All but forgotten in the Universal Music vaults, this charming 1963 cast recording has long deserved reissue, not only for its musical virtues, but also as a fine showcase for Harry Secombe. Adapted by Cyril Ornadel, Wolf Mankowitz, and Leslie Bricusse from Charles Dickens' The Pickwick Papers, this cheerful, wryly ironic musical was a success in England at the time of its premiere, and has received at least one major revival (which led, in turn, to a more modern cast recording). But there is a lot to be said for Marcus Dods' sprightly musical direction here, and the unique comedic/dramatic talents of Secombe -- who was also in the revival recording, three decades later -- as well as the contributions of Anton Rodgers in a more conventional mode. There's also a bit of a debt owed in the spirit of the piece to Gilbert & Sullivan, so fans of the Savoy operettas may well want to hunt this album down. ~ Bruce Eder

Rovi