Lenny Bruce - Let The Buyer Beware 

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COMEDY'S ORIGINAL BAD BOY IS BACK

LENNY BRUCE
LET THE BUYER BEWARE

Six-Disc CD Boxed Set Features Popular, Rare And Unreleased Recordings, Available From Shout! Factory 

LOS ANGELES, CA - In December 2003, New York Governor George Pataki, reacting to a petition signed by the likes of Robin Williams, Penn & Teller and The Smothers Brothers, as well as a group of First Amendment scholars, granted comic Lenny Bruce a posthumous pardon for his infamous 1964 obscenity conviction. Bruce had become, on his first arrest in 1961, if not an unwitting, certainly an unwilling martyr for the right of free speech. On September 14th, Shout! Factory releases Lenny Bruce: Let The Buyer Beware, an unprecedented six-disc CD boxed collection of popular recorded performances, never-before-released performances, and various private, personal recordings which truly tell the powerful, funny, important and ultimately tragic story of the man whose brilliance and convictions turned stand-up comedy on its head.

Executive produced by Marvin Worth Productions (Lenny, "Lenny" stage production, Malcolm X), produced by music producer/writer Hal Willner (Lou Reed, Marianne Faithfull, sketch music for "Saturday Night Live") and co-produced by Kitty Bruce (daughter), Lenny Bruce: Let The Buyer Beware contains six discs and over seven hours of material, most of it previously unreleased and often unheard by anyone other than close family and friends. Tracks range from Lenny's first public performance on "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts" in 1948 to "Testing the Sony Microphone," which Lenny Bruce taped August 2, 1966, the night before he died of a drug overdose. Let The Buyer Beware contains classic recordings of "Religions, Inc," "How To Relax Your Colored Friends At Parties," "Airplane Glue," "Comic At The Palladium," "Christ & Moses," "Jewish & Goyish," "Father Flotski's Triumph," "Tits And Ass" and more. Unreleased, until now, are Lenny Bruce's WFMT Chicago radio interview with Studs Terkel, many bits from performances at the Jazz Workshop and Off Broadway in San Francisco, the Gate of Horn in Chicago, and The Den in New York and even an unused radio advertisements for Zeidler & Zeidler clothiers. Much of the public remains unaware of the wealth of personal recordings Lenny Bruce made over the years; he recorded everything from private rehearsals of new bits, to phone conversations and drug-induced tirades courtesy of Bruce's increasing paranoia.

Lenny Bruce was a brilliant, outspoken satirist unafraid to speak about such then-taboo topics as sex, race, religion and politics; he saw through the hypocrisy, pretense and paradoxes of society. Noted critic and writer for the Village Voice Nat Hentoff proclaimed, "Lenny delighted in exploring why certain words were forbidden-and then demystifying them." He was labeled a "sick comic," although Lenny Bruce always insisted that it was society (and not he) which was sick. Regardless, Bruce eventually became a victim of his own talent. He was blacklisted by the establishment, but fought the laws of censorship until it eventually killed him. Let The Buyer Beware serves as an audio overview of Bruce's career which, to fans and critics alike, reveals a true comic artist and cultural icon. As Bruce said himself, "I am not a comedian, I am Lenny Bruce."

LENNY BRUCE: LET THE BUYER BEWARE

TRACK LISTING

DISC ONE: When The Good Road Is Closed, The Bad Road Will Never Be Open

1. "Are There Any Niggers Here Tonight?"
2. "The Clap" [Tracks 1 & 2 from "The Breakfast Show" for Jonathan Winters; recorded at Off Broadway, San Francisco, CA (1963); previously unreleased.]
3. "Lenny On Comedy Pt. 1"
[Recorded at radio station KPIX, San Francisco, CA (ca. 1959); previously unreleased.]
4. "On Third Shows"
5. "Father Flotski's Triumph"
6. "Lima, Ohio"
7. "Introduction To 'The Palladium'/Annie Ross/What Was I Talking About?"
8. "The Palladium"
9. "Explanation Of Frank Dell And Bullets"
10. "Censorship On The Steve Allen Show"
11. "Taking Requests/Hip Diseases"
12. "The Lawrence Welk Story"
[Tracks 4-12 recorded at The Den, New York City (ca. 1959); previously unreleased.]
13. "How To Relax Your Colored Friends At Parties" (with Eric Miller)
[Recorded at The Gate of Horn, Chicago, IL (Nov.-Dec. 1962); previously unreleased.]*
14. "Gotta Split"
[Recorded at The Den, New York City (ca. 1959); previously unreleased.]*
15. "Lenny On Playboy's Penthouse" (with Hugh Hefner & Nat "King" Cole)
[Recorded at television station WBKB, Chicago, IL (Oct. 24, 1959); previously unreleased on audio.]

