Steve Martin returns to the intimacy of the Boarding House in San Francisco -- the same venue where his 1977 debut, Let's Get Small, was documented -- for 1979's sublime and surreal Comedy Is Not Pretty! The overwhelming success and appeal of the previous year's A Wild and Crazy Guy -- which included the hit novelty single "King Tut" -- all but guaranteed any follow-up to be as eagerly embraced by his ever-increasing legion of fans. Martin is fully armed with his fool-proof sense of timing, which is addressed in the opening ...
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Steve Martin returns to the intimacy of the Boarding House in San Francisco -- the same venue where his 1977 debut, Let's Get Small, was documented -- for 1979's sublime and surreal Comedy Is Not Pretty! The overwhelming success and appeal of the previous year's A Wild and Crazy Guy -- which included the hit novelty single "King Tut" -- all but guaranteed any follow-up to be as eagerly embraced by his ever-increasing legion of fans. Martin is fully armed with his fool-proof sense of timing, which is addressed in the opening collage of observational non sequiturs titled "Born to Be Wild." Using a saber-like sense of humor, Martin wastes nary a second as the first thing out of his mouth is "...Check the time, don't wanna do too long." He pokes with vigor at himself and his blatantly out-of-step anti-anti-establishment leanings. In other words, a man whose professed sexual fetish is to wear "Men's Underwear" is the same man who points out that he is "wearing loafers [with] no laces on his shoes" before ironically belting out the ultimate rebel yell, "Born to Be Wild." Part of the brilliance in Martin's delivery style is the totally unselfconscious manner in which he seemingly screws up the introduction to "Googlephonics," only to unravel a series of verbal jokes and put-ons in the process. His affinity for the written and spoken word is equally as effective on "Cruel Shoes," which is a recitation of the title work from the artist's first book. Slightly edgier are the sexist "Comedy Is Not Pretty" and the unconventional "Hostages." The latter denotes how Martin is proud of his latest acquisition, rationalizing that "[there are] so many people with hostages nowadays and you say 'hey, I'd like some too!'" On the opposite end of the entertainment spectrum, the sole non-spoken entry is the "Drop Thumb Medley" -- an obligatory and adeptly executed original banjo solo from Martin. The track actually foreshadows the contents of his next LP, 1981's The Steve Martin Brothers, consisting of comedy on one side and bluegrass-flavored instrumentals on the other. ~ Lindsay Planer, Rovi
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Add this copy of Comedy is Not Pretty! to cart. $10.48, fair condition, Sold by MERS Goodwill rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from SAINT LOUIS, MO, UNITED STATES, published 2008 by Rhino Flashback.
Add this copy of Comedy is Not Pretty! to cart. $10.49, good condition, Sold by Goodwill Industries rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Eugene, OR, UNITED STATES, published 2008 by Rhino Flashback.
Add this copy of Comedy is Not Pretty! to cart. $10.49, good condition, Sold by Goodwill Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Hillsboro, OR, UNITED STATES, published 2008 by Rhino Flashback.
Add this copy of Comedy is Not Pretty! to cart. $19.04, like new condition, Sold by GoPeachy rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from JACKSONVILLE, FL, UNITED STATES, published 1998 by Warner Bros / Wea.
Add this copy of Comedy is Not Pretty to cart. $7.00, good condition, Sold by Half Price Books Inc rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published by Warner Brothers.
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Add this copy of Comedy is Not Pretty! to cart. $8.53, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Ruby rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1998 by Warner Bros. Records.
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Very good. Providing great media since 1972. All used discs are inspected and guaranteed. Cases may show some wear. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of Comedy is Not Pretty to cart. $32.12, new condition, Sold by newtownvideo rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from huntingdon valley, PA, UNITED STATES, published 2026 by Rhino.
