The Stan Freberg Show

• Artist: Stan Freberg
• Rating:
• Release Date: November 01, 1995
• Type: Compilation (best of)
• Genre: Spoken Word

Review

Social satirist and comedian Stan Freberg created one of the most entertaining radio programs during the waning days of the medium. However, what separated Freberg from 'golden age' classics such as Amos 'n' Andy or The Jack Benny Show was his relentless pursuit of innovation and his boundless ingenuity. These likewise became factors in his unequaled success as a media advisor/advertising consultant throughout the ensuing decades. Although Freberg's weekly half-hour, prime-time CBS Radio slot only lasted 15 weeks, it set the standard for the type of 'visual' comedy that would soon take America by storm on television. His 'theater of the mind' concept was so novel and ultimately convincing, that along with actors Daws Butler, June Foray and Peter Leeds, Freberg was able to go head-to-head with his audio/visual broadcast counterparts [read: competition]. The four discs in the Stan Freberg Show (1995) present the final eight installments that initially ran during September and October of 1957, in surprisingly crisp fidelity. These are complete and unedited, exactly the way that they originally aired. While several compilations were made available over the years from these recordings, up until now they have never been offered in their entirety. Thanks to the resourcefulness and unique energy of the cast, each could be considered comparable to an animated cartoon for the ears. The is especially true as Daws Butler, June Foray and Peter Leeds would later provide the voices from scores of well-known characters. Here, their multi-faceted skills can be heard on "Audience Gripes About Freeway" and the painfully accurate "Freberg in Adverstisingland." They are also front and center for the live remakes of "St. George and the Dragonet" and the "Banana Boat Song (Day-O)" parody, both of which Freberg released as singles during his concurrent tenure with Capitol Records. ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide

Tracks

CD 1

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
The Zazaloph Family Return/Uninterrupted Melody: The Story of the Good ...		Stan Freberg, June Foray, Peter Leeds, Daws Butler	(28:44)
A Condensed Version of the Confidental Magazine Trial/The Abominable ...		Peter Leeds, Daws Butler, June Foray, Stan Freberg	(29:08)

CD 2

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Audience Gripes About Freeways/The Freberg Do-It-Yourself Grand Piano		Stan Freberg, June Foray, Peter Leeds, Daws Butler	(29:27)
College Footballer Francis "Butch" Sharmley/The Monkey Song/Fost Pelt,		Stan Freberg, Peter Leeds, Daws Butler, June Foray	(29:27)

CD 3

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
High Speed Rocket Sled/The Home Handyman/Robert E. Tainter: Labor ...		Peter Leeds, Stan Freberg, June Foray, Daws Butler	(28:53)
Cocktails for Two/Circus Question/Gray Flannel Hat Full of Teenage ...	Sam Coslow, Arthur Johnston	Daws Butler, Peter Leeds, June Foray, Stan Freberg	(28:31)

CD 4

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Freberg Sponsors Freberg/Miss Jupiter Returns/Freberg in ...		June Foray, Peter Leeds, Stan Freberg, Daws Butler	(28:32)
Elderly Man River/Bang Gunleigh/Banana Boat Song/Wun'erful, Wun'erful	Stan Freberg, Jerome Kern, Pete Barnum, Oscar Hammerstein II	Stan Freberg, June Foray, Peter Leeds, Daws Butler	(28:25)

Credits

Pete Barnum (Producer), Carl Amari (Executive Producer), Christina Vrba (Project Manager), Daws Butler (Performer), Stan Freberg (Writer), Vicky Kelly (Art Direction), Bruce Talbot (Executive Producer), Peter Leeds (Performer), Stan Freberg (Collaboration), Stan Freberg (Liner Notes), June Foray (Performer), Stan Freberg (Director), Bruce Talbot (Collection), Pete Barnum (Writer), Joel Bogart (Illustrations)

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