Comedy on Vinyl

…I have no words.  Except Merry Christmas.  This special episode features the one and only Zero Mostel at possibly his most insane, reading Dr. Seuss’s timeless “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”  There are SO many things going on here, I can’t begin to describe it.

Just know that despite the fact that we didn’t talk much about Zero (his comedy was on the stage and screen), he was a great actor, and Mel Brooks’ “The Producers” wouldn’t have been the same without him intimidating the hell out of Gene Wilder.  In many ways, we wouldn’t have the same Gene Wilder.  Take a listen and, as always, have a Merry Thing.

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Host: Jason Klamm

Producer: Mike Worden

This Week’s Guests: Dan Gomiller, Ari Jarvis, Jeremy Guskin  and Jen Smith

Comedy on Vinyl is recorded at Fort Awesome Studios in beautiful downtown Burbank.  The samples played in these non-commercial (see: free) podcasts are used without permission, and are intended to sell more albums, not to endorse Vinyl Piracy.  Follow us on Twitter or at the Facebooks.

Zero Mostel’s IMDB page: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0609216/

Buy “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” on vinyl: http://goo.gl/3fChz

Episode 17 Direct Download

http://stolendress.com/comedyonvinyl/wordpress/wordpress/?feed=podcast

We waited too long to get to this album, since its among the first albums I ever listened to, and it simply blew my mind.  What’s disappointing is its the first one I simply have not been able to find locally on vinyl - despite having it in the secret Comedy on Vinyl Vaults somewhere deep in the woods of Upstate New York at my mom’s house (it also explains why we’re pointing to an image of the album cover on my phone).  THAT said, this is going to be one of those albums I absolutely DEMAND you purchase immediately.  I choose to sample these tracks without killing the value of purchasing the album, but believe me, it was very tempting to give you “Seven Words” in its entirety, as this is the greatest version there is.  That said, I didn’t - so go buy it.

Though people have treated George Carlin as though he was following the work of Lenny Bruce, Carlin was never an activist, and no matter what you thought of his changing onstage persona, he remained a comedian, unlike Lenny Bruce.  ”Stand-up philosopher” is a phrase bandied about in this podcast, and I’ve always felt it fit George Carlin to a T.  Comedians are, by trade, thinkers before speakers.  Usually the speaking takes the form of a joke - Carlin weaves the traditional joke in with pure “one-on-one” conversation, letting you discover his thought process as he helps you understand your own.  All this, on top of being a bad-ass who did, indeed, challenge the FCC and, whether he tried to or not, changed the way the US and its government looks at “profanity,” makes George Carlin a legend.  Do yourself a favor and discover this album, if you haven’t already.

Subscribe on iTunes (And please leave your comments and rate us.)

Host: Jason Klamm

Producer: Mike Worden

This Week’s Guests: Dan Gomiller, Ari Jarvis and Jeremy Guskin

Comedy on Vinyl is recorded at Fort Awesome Studios in beautiful downtown Burbank.  The samples played in these non-commercial (see: free) podcasts are used without permission, and are intended to sell more albums, not to endorse Vinyl Piracy.  Follow us on Twitter or at the Facebooks.

George Carlin’s official site: http://georgecarlin.com/

Buy “The Rutles” on vinyl: goo.gl/fs6ny

Episode 16 Direct Download

After Monty Python, Eric Idle continued the sketch comedy television with Rutland Weekend Television, which featured “The Seventh Python,” Neil Innes.  Best known beyond The Rutles as an amazing absurd satirist, Innes brought a musical legitimacy that Idle, with impressive musical credentials of his own, likely couldn’t match.  Also, Innes did a dead-on John Lennon.

Hardly the first mock-documentary, this is one of the first - if not THE first musical-themed film in the genre.  A pretty literal parallel of the actual history of The Beatles, The Rutles is impressive, if only for its attention to detail.  The songs are, in many cases, dead-ringers for actual Beatles songs (which apparently caused a legal problem or two), and the story an absurd twist and comment on Beatlemania - an obsession that, no matter how you feel about The Beatles, is easily seen as one of the strangest phenomena to ever ripple through pop culture.

Subscribe on iTunes (And please leave your comments and rate us.)

Host: Jason Klamm

Producer: Mike Worden

This Week’s Guests: Dan Gomiller & Ari Jarvis

Comedy on Vinyl is recorded at Fort Awesome Studios in beautiful downtown Burbank.  The samples played in these non-commercial (see: free) podcasts are used without permission, and are intended to sell more albums, not to endorse Vinyl Piracy.  Follow us on Twitter or at the Facebooks.

