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Another Monty Python Record

 
Album Review: Another Monty Python Record

Review

In a motif established on their first long-player, Monty Python's Flying Circus (1970), much of the material incorporated into Another Monty Python Record (1971) was derived from the less visually oriented surrealistic sketches from their BBC television program. More importantly, this disc was the first to be issued throughout North America -- although the show was initially aired only in major markets on PBS stations. The quintet of writer/actors Michael Palin, Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and the distinctly American Terry Gilliam revolutionized comedy from slapstick physical humor into an exceedingly more cerebral space, where the satire could be directed squarely at "serious" works of art, literature, or historical figures as easily as it could be a series of Dadaist non sequiturs. They take siege of the vinyl LP medium, as Palin's sincere opening "Apologies" establishes that listeners should immediately suspend their disbelief and, in the words of the Beatles, "Turn off your mind, relax and float downstream." However, between the Viking-led tributes to "Spam" or Palin's abrupt interjections as Cardinal Ximinez during the "Spanish Inquisition" entries, there is the thoughtful madness of "World Forum," where Idle quizzes the likes of Karl Marx, Vladimir Ilich Ulyanov, Che Guevara, and Mao Tse-tung on the subject of British football. One of the longer pieces is the somewhat involved story of "The Piranha Brothers," Doug and Dinsdale, and a giant hedgehog named Spiny Norman. According to a female-impersonating character played by Cleese, "Norman was wont to be about 12 feet from snout to tail, but when Dinsdale was depressed, Norman could be anything up to eight hundred yards long." 'Nuf said. In addition to the aforementioned "Spam" skit, another of the scenes that Python would keep in their live act features cross-dressing Palin and Idle as a pair of high court and highly camp "Judges." Whereas their debut album may have seemed like a bunt to the comparative home run of Another Monty Python Record, the troupe would score a grand slam their next time up at bat with the follow-up, Monty Python's Previous Record (1972). ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Apologies Monty Python (25:52)
Spanish Inquisition Monty Python (27:54)
World Forum Monty Python Monty Python
Gumby Theatre, Etc. Monty Python
The Architect Monty Python
The Piranha Brothers Monty Python
Death of Mary Monty Python
Queen of Scots Monty Python
Penguin on the TV Monty Python
Comfy Chair/Sound Quiz Monty Python
Be a Great Actor/Theatre Quiz Monty Python
Royal Festival Hall Concert Monty Python
Spam Monty Python
The Judges/Stake Your Claim Monty Python
Still No Sign of Land/Undertaker Monty Python

Credits

Dave Howman (Editing), Andre Jacquemin (Arranger), William Roper (Assistant), Terry Gilliam (Design), John Cleese (Performer), Eric Idle (Vocals), Terry Gilliam (Assembly), Dave Howman (Mixing), Andre Jacquemin (Mixing), Terry Gilliam (Sound Effects), Terry Gilliam (Layout Design), Terry Gilliam (Performer), Tony Taverner (Assistant), Katy Hebbern (Cover Design), Andre Jacquemin (Editing), Barry Wentzell (Photography), Terry Gilliam (Arranger), Terry Jones (Vocals), Dave Howman (Arranger), Stanley Baldwin (Liner Notes), Michael Palin (Vocals), Graham Chapman (Vocals), Dave Howman (Assembly), Eric Idle (Performer), Hazel Pethig (Costume Design), Terry Gilliam (Editing), Michael Palin (Performer), Terry Gilliam (Vocals), Terry Jones (Producer), Andre Jacquemin (Sound Effects), Fred Tomlinson (Arranger), Carol Cleveland (Performer), Monty Python (Arranger), Tony Taverner (Assistant Engineer), Alan Bailey (Engineer), Dave Howman (Sound Effects), Michael Palin (Producer), Richard Tauber (?), Terry Jones (Performer), Colin Caldwell (Engineer), Kate Hepburn (Assistant), Graham Chapman (Performer), William Roper (Assistant Engineer), Terry Gilliam (Mixing), Andre Jacquemin (Assembly), John Cleese (Vocals), Kate Hepburn (Design)
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Wikipedia: Another Monty Python Record
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Another Monty Python Record
Studio album by Monty Python
Released 1971
Recorded 1971
Genre Comedy
Label Charisma Records
Producer Terry Jones
Michael Palin
Professional reviews
Monty Python chronology
Monty Python's Flying Circus
(1970)
Another Monty Python Record
(1971)
Monty Python's Previous Record
(1972)

Another Monty Python Record is the second album produced by the Monty Python comedy group, released in 1971. It was packaged as "Beethoven Symphony No. 2 In D Major", but defaced by the Pythons to serve as their own record jacket. (The "serious" liner notes on the back also bear a Pythonesque stamp: the biography of Beethoven quickly turns into a commentary on Beethoven's Wimbledon debut.) Most of the material is from the Monty Python's Flying Circus television series, although some of the sketches are new. Included with the original LP were three card inserts printed with detailed instructions, scripts and cut-out props for the 'Be A Great Actor' sketch on side 2.

