Search - Firesign Theatre :: Papoon for President

Odds 'n' ends 'n' previously released stuff... but funny

06/18/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This is a compilation of Firesign Theatre's political bits over the years. It's all funny stuff but some of it has been previously released and it's not all technically Firesign Theatre material. The Firesign Theatre's best works are extended, surreal narratives, so the fact that it is a collection of short bits already puts it below their finest releases. The disc is bracketed by two live radio cuts featuring Peter Bergman & Philip Proctor campaigning on behalf of fictional presidential candidate for the National Surrealists Party, George Papoon. It's amusing but hit or miss as it's all essentially improv. Next up is a portion of coverage of the Nt'l Surrealists Party from the 1972 Firesign album, "Not Insane or Anything You Want To" (available from laugh.com). Following that is a David Ossman solo track in which he portrays Papoon giving a press conference. Then, the best tracks on the disc appear: a couple of radio bits originally released on Rhino Records' "Lawyer's Hospital" in '82. Phil Austin gives a gossip column on Presidential Daffy Duck, we get coverage on the Gerald Ford Golf Rat Shoot, and we get to have dinner with ex-Presidents Nixon (Austin), LBJ (Bergman), FDR (Ossman), and Truman (Proctor). If you're not a completist, you may not have to have this disc because of the previously released stuff (some of which is currently available), though it DOES contain material which may never see the light of day in another form again."