DISC TWO: I Wanna Pour Gas On You!

1. "Testing The Sony Microphone"
[From Lenny's last tape, recorded in Los Angeles, CA (Aug. 1966); previously unreleased.]
2. "Lenny On Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts" (with Arthur Godfrey & Sally Marr)
[Recorded at radio station WCBS, New York City (Oct. 1948); previously unreleased.]
3. "Critics/Club Owners"
4. "Monster Routine With Hecklers"
5. "I've Never Been In Love Before"
6. "Religions, Inc."
[Tacks 3-6 recorded at Facks II, San Francisco, CA (Oct. 24, 1958); previously unreleased.]
7. "Lenny Interview" (with Studs Terkel)
[Recorded at radio station WFMT, Chicago, IL (Feb. 26, 1959); previously unreleased.]
8. "Airplane Glue"
[From the album American, Fantasy 7011 (1960).]
9. "The Phone Company"
10. "My Trip To Miami"
[Tracks 9 & 10 from the album Togetherness, Fantasy 7007 (1959).}
11. "Psycho Doctors/Faye Bainter/Jack Paar"
[Recorded at Peacock Lane, Hollywood, CA (date unknown); previously unreleased.] *
12. "Ike, Sherm & Nick"
[From the album The Sick Humor Of Lenny Bruce, Fantasy 7003 (1958).]
13. "Non Skeddo Flies Again"
[Recorded at The Gate of Horn, Chicago, IL (Nov.-Dec. 1962) or Off Broadway, San Francisco, CA (1963); previously unreleased.] *

DISC THREE: Ben Webster Is Jewish (1961-1962)

1. "Working Carnegie Hall"
2. "Point Of View"
3. "Christ And Moses"
4. "Spanish Harlem"
5. "The Joke"
[Tracks 1-5 recorded at Carnegie Hall, New York City (Feb. 4, 1961); from the album Lenny Bruce: Carnegie Hall, United Artists 9800 (1975).]
6. "Pretty Bizarre Show"
7. "Dirty Toilet/Bad Early Toilet Training"
8. "If Your Body Is Dirty, The Fault Lies With The Manufacturer"
9. "What Should Be/What Is"
10. "C.E. Hocksey Letters/My Father Solomon Osterow"
11. "To Is A Preposition; Come Is A Verb"
[Tracks 6-11 recorded at the Jazz Workshop, San Francisco, CA (Oct. 4, 1961); edited portions released on a self-released EP single (1962); tracks 3, 4 & 8 later released on the album To Is A Preposition; Come Is A Verb, Douglas 2 (1966).]
12. "Blah Blah Blah"
[From the album To Is A Preposition; Come Is A Verb, Douglas 2 (1966).]
13. "Dick Tracy Is An Orthodox Jew"
14. "Milton Berle/Dykes/Homosexuality"
15. "Cops/Where The Heat Are"
16. "Going To Court/Wear A Blue Suit"
17. "S.F. Gossip/Jewish & Goyish/Cat Downstairs Taping Show"
18. "The Phantom"
19. "Would You Want Your Sister To Marry One Of Them?"
20. "Chick Singer With A Gimmick"
21. "Billy Graham Is Not Qualified"
22. "Touch It Once"
23. "The Black Cat/Get Stuffed/Why Did You Lie To Me?"
24. "Closing/Will Rogers Quote"
[Tracks 13-25 recorded at the Jazz Workshop, San Francisco, CA (Oct. 5, 1961); previously unreleased.]
25. "Lawrence Welk The Hipster"
[From Lenny's personal tapes; venue & date unknown; previously unreleased.]
26. "Hubert's Museum"
[Recorded at unknown venue (1960); an edited version was released on the album To Is A Preposition; Come Is A Verb, Douglas 2 (1966).]

