Song Of The Day by Eric Berman – “Sarah Jackman” by Allan Sherman Funny guys are often tragic figures, and Allan Sherman surely fits into this category. In the span of several years, Sherman went from the pinnacle of success as a TV sketch writer and recording artist who had a huge hit with the song “Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh,” (plus the requisite books, cartoons and board games that spun off of the song’s success), to being a divorced alcoholic, living on unemployment benefits with emphysema and diabetes… and dead by the all-too-young age of 49. Part of the blame can be left to the cultural shift this country went through after the assassination of John F. Kennedy...

  Song Of The Day by Eric Berman – “Lemmings Lament” by National Lampoon “Welcome to the Woodshuck Memorial Festival: Three Days Of Peace, Love And Death!” So began one of the funniest and spot-on parodies of the Woodstock generation with this announcement made by none other than John Belushi. Lemmings was performed as a stage show by National Lampoon in 1973, and not only launched the career of Belushi, but also introduced many of us to Chevy Chase, Tony Hendra and Christopher Guest. The show opened at the Village Gate, in New York City, on January 25, 1973, and ran for 350 performances. It included a then-unknown John Belushi performing a parody of Joe Cocker on the song...

  Song Of The Day by Eric Berman – Allan Sherman “The Painless Dentist Song” Funny guys are often tragic figures, and Allan Sherman surely fits into this category. In the span of several years, Sherman went from the pinnacle of success as a TV sketch writer and recording artist who had a huge hit with the song “Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh,” (plus the requisite books, cartoons and board games that spun off of the song’s success), to being a divorced alcoholic, living on unemployment benefits with emphysema and diabetes… and dead by the all-too-young age of 49. Part of the blame can be left to the cultural shift this country went through after the assassination of John F....

    Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#716 in the Series) is Jimmy Fallon, Blow Your Pants Off Choosing your go-to talk show host is a lot like choosing a spouse or a dog.  It is a decision that is typically made when you are in your mid-twenties, one you are stuck with for at least a decade at a minimum, and you must be prepared for them to at times bring you joy, sometimes disappointment, and from time to time they will soil your rug. If the current stable of late night talking heads were a classic rock artist Jay Leno would be Bob Seger in that he is definitely showing his age, his monologues have not...

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#690 in the Series) is Jim Gaffigan, Beyond the Pale  I have always wondered why and how a comedy record would cost as much as a record by a musical artist; I mean you might listen to it a couple times, but rarely more than that right? Well, here is an exception and I believe an exceptionally funny album that I have played many times and even though I know what is coming next, I still find myself laughing out loud. The material is highly quotable and very much repeatable as he makes expert use of deadpan sarcasm. His observational comedy seems to have universal appeal and is spot on when it comes...

  Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#561 in the Series and #59 in the Live, Saturday Night Series) is Woody Allen, Stand Up Comic (1964-1968) We’re really going to go into a different direction today as we’re going to feature our first comedic album.   Yeah, and I’m sneaking it in as a “live” one as well, mainly because it indeed is a recording of three live stand-up routines. This is very early Woody Allen, very, very early. “Stand-Up Comic” is a compilation of three performances from 1964 thru 1968. The first part was recorded at Mr. Kelley’s in Chicago in ’64. Part two was from the Shadows in DC the same year while the last part was 4...