Not Insane or Anything You Want To
Encyclopedia
Not Insane or Anything You Want To is the sixth album
released by The Firesign Theatre
on Columbia Records
. It was released in 1972 and includes some material that was recorded in the studio as well as some material that was recorded before a live audience.
The full title of this album is listed on the spine of the record album as "Not Insane or Anything You Want To". The title "Not Insane" appears on the front of the album while the title "Or Anything You Want To" appears on the back of the album. It is usually referred to simply as "Not Insane".
Most of the live material on this album was recorded during the "Martian Space Party" live radio broadcast, which was also filmed. That film footage will later become available on the VHS
release Firesign Funnies.
This album records bits and pieces of the group's "Anything You Want To", a Shakespeare parody, for the first time. It will be rerecorded and released later in more complete versions on both "Shakespeare’s Lost Comedie" and "Anythynge You Want To".
This album also introduces George Papoon, the group’s choice to be the next President of the U.S.A.
Some of these bits about Papoon will be collected later on the album Papoon For President.
John Lennon
had been photographed wearing a "Not Insane!" button asking Papoon for president (referencing their Martian Space Party movie) during April 1973, including at his famous "Nutopia" press conference.
In the notes to the group’s 1993 greatest hits album, Shoes for Industry: The Best of the Firesign Theatre, Peter Bergman
criticized the album, saying "Not Insane was when the Firesign was splitting apart". David Ossman
says that the album “was incomprehensible, basically” and that “it was not the album it should have been and I think that caused us to slope off rapidly in sales."
and 8 Track.
It has been re-released on CD once.
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
released by The Firesign Theatre
The Firesign Theatre
The Firesign Theatre is an American comedy troupe consisting of Phil Austin, Peter Bergman, David Ossman and Philip Proctor. Their brand of surrealistic humor is best known through their record albums, which acquired a cult following in the late 1960s and early '70s.The troupe began as live radio...
on Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
. It was released in 1972 and includes some material that was recorded in the studio as well as some material that was recorded before a live audience.
The full title of this album is listed on the spine of the record album as "Not Insane or Anything You Want To". The title "Not Insane" appears on the front of the album while the title "Or Anything You Want To" appears on the back of the album. It is usually referred to simply as "Not Insane".
Most of the live material on this album was recorded during the "Martian Space Party" live radio broadcast, which was also filmed. That film footage will later become available on the VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
release Firesign Funnies.
This album records bits and pieces of the group's "Anything You Want To", a Shakespeare parody, for the first time. It will be rerecorded and released later in more complete versions on both "Shakespeare’s Lost Comedie" and "Anythynge You Want To".
This album also introduces George Papoon, the group’s choice to be the next President of the U.S.A.
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Some of these bits about Papoon will be collected later on the album Papoon For President.
John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
had been photographed wearing a "Not Insane!" button asking Papoon for president (referencing their Martian Space Party movie) during April 1973, including at his famous "Nutopia" press conference.
Critical reception
The New Rolling Stone Record Guide only gives the album one star (out of a possible five), while The Goldmine Comedy Record Price Guide only gives it one and a half stars.In the notes to the group’s 1993 greatest hits album, Shoes for Industry: The Best of the Firesign Theatre, Peter Bergman
Peter Bergman
Peter Bergman is an American soap opera actor best known for his portrayals as Dr. Cliff Warner on All My Children, as well as Jack Abbott on The Young and the Restless.-Biography:...
criticized the album, saying "Not Insane was when the Firesign was splitting apart". David Ossman
David Ossman
David Ossman is an American writer and comedian, best known as a member of The Firesign Theatre.-Career:...
says that the album “was incomprehensible, basically” and that “it was not the album it should have been and I think that caused us to slope off rapidly in sales."
Issues and reissues
This album was originally released simultaneously on LPLP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
and 8 Track.
- LP - ColumbiaColumbia RecordsColumbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
KC-31585 - 8 Track - Columbia 18C-158
It has been re-released on CD once.
- Laugh.com LGH1075