Each and every year, the Library of Congress's National Recording Preservation Board selects twenty-five albums titles to be designated as important historical markers of their time. The list this year includes one of the favorite records of all time…Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America, Volume 1. And it's about friggin' time. Others have made this observation but it's either the best history lesson disguised as a comedy album or the best comedy album disguised as a history lesson.
Created by the great (and sadly, late) Stan Freberg, it was certainly a record that had a major impact on me and I sure wasn't the only one.
Today's announcement also bestows "national treasure" status on Minnie the Moocher by Cab Calloway, La Bamba by Ritchie Valens, Soul Man by Sam & Dave, the Broadway cast album of Hair, Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond, a Cyndi Lauper album and many other eclectic selections. But to me, Stan's record is the very big deal.