Buy “The Rutles” on vinyl: http://goo.gl/iafam

Buy “The Rutles” on DVD: http://goo.gl/l96Yx

Episode 15 Direct Download

Mel Brooks may have made the name he has today with a unique brand of parody, but Young Frankenstein is arguably his masterpiece, and is no doubt the beginning of a brand of pastiche that has informed the work of every great filmmaker of the last four decades.  Self-awareness without having to mug, genuine drama without a sly wink, and real, stone-faced, honest acting make this more than just what Mel Brooks calls a “spoof.” 

As Dan points out in this episode, “Young Frankenstein” is a spiritual sequel to its namesake, and even cursory knowledge of the original “Frankenstein” is enough to get the basics.  That said, it’s still a good, human story, given to us through some of the best slapstick ever put on film.

Subscribe on iTunes (And please leave your comments and rate us.)

Host: Jason Klamm

Producer: Mike Worden

This Week’s Guests: Jennifer Smith, Dan Gomiller & Ari Jarvis

Comedy on Vinyl is recorded at Fort Awesome Studios in beautiful downtown Burbank.  The samples played in these non-commercial (see: free) podcasts are used without permission, and are intended to sell more albums, not to endorse Vinyl Piracy.  Follow us on Twitter or at the Facebooks.

Buy the “Young Frankenstein” soundtrack on VERY expensive vinyl: http://goo.gl/3qZPC

Buy “Young Frankenstein” on DVD: http://goo.gl/7OT4x

Episode 14 Direct Download

For the first time, I’m going to recommend you actually watch something before listening to this week’s album (links are below).  Why?  Well, because Ernie Kovacs is the godfather of experimental TV.  Which is why, as a comedy writer, I was blown away that my introduction to him was from non-comedian (but hilarious person) Adam X. Storm.

Adam’s connection to Ernie Kovacs is a personal one, as well as one of the art appreciator.  This week we talk about the clear impact that Ernie Kovacs has had on the world of comedy since the 50s - from Monty Python to Tim & Eric.  Whether a comedian cites him as an influence or not, there’s no doubt that he was the first one to really play with the medium.

Watch these and get a taste - as personally chosen by Adam himself.

The Nairobi Trio: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoLTFQsFswM&feature=related

Percy Dovetonsils: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQUbDGrPg9U&feature=related

1812 Overture: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xq2le_1812-overture-ernie-kovacs-show_music

Host: Jason Klamm

Producer: Mike Worden

This Week’s Guest: Adam X. Storm

Comedy on Vinyl was recorded this week at the Casa De Adam X. Storm.  The samples played in these non-commercial (see: free) podcasts are used without permission, and are intended to sell more albums, (and spread the word of wonderful work) not to endorse Vinyl Piracy.  Follow us on Twitter or at the Facebooks.

Buy The Ernie Kovacs Album on vinyl: http://goo.gl/KGdKw

Buy The Ernie Kovacs Collection (some of his greatest visual work) on DVD: http://goo.gl/RzI3r

Music featuring Adam X. Storm:
The Brittle Bones: http://goo.gl/H7bAw
Vote Smith: http://goo.gl/jgwfA

Looking Forward: A Hopemoir (produced by Adam X. Storm): http://hopemoir.com/

Thank you!

Jason Klamm

Episode 11 Direct Download

He was Troy McClure.  He was Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer.  He was Bill McNeil.  Most importantly, he was a brilliant comedic actor, and loved by everyone he worked with.  He also inspired some of us to do what it is we do.  That was reason enough to make our first live episode a tribute to him.

This week we were honored to be joined by Vicki Lewis, whose love for Phil Hartman made this one big, amazing Phil-Hartman-lovefest.  Vicki let us in on who Phil Hartman was - and what he still means - to her as a person and a creative person.  In this episode, Jeremy also reads a wonderful message from Melanie Hutsell, and we speak with Paul Hartmann, Phil’s brother, and Angel Rosenthal, organizer of the “Phil Hartman for the Walk of Fame” movement on Facebook - both of whom kindly sat around for a long time waiting for a call. 

We also talk about a Poco album called “Legends,” which matters only because Phil Hartman designed the album cover, and it was his favorite piece.  Phil Hartman was a genius and renaissance man, and deserves to be celebrated.  His 63rd birthday would have been next week, so celebrate as you will - watch Houseguest for the millionth time, perhaps.  Or listen to this episode again.  That’s what I’ll be doing.