Terry Jones noted on this album in the book The Pythons:

"We had this horrendous time because we were recording in this rather hippy recording studio which fortunately I can't remember the name of. ... We were very keen to use the stereo and everything, but what we hadn't realised was that the guy who was doing the recording, who I think was out of his head most of the time, had not been making any notes. We'd end up with tapes and tapes of material with no idea of where anything was on the tapes ... That was a bitter experience."

Contents

Track listing - Record

The list of sketches below is the list on the actual record, however there were other sketches featured.

Side one

  1. Apologies - 2:00
  2. Spanish Inquisition - 2:49
  3. World Forum - 4:00
  4. Gumby Theatre, etc. - 2:58
  5. The Architect - 4:10
  6. The Piranha Brothers - 9:50

Side two

  1. Penguin on the TV - 2:58
  2. Comfy Chair/Sound Quiz - 3:29
  3. Be A Great Actor/Theatre Critic - 4:21
  4. Royal Festival Hall Concert - 4:09
  5. Spam - 2:24
  6. The Judges
  7. Stake Your Claim - 3:27
  8. Still No Sign of Land (Lifeboat)/Undertaker - 5:29

2006 Bonus tracks

  1. Treadmill Lager (alternate version from Contractual Obligation Album)
  2. Bishop at Home (Mr. Stoddard)
  3. Court Room Sketch
  4. Freelance Undertaker

LP Philips 6369 913 (Australia 1972)

The actual tracks found on the Australian version of this album.
1 Apologies (2:11)
2 Spanish Inquisition (2:03)
3 Gumby Theatre (1:50)
4 Norman St John Polevaulter (Contradicting People) (0:28)
5 Old Ladies Thrown Into The Fjord (0:08)
6 The Architect (2:44)
7 Spanish Inquisition (1:18)
8 Royal Festival Hall Concert (4:18)
9 The Piranha Brothers (10:07)
10 Death Of Mary, Queen Of Scots (2:20)
11 Spam (2:30)
12 Spanish Inquisition (Comfy Chair) (1:25)
13 Sound Quiz (1:20)
14 Be A Great Actor (3:07)
15 Theatre Critic (1:26)
16 The Judges (1:27)
17 Stake Your Claim (2:26)
18 Still No Sign Of Land (Lifeboat)
19 The Judges (0:25)
20 Undertaker (1:38)

Musical works

The following is the list of musical works included on the album, printed on the CD booklet for copyright purposes. They are a mixture of self-penned Python songs, specially composed music by Fred Tomlinson, and pieces of library music.

  1. Trondheim Hammer Dance
  2. Liberty Bell
  3. Fanfare Opening
  4. Formal Presentation
  5. Contesana Padawana
  6. Man of Power
  7. Gold Lame
  8. Southern Breeze
  9. Spam Song
  10. Bahama Parakeet
  11. House of Fashion
  12. Circus Tumble
  13. Fanfare A
  14. Mystery Drums
  15. Mystery Place
  16. Ode to Edward
  17. In Step With Johann
  18. Knees Up Mother Brown

Distribution Information

  • LP: (1970) Charisma Records Ltd., CAS 1049 (UK)
  • LP: (1972) Charisma CAS 1049 (U.S.) (with different running-order and material)
  • LP: (1972) Philips 639 913 (Aust) (with different running-order and material)
  • LP: (1972) Buddah, **** (U.S.)
  • LP: (1988) Virgin Records Ltd., CHC 79 (UK) (budget price)
  • LP: (19**) Virgin MP501 (UK)
  • CD: (1989) Virgin Records Ltd. CASCD 1049 ("Another Monty Python CD") (U.S.)
  • CD: (1994) Virgin Records, Ltd., VCCD 001 (UK) ("Another Monty Python CD" version 2, re-issue)

 
 
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Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
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