Owned since: 2016

Genre: 60’s nationally broadcast ‘counter-culture’ comedy

Where I bought it: Plaatboef

Year: 1968

Label/pressing: Mercury

“Mom always liked you best!”, it’s a pretty classic catchphrase these days belonging to likely the most famous musical comedy brothers act ever. There is nothing more 60’s then the Smothers Brothers weird but infectious blend of folk music, political comedy and good old vaudeville bits. A lot of things have happened since their show got canceled (including the yo-yo man) in the 60’s but they’ve since retired in 2010 after a career of nearly 50 years.

I have no idea how this record landed in the Netherlands, most likely it was part of some American expat record collection which got sold after their passing which is fairly common around here [Sloot note: Do not emigrate to the Netherlands if I want to stay alive]. The Summer of Love led to a pretty big invasion of the Americans in the 60’s here and some chose to stick around but most didn’t.

So far, I’ve found The Smothers Brothers’ Comedy Hour never broadcast in the Netherlands, which makes sense because in 1969 we had just around 6 TV channels and translating wasn’t really a thing outside of movies yet. Well, glad to own it because I’ve always enjoyed the (slightly dated) styles of the Brothers’ act.

The Smothers Comedy Brothers Hour serves as a collection of songs/skits from their (in)famous canceled show at CBS. A brewing pot of comedy writers, staff/performers included but not limited to Steve Martin, Bob Einstein and Garfield’s voice Lorenzo Music and music (Joan Baez, Cream, THAT The Who performance) which got pulled for political reasons and later led to a multi-million settlement between CBS and the brothers. With that info blurb out of the way, let’s talk about the record I guess.

A lot more politically charged than their previous records it includes the famous I Talk to the Trees segment but mostly a lot of sibling bickering. This is, well, pretty much the Smothers act- endless bickering with Dick playing the straight man and Tom very much in the doofus foil role. It’s a good bit if you like a bit of old school sketch based comedy and a lot of folk songs. There are some jokes that haven’t dated that well but honestly it is fairly relaxed for 60’s comedy.

I think it all loses a fair bit of impact without seeing the brothers in action visually, but still this record is what it is honestly. A recording of a bunch of TV show bits that nearly 60 years later are still pretty chuckle-worthy. The show for sure is still worth seeking out, even outside the historical importance of it all if only for seeing a young beardless George Carlin and various other soon-to-be massive comedy stars. It’s also a pretty neat time capsule of the 60’s.

Shame the My Man is a Dust Man bit is not on here, still. This is all I got for this also because writing about ‘live comedy’ kind of sucks.