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Another Monty Python Record

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Another Monty Python Record is the second album produced by the Monty Python comedy group, released in 1971. Dissatisfied with their BBC debut album the previous year, the group took full control of the follow-up, which would be the first release of a six album deal with Charisma Records in the UK. Most of the material is from the second series of Monty Python's Flying Circus, with only a few newly written pieces. One track, "Stake Your Claim", is an English language version of a sketch from the team's first German episode.

The production, with it's innovative use of stereo and sound effects, was handled by Terry Jones and Michael Palin and proved a technical challenge. According to Jones: "We had this horrendous time because we were recording in this rather hippy recording studio which fortunately I can't remember the name of. ... We were very keen to use the stereo and everything, but what we hadn't realised was that the guy who was doing the recording, who I think was out of his head most of the time, had not been making any notes. We'd end up with tapes and tapes of material with no idea of where anything was on the tapes ... That was a bitter experience."[3]

The album was packaged as "Beethoven Symphony No. 2 In D Major", but defaced by the Pythons to serve as their own record jacket. (The "serious" liner notes on the back also bear a Pythonesque stamp: the biography of Beethoven quickly turns into a commentary on Beethoven's Wimbledon debut.) Included with the original LP were three card inserts printed with detailed instructions, scripts and cut-out props for the "Be A Great Actor" sketch on side 2.

Due to the limitations of the vinyl format, the original 1971 UK release had many sketches edited down and some omitted altogether with the "Royal Festival Hall Concert" sketch placed on Side 1. This truncated version was used for all UK cassette releases until 1994. When the album was released in the US in 1972 to coincide with the release of And Now For Something Completely Different, the full unedited version was used. This longer edit was used for all CD releases in both the UK and US.

The album marked the group's first chart success, reaching No.26 in the UK album chart.[4]

A 7" single, the Python's first, combining Spam Song/The Concert (CB.192) was issued in the UK on 8 September 1972, almost a year after the album's release. Later pressings were issued in a picture sleeve featuring a still from the "Dirty Fork" sketch from And Now For Something Completely Different.

The 2006 CD reissue features four bonus tracks, although these date from the 1980 Contractual Obligation Album sessions. The CD artwork also replaces the word "Record" with "CD".

Track listing: Original UK vinyl & cassette version

Side One

  1. Introductions
  2. Spanish Inquisition (Part 1)
  3. Gumby Cherry Orchard
  4. Contradiction
  5. Architect's Sketch
  6. Spanish Inquisition (Part 2)
  7. Royal Festival Hall Concert
  8. Ethel The Frog

Side Two

  1. Death Of Mary, Queen Of Scots
  2. Spam
  3. Spanish Inquisition (Part 3)
  4. Comfy Chair
  5. Famous Person Quiz
  6. Be A Great Actor
  7. Neville Shunt
  8. Camp Judges
  9. Stake Your Claim
  10. Cannibalism
  11. Camp Judges (Part 2)
  12. Undertaker
  13. Spanish Inquisition (Part 4)

Track listing: US Version, Worldwide CD Version

Side One

  1. Introductions
  2. Spanish Inquisition (Part 1)
  3. Communist Quiz
  4. Gumby Cherry Orchard
  5. Contradiction
  6. Architect's Sketch
  7. Spanish Inquisition (Part 2)
  8. Ethel The Frog

Side Two

  1. Death Of Mary, Queen Of Scots
  2. Penguin On The TV
  3. Spanish Inquisition (Part 3)
  4. Comfy Chair
  5. Famous Person Quiz
  6. Be A Great Actor
  7. Neville Shunt
  8. Royal Festival Hall Concert
  9. Spam
  10. Camp Judges
  11. Stake Your Claim
  12. Cannibalism
  13. Camp Judges (Part 2)
  14. Undertaker
  15. Spanish Inquisition (Part 4)

2006 CD Bonus tracks

  1. Treadmill Lager
  2. Bishop At Home
  3. Courtroom Sketch
  4. Freelance Undertaker

Personnel

Additional performers

Musical works

The following is the list of musical works included on the album, printed on the CD booklet for copyright purposes. They are a mixture of self-penned Python songs, specially composed music by Fred Tomlinson, and pieces of library music.

  1. Trondheim Hammer Dance
  2. Liberty Bell
  3. Fanfare Opening
  4. Formal Presentation
  5. Contesana Padawana
  6. Man of Power
  7. Gold Lame
  8. Southern Breeze
  9. Spam Song
  10. Bahama Parakeet
  11. House of Fashion
  12. Circus Tumble
  13. Fanfare A
  14. Mystery Drums
  15. Mystery Place
  16. Ode to Edward
  17. In Step With Johann
  18. Knees Up Mother Brown

Distribution Information

  • LP: (1971) Charisma CAS 1049 (UK)
  • Cassette: (1971) Charisma ZCCAS 1049 (UK)
  • LP: (1972) Charisma CAS 1049 (US, distributed by Buddah) (with different running-order and material)
  • LP: (1972) Philips 6369 913 (Aust) (with different running-order and material)
  • LP: (1975) Charisma CAS 1049 (UK, distributed by Phonogram)
  • Cassette: (1975) Charisma CASMC 1049 (UK, distributed by Phonogram)
  • LP: (1988) Charisma CHC 79 (UK, distributed by Virgin) (budget price)
  • CD: (1989) Charisma CASCD 1049 ("Another Monty Python CD") (UK, distributed by Virgin)
  • LP: (19**) Virgin MP501 (UK)
  • CD: (1994) Virgin VCCD 001 (UK) ("Another Monty Python CD" version 2, re-issue)

References

  1. ^ Allmusic review
  2. ^ Christgau, Robert (March 11, 1973). "The Comedy Album Crop". Newsday. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
  3. ^ The Pythons Autobiography By The Pythons, p179, 2003, Orion
  4. ^ http://www.officialcharts.com/search/albums/another%20monty%20python%20record/
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