At The Drop Of Another Hat – FLANDERS & SWANN

The Gas Man Cometh/Sounding Brass/Los Olividados/In The Desert/Ill Wind/First & Second Law/All Gall/ Horoscope/Friendly Duet/Bedstead Men/By Air/Slow Train/A Song Of Patriotic Prejudice/Hippo Encore

At The Drop Of Another Hat is a comedy review with witty anecdotes by Michael Flanders and musical accompaniment by Donald Swann. The clever linguist tricks were considered rather dated at the time. They are positively antediluvian in today's dumbed down society more accustomed to the crudity of in your face 'edgy' humour. No 'star rating' as the music is subordinate to the humour. (UK:12)

"For those who are fans of Flanders and Swann, this has some of their best songs such as The Gas-Man Cometh and the Slow Train. They epitomise the 1950s and 1960s revue and (gently but somehow more powerfully) satirical comedy."

"Flanders, the perfect after dinner speaker with a delightfully mellow and versatile baritone voice; Swann, the supreme partner, both on the keyboard and in the singing. Michael Flanders is expert with language, Donald Swann with music. All this, and it is very funny: even when the jokes are dated they retain their punch."

"If you're wandering who they were, Michael Flanders and Donald Swann were performers of comic songs and short monologues. They also wrote of subjects that, although technology has changed things, still encounter similar problems today like utility services and various means of transport."

"For those old enough to remember them the image of a bespectacled Swann at the piano, while the impressively bearded Flanders bass voice bellowed forth when seated in his wheelchair will, no doubt raise a smile. If you tire of entertainment aimed purely at the lowest common denominator then this is a welcome antithesis."

"It is sad to reflect that much of the wit and brilliance of the Flanders and Swann pieces might today be regarded as politically incorrect. However, the strength of their entertainment value is great enough for them to be an essential ingredient in anyone's library. Their comic songs have bite, wit, character, fire and - just below the surface - sometimes profound meaning."