Harvard Lampoon, Surprising Sheep, '69 LP, rock parodies, Dylan, VERY RARE

$

40

 The Surprising Sheep and Other Mind Excursions

Harvard Lampoon

Epic BN 26462

Released Summer 1969

Lyric Sheet included

Ultra Rare Pre-National Lampoon Music Parody

UNAVAILABLE EVERYWHERE

Review from 1969:

WHO'S PUT the mean in meaningful?

Who put the con into confrontation?

Who put the numb in number?

Why, The Harvard Lampoon, an institution that finally made it back up to par in parody.

Their "meaningful confrontation number," though a little thin for the amount of advertising they got and the time they had to do it, is the best thing they've published in, like, two years. And their latest LP, "The Surprising Sheep and Other Mind Excursions," is a remarkable musical feat that's even been getting air play on Boston radio.  All this in spite of the fact that the Lampoon had run upon hard times recently.

There's been a lot of talk about the Lampoon doing a movie one of these days, but that is probably an effort more meticulous than they're capable of.  They have come out with a second LP, which was partly inspired by the Lampoon's house rock band, the Central Park Zoo, whose members include Poonies Mark Stumpf and Peter Gabel, and whose single 45 record can be played on the juke-box in nearby Tommy's Lunch.  Along with Stumpf, the prime movers behind the new record were Jonathan Cerf, who was once Ibis, and former Hasty Pudding Show writer, Peter Larson.

Parody has a point only if those who are doing the parody are fully capable of doing whatever it is they parody and then if they only make slight changes, which are meaningful rather than merely absurd.  Following this logic, almost all parodies of, say, fifties rock'n'roll are just stupid.  Bad singing and bad sound simply doesn't parody something that's musically better.  The Lampoon's earlier record, "The Harvard Lampoon Tabernacle Choir Sings at Leningrad Stadium," was a drag; the Mothers of Invention records are great.  "The Surprising Sheep and Other Mind Excursions" is very good.

It is good because the music is both original and good.

The best songs are "Lazy Summer" and "One Born Every Minute" (two very groovy tunes with lots of chimes, kazoos, concertinas, and other new sounds), "God" (an old Lampoon song about who is responsible for poverty, earthquakes, and the striking of such instruments of Fate as lightning), "The Surprising Sheep" (the title song alluding to the old Lampoon joke: "See the merino standing there with his long shaggy hair"), and "Welcome to the Club" (a song so much like the Lovin' Spoonful that someone ought to do something about it).

The record jacket is quite nice, too.

Little Miss Muffett (Wilson Pickett parody) is worth this LP alone!  The Dylan take off (17 Miles from Waukegan) is hilarious too.  “Welcome to the Club” (Lovin Spoonful take off) is dead on!

Side One

1. One Born Every Minute
2. Seventeen Miles from Waukegan My Cantaloupe Died
3. God
4. What I've Been Needin'
5. Lazy Summer
6. Cape Horn
7. Little Miss Muffet

Side Two

1. The Surprising Sheep
2. Welcome to the Club
3. Recipe for Love
4. In the Palm of My Hand
5. Lazy Summer (Reprise)
6. Messy, Messy, Messy

Condition

Cover:  VG+, crease/bend front bottom right corder, kept in poly bag all these years, tape on bottom two corners.  Top split seam about 2 inches in.  No spine wear.  No wear ring.  Slight discoloration on back right side (light brown spots).

Includes lyric sheet.

Vinyl: VG+, slight scuffs that do not affect play.

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