Phone calls in Comedy

"Phoney Phone Calls: 1959-1972" (10/02/2001) Comedy Lewis, Jerry, Sin-Drome RecordsThis is a collection of private prank calls secretly recorded by Jerry Lewis over the years. Includes liner notes by Chris Lewis. Audio Remasterer: Dan Clark. Liner Note Author: Chris Lewis . Editor: Dan Clark.

"Great Phone Calls Featuring Neil Hamburger" (09/01/2006) Comedy Various Artists, Ipecac RecordsUnknown Contributor Role: Neil Hamburger. Although this album is now credited to Neil Hamburger -- and it does feature the faux comedian's first appearance -- he appears on it only briefly, and in a slightly different incarnation, than he would on his "solo" albums. Great Phone Calls is, in fact, a series of intensely funny prank phone calls, supposedly made by Amarillo Records head Gregg Turkington, although his name appears nowhere on the disc. The calls that feature Neil Hamburger have the comedian ringing up comedy clubs and begging for gigs ("What's going on there tonight? Cancel it! Neil Hamburger's in town!"), and while they're funny, there's much better material on Great Phone Calls. The hilarious "I'm in Your Band" documents the caller's conversation with an unfortunate soul who placed an ad looking for an "alternative bass player"; after five excruciating minutes he ends up with an offer to fistfight in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. There are 15 tracks and not a dud among them, making Great Phone Calls -- along with the similarly bizarre Longmont Potion Castle -- essential listening. As its packaging suggests, in deliberately broken English, "Every one love to laugh but this ablum really doing the good thing." ~ Josh Modell The Jerky Boys aren't the only guys doing hilarious prank phone calls. Amarillo Records' Great Phone Calls is a compilation of the crŠme de la crŠme of these goofy kinds of calls, and nearly all of them are absurdly funny. There is no personnel listing anywhere in the booklet, but it sounds like the same wiseguy doing all the bits. The first track, "I'm In Your Band," may be the best -- an innocent musician placed an ad in the classified section of a newspaper looking for a bass player, and is soon assaulted by an obnoxious phone caller. Other soon-to-be classic pranks include several calls to a pizza parlor, one being a guy trying to explain a special kind of pizza he'd like since he can only eat out of one side of his mouth. Another good gag is by a pesky comedian trying to get his big break, who starts doing his tryout over the phone, completely ignoring the pleas to stop. Some of the calls do get a bit dirty (it's recommended for mature listeners), but they rely on comedic wit rather than just foul language. ~ Greg Prato Although this album is now credited to Neil Hamburger -- and it does feature the faux comedian's first appearance -- he appears on it only briefly, and in a slightly different incarnation, than he would on his "solo" albums. Great Phone Calls is, in fact, a series of intensely funny prank phone calls, supposedly made by Amarillo Records head Gregg Turkington, although his name appears nowhere on the disc. The calls that feature Neil Hamburger have the comedian ringing up comedy clubs and begging for gigs ("What's going on there tonight? Cancel it! Neil Hamburger's in town!"), and while they're funny, there's much better material on Great Phone Calls. The hilarious "I'm in Your Band" documents the caller's conversation with an unfortunate soul who placed an ad looking for an "alternative bass player"; after five excruciating minutes he ends up with an offer to fistfight in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. There are 15 tracks and not a dud among them, making Great Phone Calls -- along with the similarly bizarre Longmont Potion Castle -- essential listening. As its packaging suggests, in deliberately broken English, "Every one love to laugh but this ablum really doing the good thing." ~ Josh Modell