For no reason in particular I decided to run down my favorite comedy discs. The genre of comedy recordings is one of the most neglected and forgotten categories in both record stores and most people's homes. When's the last time you went to the store just to buy a comedy disc? I thought so. I can't even find the comedy section in most record stores. It usually hides at the end of the soundtrack section close or even into Miscellaneaous or Spoken Word/Sound Effects. Ouch. This sucks because there are many worthwhile comedy discs.

Here's some I love :

Top Great Comedy Discs (Actually just the last 50 or so years - honestly)

1. Dangerous - Bill Hicks (Rykodisc, 1990) - All of Hicks' stuff is great but this disc says it all for me because it distills his vision down to the basics and that makes it great as an introduction. Recorded at the Village Gate in 1990, this debut disc takes on smoking (okay every disc of his takes this on) UFOs (again a common subject), jobs, parents, and of course meaningless pop-culture which makes us pay a greater psychic price than we can possibly imagine. From his 'Flying Saucer Tour' - great stuff.

2. And It's Deep Too! - Richard Pryor (Warner Bros., 1999) I wouldn't normally put a box set on a list like this but this complete collection of all Pryor's Warner Brothers recordings is the one-stop stand-up comedy bomb! From his self-titled debut to Wanted (also available on video as "Richard Pryor Live In Concert") the material is fast, frantic and profane but with a lot of humanity backing it all up. The rest of the discs are good too but not as "on" as the first 5. Also included is a booklet that has Pryor's complete filmography which is vital if you are ever in need of a list of some of the absolutely worst movies of all time.

3. Monty Python Sings - Monty Python (Virgin, 1992)- I went for a compilation because this better covers the highlights of Python much better than Instant Record Collection or the Final Ripoff. Also musical comedy lends itself better to repeat plays and songs like "Eric The Half A Bee", "Spam", and "Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life" are definite musts in any record collection. Those looking for a more straight ahead comedy record should go for "Matching Tie & Handkerchief" or the soundtrack to "Holy Grail" which is a classic comedy album because it contains maybe 30% movie material and the rest new material and sketches (one written by Douglas Adams) that take full advantage of the comedy

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