Dr. John Valby a.k.a Dr. Dirty. Writes, sings, plays a mean piano. If you get a chance to see him in person, go. Most of the time there will be, at some part in the show, topless females.
Another vote for Tom Lehrer. And Spike Jones. I’ll add The Porstmouth Sinfonia and The Swingle Singers. But my favorite has to be P.D.Q. Bach.
Henry Philips - “Mystery Girl” and “Standing on the shoulders of freaks”
Dana Lyons - For the infamous “Cows with Guns” song
and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the venerable Rev. Billy C. Wirtz. There is nothing like a Mennonite Surf Party and a song about a 400 lb redneck exwife who likes to watch professional wrestling while eating Little Debbie snack cakes on her purple nawgahide couch, to tickle your funny bone.
Here’s one not mentioned yet:
Martin Mull. His “Perfect/Not Perfect” album is the best of the bunch. It’s taken from his stage show, so you get a hint of what he’s like live. Strung throughout are ads for “Bun and Run” that sound like a musical version of “Fast Food Nation” (sample lyrics, sing this spritly now: “Take a big bite / Chew and swallow / Have another, you can take it / What a bargain for a dollar / It cost twenty cents to make it”).
Then there’s the crass song (“Pig in a Blanket”), a gay-hinting song “Fruits,” and Peter Framption joining him on stage for “It’s All Over” (called this because they couldn’t print the line from the chorus which is “I’ve been in some s–tholes, boy, but this takes the cake.” There’s even a religious number “Jesus is Easy.” My favorite is the autobiographical “Licks off of Records.”
Weird Al been mentioned before. First hearing “Hooked On Polkas” – particularly Led Zepplin performed with a polka beat – had me rolling in the back seat of a friend’s car. He’s done a lot of crap, but some of his songs have been spot-on. “Ricky” was on the edge of subversive, both the song and the video, and “Dare to be Stupid” is the Devo song Mark Mothersbaugh should have written. My dream is to publish a book so I can use the lines:
You can be a Coffee-Achiever
Or you can sit around the house and watch “Leave it to Beaver”
The future’s up to you
So what you gonna do?
On the dedication page. Words of wisdom, man.
The Rutles were at their best on the first album. That was the cream of the crop, and really observent knock-offs of the originals. I rather like to think that “Another Day” and “Cheese and Onions” WERE recorded by the Fab Four.
Of course, that leads directly to Monty Python, particularly “I Bet You They Won’t Play This Song on the Radio” and “Sit on My Face.” Their version of “Annie’s Song” would be appreciated by anyone who would ice-pick their ear drums rather than listen to John Denver.
Then there’s the one-offs that I remember from Dr. Demento, particularly “Wet Dream” (Kip Adada) and a version of “Existential Blues, Part Two” that I ** haven’t ** found (it’s the one where Dorothy goes to Oz and the story is retold. Dr. Demento has a cameo in it where he gets to rap.) Much funnier than the first version I’ve found on Np**r.
Another vote for SPIKE JONES and I’ll add----
STAN FREEBERG----
“How ya gonna catch em?
I thought you’d never ask. A DRAGONET.
Dum De Dum Dum.”
“Ya can cover up yeller, ya can cover up rose; but don’t you cover up TEXAS!”
“My ears, my ears, like my ears!”
Wesley Willis. 'Nuff said.
Sheb Wooley
The Hoosier Hot Shots
Well, let me third the Arrogent Worms, and second Corky and the Juice Pigs.
And I get to first Bowser and Blue. Woo hoo!
As long as anomolies are also accepted, I have to include The Rolling Stones.
“The Rolling Stones?” you say. “What the hell kind of novelty record has ever been put out by The Rolling Stones?”
I answer thee: “The Girl with the Far-Away Eyes.”
“I was so pleased to be informed of this,
That I wan twenty red lights in His honor.
Thank you, Jesus…
Thank you, Lord.”
All with Mick Jaggar somehow twisting those huge lips into a dayun-haom kuntry tuh-wayung which has to be heard to be believed. The first time I heard it I laughed…and then I found out who it was…and then my brain exploded.
Oh, and naturally I have to agree on Firesign Theater, Lehrer, Jones, Yankovic…and I’d like to add a huge helping of Tom Smith to the mix “Cthulhu Lite FM,” “Callisto” and “Five Years” are all the geek street cred he’ll ever need, baybee.