We’re getting the boy a CD player for his room for Christmas, and I’d like to get him a few CDs to go with it.
He loves novelty music like Weird Al. I don’t want to get him anything too risque, in case it offends his mother.
Who are your favorites for funny music?
Weird Al is really good and usually a safe bet. Some Dr. Demento is okay, but you have to be careful there. If he’s into comedy, Bill Cosby is one my 11 year old son enjoys. Bill Harley has some great stuff and it’s all for kids so it should be fine with mom.
How about Tom Lehrer?
Austin Lounge Lizards?
Spike Jones is a good idea.
I’m looking over my Dr. D. 20th, 25th, and 30th (Dementia 2000) anniversary collections. How sensitive is his mother? There isn’t anything that would bother me if you gave it to my (hypothetical) 12-year-old, as the most potentially offensive songs I can find on those albums are relatively tame.
Here are my guesses as to what she might consider offensive (not what I do).
20th Anniversary: Lehrer: Masochism Tango, Poisoning Pigeons
25th Anniversary: A couple of songs with double entendres, like “Entering Marion”. On the plus side: Stan Freberg’s lampoon of “Heartbreak Hotel”.
Dementia 2000:[ul][]Phillips: On the Shoulders of Freaks - pleasant music with lyrics referring to pedophilia of ancient Greece, Catherine the Great and her (apocryphal) horse, and a couple of other things.[]Corky and the Juice Pigs: I’m the Only Gay EskimoMonty Python’s Lumberjack Song[/ul]But Dementia 2000 also has “The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins” sung by Leonard Nimoy, and “Kill the Wabbit!”
Spike Jones is a good idea.
I’m looking over my Dr. D. 20th, 25th, and 30th (Dementia 2000) anniversary collections. How sensitive is his mother? There isn’t anything that would bother me if you gave it to my (hypothetical) 12-year-old, as the most potentially offensive songs I can find on those albums are relatively tame.
Here are my guesses as to what she might consider offensive (not what I do).
20th Anniversary: Lehrer: Masochism Tango, Poisoning Pigeons
25th Anniversary: A couple of songs with double entendres, like “Entering Marion”. On the plus side: Stan Freberg’s lampoon of “Heartbreak Hotel”.
Dementia 2000:[ul][]Phillips: On the Shoulders of Freaks - pleasant music with lyrics referring to pedophilia of ancient Greece, Catherine the Great and her (apocryphal) horse, and a couple of other things.[]Corky and the Juice Pigs: I’m the Only Gay EskimoMonty Python’s Lumberjack Song[/ul]But Dementia 2000 also has “The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins” sung by Leonard Nimoy, and “Kill the Wabbit!”
Not music, but Brian Regan is a great standup comedian whose tone is similar to Cosby. Same with Bill Engvall, though there is PG, perhaps PG-13 discussion of sex.
Ray Stevens is sort of a blast from the past and pretty inoffensive. There is a song entitled “Ahab the Arab” which might be offensive, and when you get “The Streak” stuck in your head it can stick there for days and drive everyone crazy.
I second the Bill Engvall suggestion, his comedy routine is funny and generally inoffensive.
A local San Diego band, The Beat Farmers had some pretty fun music, “I’m a Happy Boy” (Hubba hubba hubba HEY) is very catchy, but it’s barroom country.
How about They Might Be Giants? They’re not really a novelty band, but most of their songs are humorous, and they’re hip as opposed to, say, Spike Jones.
I started getting into Zappa’s funny stuff when I was around twelve, and I listen to Frank all the time with my 16 month old (I plan on him being well versed in rock and roll by the time he’s in kindergarden), but thats just me. I doubt very many parents will aprove of their youngsters listening to FZ 
Jon
How about Crash Test Dummies? Specifically, the God Shuffled His Feet CD. Anyone second that (or shoot it down)?
Moxy Fruvous is a terrific Canadian band with really witty lyrics, excellent musicianship, and great vocal harmonies. I can’t recommend them enough–perhaps their album “Live Noise” which has good inter-song banter as well as a broad array of their music.
I second They Might Be Giants, Tom Lehrer (particularly the “An Evening Wasted With Tom Lehrer” album), and Frank Zappa’s “Strictly Commercial,” a collection that doesn’t seem to have any offensive songs.
Brak Presents The Brak Album Starring Brak
Very bizarre humor, but judging from the reaction my 11 and 12 year old brothers gave it, it goes over well with the chillin’.
If you’re considering TMBG, you might as well consider Cake too.
Ya know…If he’s starting to get into the MTV bubblepunk stuff like Good Charlotte, he’d probably dig The Dickies, an ultra-hyper punk/comedy band who have been around since the 70s. Their cover of the Banana Splits theme song is a classic. I can’t really think of anything they do thats too offensive.
Warning* If you get him a Dr. Demento album, make sure it’s not the one with Ogden Edsel’s Kinko The Kid Loving Clown on it :eek:
Jon
You realize of course that you all are going to have Edsel’s song playing in your head the rest of the day now
I enjoyed my mom’s Smothers Brothers albums when I was a kid. Kip Adotta (sp?) had a few songs out a while ago that were pretty funny (Wet Dream was the title of one of the songs, about a fish detective. Loaded with puns, and very catchy).
Dizzy, Allan Sherman’s “My Son the Nut” was the first album I ever listened to!
Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah
Here I am at Camp Grenada…
Thirding They Might Be Giants. There’s lots of good stuff, but I’d especially recommend Flood.
I fourth They Might Be Giants, and heartily second Moxy Fruvous. Might I also recommend the Canadian band The Arrogant Worms? And Da Vinci’s Notebook. You might consider Barenaked Ladies’ earlier stuff, as well.
Your son will be developing excellent musical tastes early in life. An integral part of any child’s growth. 
Get him the Space Ghost BBQ CD…it is hilarious! Even for adults.
Second with Spike Jones–even if he doesn’t know the original songs Jones is parodying, they’re still good, especially Doodles Weaver calling the races (Beeeee-tle-bauuuum!)
Garrison Keillor’s ‘The Young Lutheran’s Guide to the Orchestra’ is pretty funny if he’s into classical music. So is some of the earlier PDQ Bach.