A classic with a few more surprises

Review Score: (8/10)
I must say that I first found out about Napoleon XIV when I was going through my dads old records. I looked at the goofy cover, then tried it out for laughs to see how bad it could be, and I was shocked at how funny it was. That's why I ordered this ASAP. I must happely say that all of the old songs are on here, as well as 2 really funny unreleased songs, Goofin' on the Job and Photogenic, Schizophrenic You.

Sadly though, most of the new material by Jerry Samuels borders from tolerable to just downright awful. It's clear that this is one humor artist that hasn't graced well over the years vocally or humor wise, as demonstrated in his short moronic songs/poems like Ode to a Farmer Boy and It May Appear Ridiculous that you'll skip every time after one listening. Other new songs like The Song I Wrote For Robert Goulet, and I Owe a Lot to Iowa Pot make the listener question as to why he even wrote them, and confused me and my dad as to why Jerry decided to add them.

Other cut tracks like The Explorer and Can You Dig It? show why they wern't released to begin with. They just are not funny, get on your nerves fast with "comedy" bits that should end in 30 seconds and move on, but drag on for 2 minutes. They just don't fit in at all with the rest of the CD. The newest song that actually fits into Jerrys old style, They're Coming to Get Me Again, Ha Haaa!, is Jerry trying to do some new material that's justice to his legacy. Sadly though, it comes off as yet another not as funny rehash of his 1 hit. I must praise him for actually trying with it, and not just gargling through with jokes that seem like they were taken off of Laffy Taffy, or stolen lyrics from a gansta rapper like his other new material, but it is only marginally funny at best (when he starts slipping into his old hits lyrics by accident and sounding confused as to why he's singing them is pretty funny though).

Luckly though the whole They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha Ha! record is here in its full glory. I'm really dissappointed that only 3 of the 7 added tracks are even worth the time of day. But for those of you who want to preserve your record collection, had the record get bad over the years, or just never heard it before this is worth every dime to hear some of the funniest stuff from the 60's, and it included a rather interesting info book for his songs.

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