Smothers Brothers - Sibling Revelry: The Best of the Smothers Brothers
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Free Music Notes for Sibling Revelry: The Best of the Smothers Brothers
Free Music Review: Always Ready for a Classic Laugh
Hit: 5 Stars
What a great collection of some of the best loved and remembered routines from the Smothers Brothers! Talk about turning back the clock with a smile!The thing that brought me looking for it in the first place was the fact that I recently got Show #9 of the Judy Garland Show on DVD in which the Smothers Brothers appear doing their "I Talk to the Trees" routine. This Show #9 was a truly classic hour in television history not only for the fact that a 21-year old, "pre-Funny Girl" Barabara Streisand was also a guest star on that show.
The point is that after having been so suddenly and visually reminded of how MUCH I loved the Smothers Brothers when I was a kid, I immediately came to Amazon.com to see what other materials might be found (the whole TV series on DVD maybe?, I thought, as I had been so lucky to find for nearly the whole Judy Garland series) only to find this one and only "best of" CD.
I can't get over the fact that nearly every review here is also begging for more of this truly classic pair of timeless comedians.
Hello producers! Are you listening??? To date there are nothing but five-star reviews here begging for the same thing with clear evidence of real trans-generational popularity potential!
An important point made by other reviewers is the fact that with audio recordings we only get to hear the humor. Growing up at home we had one Smothers Brothers album which we nearly wore out with continuous listening. I am thrilled that so many of the routines on that album also appear on this CD. But the Smothers Brothers' appearance on the Judy Garland DVD struck me like lighting when I recalled how visual half of their comedy was with Tommy Smothers' perfectly timed sweeps from sheepish grins to huffy pouts to giddish giggles contrasted to Dicky's criticizing, complaining straight-man act. Put that together with all of those most-loved comic routines and their perfect singing harmony when they finally do get back on track and you would have another collectible set that anyone who loved them in the 60's would surely go scrambling for!
Free Music Review: Mother Smothers's Favorite Brother...and the Other One!
Hit: 5 Stars
I had the good fortune of running into Tommy Smothers once and had the opportunity of telling him how the Smothers Brothers were THE forumlative influence when I was growing up. I had all of their albums before I was a teenager. My appreciation of vocal harmonies (there is something about people who are related singing harmonies whether its the Judds or Tom and Dick) and the power of satire (even before their television show).
Certainly you can quibble with whether or not your personal favorite is included on this album, but the selection is pretty good. What I want to commend is that they included not only "I Talk to the Trees" but "You Didn't Come In," which shows how they played off of their audiences and their own routines (remember their 10th album "Golden Hits of the Smothers Brothers Vol. II. There was no Volume I, because the point was all of these songs/routines had been done before and they were still milking them for laughs).
The album does cover the scope of their humor. You have quickies like "Laredo" and "Daniel Boone" to longer efforts like "The Saga of John Henry" and "Cabbage." Both classic bickering brother routines are included ("Mom Always Liked You Best") and some of the original songs written for the boys (e.g., "Crabs Walk Sideway"). They included "Mediocre Fred" which was always a fav of mine.
There is even a reference to Ralph, from the original Smothers Brothers Show (the sitcom) where Tommy Smothers became what must be the only person to play himself as a dead man (Right?).
If they are releasing all of Bill Cosby's albums on CD, we can hope that the same will happen with the Brothers Smothers. But to date all we have is "Curb Your Tongue, Knave," which is arguably the weakest of their comedy albums. Hopefully the dam will burst and we will get the rest before the end of this decade.
Free Music Review: It's been so long...
Hit: 5 Stars
For years now I've looked in CD sections--do I look in folk? In comedy? I couldn't find any of the old Smothers Brothers bits. God, they were funny. Then I found this.I'm almost inclined to give it less than 5 stars as I can't find any other CDs of their old albums, ones with "She's gone forever, and I can never go on, how ever I try..." and other songs that have rung through my memory for decades now. But if there must be a summary of their performances, this is a good one.
Among their bits that was most memorable was "Mom always liked you best!" That's on here, an excellent example, but it's not overdone. In other words, enough of their other bits also need to be on the CD and they are too.
I'd almost forgotten (1) how funny they were/are and (2) that they're really pretty good musicians! Tommy had is characteristic Guild guitar. (He used a cheaper one when The Who was on the show and Pete Townsend took his guitar and smashed it. But that's another story.) Their voices mixed well, and some of the numbers they choose were decent folk tunes.
As to their being funny, Tommy was brilliant. I'd forgotten how good he was as the little kid. His timing is impeccable, and his mind wanders like that of a kid.
Anyway, if you liked the Smothers Brothers, this is a good start. Maybe we need to lobby them to release some of their other stuff on CD. In the meantime, enjoy this!
Free Music Review: Take it!
Hit: 5 Stars
The Smothers Brothers issued ten MERCURY label records between 1961 and '68. With a catalog that large, a single-disc "best of" collection is almost certain to omit some great material due to time constraints. Mason Williams, who had a Top 40 hit in 1968 with "Classical Gas," wrote many of the Brother's funniest tunes, including one that was probably deemed too politically incorrect for this CD. It appeared on MOM ALWAYS LIKED YOU BEST, and was called "The Three Song." This was about a girl who yearned to be asked to dance-- the only drawback was she had THREE LEGS!
Not counting their PLAY IT STRAIGHT album, the Smothers have a catalog of almost 100 tracks. Only one-fifth of their recordings are here, and since this "best of" collection was issued in 1998, the chances are probably slim that a Volume Two or box set will appear anytime soon. That's a real shame, too.
Remastering on this RHINO product is excellent. The CD includes a foldout style booklet with an interesting three-page bio.
TOTAL RUNNING TIME -- 76:26
Free Music Review: A Must-Have for Modern Smothers Fans
Hit: 5 Stars
The Smothers Brothers were most popular during the 1960s, but their brand of comedy is timeless. Born out of mischieviousness, their songs can be enjoyed by young and old alike. They don't swear or make jokes about sex and drugs. They're just having fun, and Tommy's dumb, child-like character is a perfect platform for jokes.
The great thing about these guys, aside from the fact that they're hilarious and have great timing, is that they're good singers. Their voices blend extremely well and the serious moments can be quite moving.
This CD is great for new fans to the brothers who don't have access to a record player. Now, you don't have to buy the records to hear their performances.
If you've never heard the Smothers Brothers before, this is a great place to start. Songs like "Chocolate" and "Cabbage" are classics, and if you're a fan, get the DVDs and compare the differences between the performances.