Many of the commercial folk groups dabbled in humor, particularly during personal appearances, so it was only a matter of time until a folk group came along who existed primarily for laughs. The Smothers Brothers were that group, and they were much more successful on albums than on singles because their routines often centered around a theme that carried throughout the LP, with recurring jokes and an internal logic that was lost when cuts were segregated out. Consequently, the brothers' recordings are better heard on their original albums than on anthologies. Curb Your Tongue, Knave! was the duo's highest-charting album and covers a variety of topics, from American history to big game hunting to ethnic Christmas traditions. Tom Smothers mistakes himself for a comic book hero on "Lonesome Traveler," mangles the tunes "Whispering" and "Nola" on "The Incredible Jazz Banjoist," and obliterates Spanish guitar styles on "Flamenco." When the Smothers join together in harmony for "Church Bells," they show that there is some real musical talent behind the funny business, but the highlights are the jokes, some of which were a little risqué for their time. ~ Greg Adams, All Music Guide
"Curb Your Tongue, Knave!" was the fourth comedy album recorded by the Smothers Brothers, released November 1, 1963 on Mercury Records. The album was recorded live at Mr. Kelly's in Chicago, Illinois. It reached number 13 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart. This was the first of their original albums to be released on CD.
"Church Bells" (4:25) - Song about the bells of a Catholic Church, a Protestant Church, and a Synagogue during which Dick mistakenly says "Catholic Chowers" instead of "Catholic Towers". The song is a "shaggy dog story", a drawn out explanation ending with the church bells finally playing in sequence, the effect being to ring out "Shave and a Haircut". – 4:22
"Lonesome Traveler" (4:16) - Tom thinks he is the classic radio detective "The Whistler," for he walks by night and he knows many things. Some of Tom's best guitar work is featured on this classic folk song. – 4:14
"Gnus" (2:29) - Tom has thought about being a big game hunter and hunting the vicious gnus. – 2:29
"The Incredible Jazz Banjoist" (4:24) - Tom attempts to play "Nola" and "Whispering" on the banjo. – 4:23
"I Talk to the Trees" (3:40) - Dick is singing the show tune from Paint Your Wagon but has to stop to explain to Tom what the song was about. Tom thinks the guy in the song sounds like a nut. – 3:40
"Flamenco" (2:51) - Tom attempts a Flamenco guitar number from his "Spanish homeland." – 2:50
