Product Reviews
Tom Lehrer, a Harvard math professor with an uncanny knack for writing satirical songs that were as memorable as they were oddly melodic, dabbled in a musical and performing career more than he depended on it for rent, which no doubt freed him to write and sing about whatever he wished. Some of his material, tied as it often was to whatever was politically current, doesn t date well, but a surprising amount of it remains relevant in a 21st century world. This two-disc (one CD, one DVD) set collects highlights from Lehrer's 40-year performing career, including material from his live albums for Reprise Records (An Evening Wasted with Tom Lehrer and Revisited), early-'70s material recorded for the public-television kids' show The Electric Company, radio performances, a rare 1960 single, as well as video spots, including a 1967 concert in Oslo, animated clips from The Electric Company, and assorted other television performances. It all adds up to an expansive portrait of a singular artist, and makes for the perfect introduction to the sharp, skewed world of Tom Lehrer. ~ Steve Leggett, Rovi
Product Notes
Tom's first hits CD and first live DVD in one set! You'll hear his whimsically skewering songs ( Fight Fiercely, Harvard; When You Are Old and Grey; Smut; New Math; The Masochism Tango; I Got It from the Agnes; The Vatican Rag , and more) and see videos, animated clips from The Electric Company and a 1967 Oslo concert by the man Dr. Demento called "the best musical satirist of the 20th century"!