Subscribe on iTunes (And please leave your comments and rate us.  We need to know if you think we are sexy or not.)

Host: Jason Klamm

Producer: Mike Worden

This Week’s Guests: Mike Preister, Jeremy Guskin and Vicki Lewis

Comedy on Vinyl was recorded this week at the Zephyr Theatre.  The samples played in these non-commercial (see: free) podcasts are used without permission, and are intended to sell more albums, (and spread the word of wonderful work) not to endorse Vinyl Piracy.  Follow us on Twitter or at the Facebooks.

Phil Hartman for the Walk of Fame: http://goo.gl/1hIuc

The Lovely Vicki Lewis: http://vickilewis.com/

Thank you!

Jason Klamm

Episode 10 Direct Download

It didn’t take long for Richard Pryor’s work to crop back up on Comedy on Vinyl, which is mostly due to popular demand.  Not only is “…Is it Something I Said?” still our most-downloaded episode, but two of my favorite comedic minds specifically said they needed to talk to me about this one.  And I do mean to me, folks, as Live on the Sunset Strip is, sadly, fairly new to me.  But not to my detriment - there are some amazing moments on this album, and it clearly had an impact on this week’s guests - Mike Preister and Jeremy Guskin.

It’s an interesting change of pace for Richard Pryor, if only spurred on by what he took as the necessity to talk about a very public drug problem.  But by 1982, and this album, he’s clearly learned a lot, and his comedy shows it.  Equally mature and child-like (as all of his stories have some innocence peeking through, Live on the Sunset Strip takes is also of a rare breed of film, given the popularity of the concert movie of the same name.  It’s a brilliant piece of work that you need to listen to.  But first, listen to us tell you why.

Subscribe on iTunes (And please leave your comments and rate us.  We need to know if you think we are sexy or not.)

Host: Jason Klamm

Producer: Mike Worden

This Week’s Guests: Mike Preister and Jeremy Guskin

Comedy on Vinyl is recorded at Fort Awesome Studios in beautiful downtown Burbank.  The samples played in these non-commercial (see: free) podcasts are used without permission, and are intended to sell more albums, not to endorse Vinyl Piracy.  Follow us on Twitter or at the Facebooks - also, we finally have comedyonvinyl.com, which is almost designed and up.  But not quite.

Official Richard Pryor Site: http://www.richardpryor.com/ 

Buy “Live on the Sunset Strip” on vinyl: http://goo.gl/pNC0x

Comedy on Vinyl Live! A Tribute to Phil Hartman! A FREE show is on Saturday, September 17 in Hollywood - http://goo.gl/99yRb

Jeremy plays a bad guy in the upcoming NBC mini-series “Blackout” soon!

Thank you,

Jason Klamm

Episode 8 Direct Download

Not stand-up.  Not sketch.  Just pure comedy.  The Firesign Theatre are, luckily, indescribable.  You owe it to yourself to find any of their comedy.  They have released 22 albums since the 70s and this is, frankly, their third.

This particular episode forgoes the convention of being clip-heavy, or even clip-light (there’s just the one, really) as we had a lot to talk about with this week’s guest, the incomparable Jeremy Guskin.  You’ve seen him all over your television screens, possibly asked him to leave, and then realized he was so real you thought he was in the room with you.  THAT is how good he is.  And this week he tells us how inspirational and confoundingly hilarious The Firesign Theatre is, and how important it is to him as a comedic person.

Subscribe on iTunes (And please leave your comments and rate us.  We need to know if you think we are sexy or not.)

Host: Jason Klamm

Producer/Contributor: Mike Worden

This Week’s Guest: Jeremy Guskin - Look at his tweets

Comedy on Vinyl is recorded at Fort Awesome Studios in beautiful downtown Burbank.  The samples played in these non-commercial (see: free) podcasts are used without permission, and are intended to sell more albums, not to endorse Vinyl Piracy.  Follow us on Twitter or at the Facebooks - also, we finally have comedyonvinyl.com.

Official Firesign Theatre Site: http://www.firesigntheatre.com/

Buy “Don’t Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me the Pliers” on vinyl: http://goo.gl/CJ3tv

Jeremy and Jason co-star monthly in “A Drinking Game”: http://adrinkinggame.com

Mike is in “A Few Good Men”: http://goo.gl/DhXIl

Thank you,

Jason Klamm

Episode 6 Direct Download