From the first time I heard My Son, The Folk Singer, I was a huge fan of Allan Sherman. Huge fan. I can probably quote the lyrics to about two-thirds of all his song parodies, even some of the obscure ones that never made it onto vinyl. At the moment, none of his nine great albums have made it in full onto CD. He is represented in that format only by a well-chosen compilation called The Best of Allan Sherman (that's an Amazon link) and his appearance on a few Dr. Demento anthologies.
However, this glaring omission is about to change. Perhaps because it was the only record he made that was not for Warner Brothers Records, Collectors' Choice Music will soon be releasing a CD of Peter and the Commissar, a 1964 album he made with Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops Orchestra. The title piece is his rewrite of Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf," which not only changes the entire storyline but interpolates a Dixieland rendition of the grand march from "Aida," a rock 'n' roll arrangement of "Brahms' Lullaby" and other classical aberrations, including "Beethoven's Fifth Cha-Cha-Cha."
I thought it was wonderful, though I was less taken with the two other offerings — "Variations on 'How Dry I Am,'" and "The End of a Symphony." The latter is a look at how most of the great pieces of music just go on too long…and Sherman's version just goes on too long. But I recommend this CD if only for the main piece and for one moment in the "How Dry I Am" number. Sherman, who was a musical illiterate, functioned as conductor for it, while the aged, revered Mr. Fiedler performed as "guest soloist." Fiedler performs a hiccup and gets what may be the longest laugh ever heard on a comedy record.
This release is apparently an exclusive of C.C.M., meaning you can purchase it only from them. I therefore do not make a commission on it but, hell, it's too much a treat not to link to…so here you go. While you're at their site, you might want to browse around and check out some of their other exclusives. They have most of Shelley Berman's albums on CD, for instance…and Robert Klein's three terrific records. If you've never heard the latter, spend the twelve bucks and order Child of the Fifties. You will not regret it.