MAD – “Twists Rock ‘n’ Roll” LP (1962)
So who said there’s no such thing as good, clean fun? As I said before, humor doesn’t usually stand the test of time but, at almost 50 years old, this LP is still good for a laugh or two and there isn’t a bad song on the disk. They simply don’t make novelty records like this anymore and one has to realize that, at the time of its release, rock ‘n’ roll was still viewed as something of a fad, so the guys at MAD went all out and hired some rockabilly musicians and a couple of real teen crooners to give this thing an authentic feel and, in a way, it almost stands on its own as a solid rock ‘n’ roll LP, despite its novelty status. I was actually a huge fan of MAD as a kid and started reading the magazine when I was six years old and continued to receive the publication for years, long after I outgrew it, simply out of principal, as they were the one hugely popular magazine that didn’t have to resort to using advertising for support and generally stuck to the same gimmick. Then, one day, I was skimming through an issue and found myself puzzled by a full-color Doritos add, trying to figure out what the joke was, only to realize that it wasn’t a joke, but an actual advertisement. My relationship of almost two decades ended shortly thereafter. However, there are worse things a kid could be reading and I assume the traditional messages that things in this life are never quite what they seem, that people rip you off and lie, and that you can expect to have things go wrong still exist in the newer, albeit lamer version of MAD that exists today. Suffice to say, MAD made a huge impression on my malleable, albeit poopy young mind and, apparently, it made an impression on a certain young Kevin (aka G.G.) Allin, as well, leading him to do an excellent send-up of “Nose Job” on the “Eat My Fuc” LP, changing the title to “Blow Jobs”. Bet you didn’t know it was a cover tune! Some really great satire on this one, my favorite being “My Johnny’s Hubcap”, a “Leader Of The Pack” rip-off where the guy’s only earthly remains are a hubcap, that she wears around her neck as a sign of her undying love and, of course, the lyrics to “I Found Her Telephone Number…..” will follow me to my grave!
Teenagers
Rear Cover
SAMPLE TRACKS:
I Found Her Telephone Number….
And for those who never listened to GG Allin: GG Allin – Blow Jobs
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This is the best album… EVER!