Milligan Preserved

So, another album, and another set of crossed eyes -- Spike Milligan's "Milligan Preserved". I do think he was a comedy genius, and any time spent with a decent set of "Goon Show" recordings should demonstrate this to you.

This is of the Goon era, and is equally weird, wild and wonderful. Produced by George Martin, and the use of sound effects is hilarious, particularly in "I'm Going Out With A Mountain", where they are used in lieu of names, one of the funniest things I've ever heard. Uniquely Milligan are the bizarre auctioneer's lot recitations on "Another Lot" and the inventory of foodstuffs on "Fun, Fun, Fun" (which reminds me of Georges Perec's list "Attempt at an Inventory of the Liquid and Solid Foodstuffs Ingurgitated by Me in the Course of the Year Nineteen Hundred and Seventy-Four" -- a man with a similarly impish sense of humour).

Lots of little touches and big pokes underline Spike's sense of humour. Things like all the liner notes being in Arabic. Anyone have any clue what's going on with those?