Oh Boy!

mysonthebox

It is now possible to pre-order copies of the Allan Sherman set, My Son, the Box. What's more, you can go to this page on the Rhino Handmade site and see a complete track listing and hear audio samples.

If you're going to order: The Rhino Handmade site will sell it to you for $119.98 plus tax and maybe postage. (They have a free shipping option but I suspect it means they put it on the back of a tortoise pointed vaguely in the direction of your mailbox.) The whole thing will run about $139 by the time you're done. The Amazon listing, which I've been keeping my eye on, has changed prices three times in the last week and has also (now) decided the item is available for "free super saver shipping." It's (now) $139 without getting into tax. If you'd still rather order from Amazon, here's that link. Otherwise, go to the above-linked Rhino Handmade site and get yours there.

The list of what's included seems very complete, including a few things I can't believe the lawyers were able to clear. The folks who now control the Lerner and Loewe catalog have always been pretty fierce about not allowing parody lyrics to their songs, especially from My Fair Lady. Back when Mr. Sherman was trying to get started, he recorded his highly-Jewish version of that score and was adamantly denied permission to release it so it's been available since only in eighth-generation bootlegs. Yet here it is, about to get a real, professional, above-ground release.

I haven't yet had the time to study the list and see if any notable Sherman gems have been omitted. We seem to have the full contents of all his WB albums. (His one RCA album is out as a separate CD. You can order it here.) We have lots of pieces and extras, plus the two records he did for private advertising concerns — one for Dixie Cups, one for Encron Carpets. I'll try to figure out what's not in this set and post a report shortly. Even as it is, this is a joyous gift to fans of Allan Sherman. It's almost as good as indictments.