The First Family - Vaughn Meader
Another comedy album, o boy. Vaughn Meader and his talented cast perform a kind of radio-theater bit as they mimic the President and the first family. It's essential sketch comedy. I only listened to this once and to be honest, I didn't really get it. I tried my hardest to pretend I was living in the sixties and JFK was the president, but even then I have the problem of having to hear JFK speak. A voice that I personally find rather irritating and hard to understand. Great guy though. I did find myself laughing occasionally, whenever "John" and "Jackie" would talk together I found both of their character voices absolutely hilarious.
This kind of sketch comedy predates SNL by ten years, but seems to some of the ground work for intelligent and relevant sketch comedy. People will always find pleasure in mocking or playing with their political figures. It humanizes them, makes them seem friendly, and is a cathartic way to deal with the faults of our nation. Comedy is a form of relief, and I'm glad even then, JFK was involved in this art. If I knew more about history, I would've loved it all the more. But it's a very entertaining piece and a steppingstone in comedy history.
- I Left My Heart in San Francisco performed by Tony Bennett
- Jazz Samba performed by Stan Getz & Charlie Byrd
- Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music performed by Ray Charles
- My Son, the Folk Singer performed by Allan Sherman
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