morgan Fisher, The Flying Lizards, Gary Glitter, Laibach, Little Pain, Nick Lowe, The Mothers Of Invention, The Move, John Oswald, QT, Redd Kross, The Residents, Roxy Music, Todd Rundgren, The Rutles, Shockabilly, Spinal Tap, Alvin Stardust, The Tubes, The Turtles, Utopia, Wizzard, Weird Al Yankovic, Zodiac Mindwarp & The Love Reaction: Killer Riffs: A Guide to Parody in Popular Music

Essay by Simon Reynolds, Pitchfork, 19 October 2016

From the Residents' freakish Beatles sendups, to Spinal Tap's meta-metal escapades, to the gastronomic goofs of "Weird Al", a chronicle of those who have turned ...

Flight of the Conchords: O2 Arena, London

Live Review by Bruce Dessau, The Evening Standard, 21 June 2018

BRET MCKENZIE and Jemaine Clement were supposed to play their first London tour dates in seven years in March but then Bret rather inconsiderately tumbled and ...

Vivian Stanshall: Beyond The Bonzo Dog Band

Memoir by Gary Lucas, Please Kill Me!, 26 May 2021

Vivian Stanshall was the strikingly eccentric ringleader of the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, often described as the UK's version of the Mothers of Invention. ...

Slept on Soul: Paul Mooney's Race

Column by Michael A. Gonzales, soulhead, 28 May 2021

AS A CHILD of the 1970s, I grew-up as a fan of racy Black comedy albums. My "summer mother" Aunt Ricky had a stash of ...

Bret McKenzie, Flight of the Conchords: "Trying not to be funny was a challenge": Flight of the Conchords' Bret McKenzie on his serious solo debut

Interview by Laura Barton, The Guardian, 20 August 2022

He has written duets for man and Muppet, parodied Morrissey in The Simpsons, and become Hollywood's go-to for bringing "heart" to the movies. Now he's ...

Mojo Nixon: You Can't Kill Me: Mojo Nixon, Free, Drunk & Horny and Ready to Rumble

Memoir by Holly Gleason, Rock's Backpages, February 2024

MOJO NIXON was crazy. Walking on a razor edge, laughing into the wind like some kind of kamikaze "Hey, y'all! watch this!" good ole boy ...

back to LIBRARY

COPYRIGHT NOTICE