Pieces Of 8 - A New Revue

Albumbeschreibung

As an original cast recording of the British comedy revue Pieces of Eight, this EP's four sketches feature Kenneth Williams sparring with an assortment of other characters with different accents and class attitudes. Three of the four routines were written by a young Peter Cook, and one of them, "Not an Asp," would be one of Williams' most memorable contributions to British comedy, based around a slimy character who won't reveal the contents of his box to an upper-class-voiced neighbor. "Buy British," taking place at a French restaurant offering gruesome gourmet treats, is another highlight, and an apparent predecessor of Monty Python's Flying Circus' celebrated "crunchy frog" sketch about a manufacturer of disgusting candy. Less blatantly comic is the sole item not authored by Cook, "The Last to Go," penned by Harold Pinter, more famous for serious drama than comedy. All four of these tracks appear on the 2007 CD compilation Interesting Facts: The Decca Recordings 1960-1961, which also contains a 1961 album, One Over the Eight that likewise features Williams as a performer and Cook as a frequent writer.

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