Second-helping of early ‘60s musical parody

Recorded only a few months after his debut album brought a surprising burst of public acclaim, writer/producer Allan Sherman recorded his second album of song parodies. As on his first, Jewish-American characters and life are primary subjects of his humor, but he also branches out in multicultural parody on the album’s cleverly written and popular “Mexican Hat Dance,” and winningly recasts the Dixieland “Won’t You Come Home Bill Bailey?” as the intellectual “Won’t You Come Home, Disraeli?” As with his debut, this was recorded in front of a small, hand-picked studio audience in an intimate party-like setting. Sherman and his conductor Lou Busch play the live audience as much as the songs, leaving space for the uproarious laughs and hanging onto punch lines for maximum effect. Also similarly to the debut, Sherman’s everyman voice is backed by Busch’s serious arrangements, giving the humor of the lyrics an extra measure of silliness. This second helping isn’t as deeply clever as the debut (which, to be fair, was refined over several years in impromptu performances that Sherman made at parties), but it shows that Sherman wasn’t a one-hit wonder and set the stage for his third and greatest album later the same year. Collectors’ Choice straight-up reissue includes new liner notes by Dr. Demento. [©2010 hyperbolium dot com]