International Lampoon

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Of the countless compilations to reconfigure Stan Freberg's classic Capitol Records catalogue, International Lampoon (2008) might just be the one to beat. The focus of this two-dozen-plus song anthology centers on the artist's uncanny penchant for musical satire. Specifically, Freberg's slightly skewed perception of the radically changing visage of pop music in the mid- to late '50s. While the vast majority (if not all) of the material found here is available elsewhere, there are several things that make the package stand out. For one, the scope of the contents range from Freberg's very first appearance on the Capitol Records moniker to rarely anthologized selections such as "Wide Screen Mama Blues" and "Rock Around Stephen Foster." Another brilliant concept was having the foresight to present Freberg's musical send-ups back-to-back with the original "hit" versions. In doing so, the entire context of how incendiary Freberg's barbs really were is revealed as never before. However, the festivities kick off with the seeming incongruence of Cliffie Stone & His Barn Dance Band performing "Wabash Blues." With the 78 rpm record label's credit reading "...with crying by Stan Freberg," Stone introduced the world to the young Freberg, who had been a recurring cast member on Stone's radio program Coffee Time at Harmony Homestead.The favor was paid back in full when Stone and His Orchestra were credited on Freberg's "John & Marsha." Rather than a typical pop parody, the saga is a tongue-in-cheek nod to the sappy, repetitive dialogue of radio soap operas. Whereas that single reached as high as number 21, "I've Got You Under My Skin" scores ten notches higher and further cemented Freberg -- with chorus and orchestra directed by the great Les Baxter -- as a formidable comedic talent. From here, the comparisons between Johnny Ray's "Cry" and Freberg's "Try" is followed by even closer-to-the-bone spoofs of "The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise" (Les Paul and Mary Ford), "C'est Si Bon" (Eartha Kitt), and "A Dear John Letter" (Ferlin Husky and Jean Shepard) -- during which Freberg even goofed on his own recording as "A Dear John and Marsha Letter." There are early rockers in the form of "Sh'Boom (Life Could Be a Dream)" (the Chords), "Heartbreak Hotel" (Elvis Presley), "Rock Island Line" (Lonnie Donegan), and "The Great Pretender" (the Platters). He even takes on then-mighty media mogul Mitch Miller with the "Yellow Rose of Texas." One of Freberg's best-known lambasts is the "Banana Boat (Day-O)" song which features the incomparable Billy May's score with Peter Leeds as the beatnik bongo player. The last entry on International Lampoon arguably has more personal import to Freberg as he predicts the vast cultural wasteland that was on the verge of numbing the brains of all that succumb to "Tele-Vee-Shun." The tune's concluding couplet: "...videotape, might help somewhat/But is it art?/Don't make me laugh!" is a final twist of the knife proving that Stan Freberg truly understood the power and the poison behind the medium. ~ Lindsay Planer