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The Complete Flanders & Swann: Michael Flanders, Donald Swann

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Rating: - An Excellent Example of the Genre

Flanders and Swann epitomise the 1950s and 1960s revue and (gently but somehow more powerfully) satirical comedy (c.f Tom Lehrer). The context is amazing (brought together in the booklet and with sleeve notes compiled by John Amis, an erstwhile friend and colleague of them both) - they wrote songs for other people and then decided they would hire a theatre and invite a few friends to hear them sing "At the Drop of a Hat"! There is also one video (EMI/PMI MVP 9913393 - it may no longer be available) to feature them with COLOUR footage recorded in the US in April 1967 which contains some of the old favourites and a few of the newer songs. CD set is well worth having even if you have them on analogue.

Rating: - Real humour

From touching songs such as "The Youth of the Heart" and "Friendly Duet" to "Misalliance" and "Madeira M'Dear" to the animal songs, Flanders & Swann showed not only their talent for displaying clean, true humour, but their range of talent as well. They were a credit to comic musicians who today, would do well to learn from the example this duo set forth.

Rating: - The best of British Satire

The genius that is Flanders and Swann lives on in this boxed set of their complete works. One cannot help but wonder how they might have changed the historical course of musical satire had Michael Flanders lived longer and they had continued writing and recording their songs. This is musical satire at its very best, and along with Tom Lehrer are memorable examples of the genre. Even though I already own the three individual analogue recordings that comprise this set, the compulsion to hear the recordings without the crackles, hisses, pops and squeaks of black plastic was overwhelming. As a bonus, there are some previously unreleased songs on the last CD....fine examples of what might have been. Gone, but not ever forgotten, these two great artists have their rightful place in the history books for their contribution to music and comedy.

Rating: - Three evenings of wit and satire

Flanders and Swann were gentelmen and these CD's prove this. Be it in the wit and satier of the bedsted men or in the soul of Donalds "The youth of the heart". The material that never made the MC versions of At the drop of a hat and At the drop of another hat is truely brilliant. One for the young or the old. If you like Tom Lehrer try his English counterpoints.

Rating: - A Very English Brilliance

The outputs of the partnership between Michael Flanders and Donald Swan are very English and very much a product of their time.

They predate the age of satire that followed with the likes of TW3. Their performances are genteel, subtle, and funny. This is not the "English" humour of Monty Python or the Goons. It is an understated humour that is perhaps more rewarding in the long run.

Songs such as "The Hippopotamus" and "The Gas Man cometh", are timeless, but those songs that date the performers, such as their sad euolgy to the railways before the Beeching cuts, convey a deep feeling for the period and should not be discounted.

All in all, an essential item on the shelf for all lovers of English humour.

Review Pages: 1 2 3