DISC FOUR: I Wouldn't Work This Shithouse Town For Fifteen Million Dollar

1. "I Just Do It And That's All"
[From the album To Is A Preposition; Come Is A Verb, Douglas 2 (1966).]
2. "Ruby The Robot"
3. "Mort Sahl, Shelley Berman, Jack Parr, Joey Bishop & Phyllis Diller/The Reason I Wear The Coat"
4. "Why The Breakfast Show"
5. "The Meaning Of Obscenity Pt. 1/Drew Pearson's A Son Of A Bitch"
6. "Norman Rockwell/The Jazz Scene"
7. "The Word Or The Act/We Fucked Their Mothers For Chocolate Bars"
8. "Jimmy Hoffa/Castro & Cuba"
9. "Thank You Mask Man"
10. "Dangerous Drugs/Marijuana"
11. "Jews Killed Christ"
12. "Marilyn Monroe/Narcotics Vs. Juice"
13. "You Don't Remember Me, Do You?/You're So Classic… Smoking A Cigar"
14. "Kennedys/Jonathan Winters"
15. "W.C. Fields The Anti-Semite/Hookers On Record"
16. "The Meaning Of Obscenity Pt. 2"
17. "San Francisco Bust/Judge Entrapment"
18. "The Act Is Kissin' & Huggin'"
19. "Las Vegas Pt. 1/Johnny Mathis"
20. "I'll Show You How Prejudiced You Are"
21. "Corrupt Cities/Chicago Schtarkers/Shelley Berman"
22. "Audience Banter/Why Doesn't He Do The Bits On The Records?"
[Tracks 2-22 from "The Breakfast Show" for Jonathan Winters; recorded at Off Broadway, San Francisco, CA (1963); previously unreleased, except "Shelley Berman" from the album American, Fantasy 7011 (1960).]
23. "Lenny On Comedy Pt. 2"
[Recorded at radio station KPIX, San Francisco, CA (ca. 1959); previously unreleased.]
24. "Snot"
25. "The Nerve Of Faggots"
26. "Hooker That Balled The President"
27. "Divorce/Get Even/Stag Movies Vs. King Of Kings"
28. "Norman Thomas/Filipinos/Midgets"
29. "Las Vegas Pt. 2/Pearl Bailey"
30. "Australia"
31. "Bela Lugosi & Wallace Beery/Entrancing Transylvania/Herb Caen"
[Tracks 24-31 recorded at Ann's 440 Club, San Francisco, CA (1962).]
32. "The Warning" (with Long Island police officer)
[From Lenny's personal tapes; venue unknown (ca. 1965); previously unreleased.]

DISC FIVE: You Better Bring Your Toothbrush

1. "The Best Man In The Tribe"
[From Lenny's personal tapes; venue & date unknown; previously unreleased.]
2. "The Tribunal"
[From the album Togetherness, Fantasy 7007 (1959).]
3. "Schmuck"
4. "Reading The Court Transcript"
[Tracks 3 & 4 recorded at The Gate of Horn, Chicago, IL (Nov.-Dec. 1962); previously unreleased.]*
5. "Pissing In The Sink"
[From the album To Is A Preposition; Come Is A Verb, Douglas 2 (1966).] 6. "Jewish & Goyish"
7. "Philly Bust/Judge Axelrod"
[Recorded at the Curran Theater, San Francisco, CA (Nov. 1961); from the album Live At The Curran Theater, Fantasy 34201 (1972).]
8. "Tits And Ass"
[From the album To Is A Preposition; Come Is A Verb, Douglas 2 (1966).]
9. "Never Cop Out"
[Recorded at The Den, New York City (ca. 1959); previously unreleased.] *
10. "Jackie Kennedy Hauls Ass/Selling Out Your Country" (a.k.a. "Hot Lead Enema")
[Bootleg recording, courtesy of Ed Sanders; venue unknown (ca. 1964); previously unreleased.]
11. "Dick Gregory"
12. "Census Takers"
13. "Barry Goldwater/The Truth About Men/Doing It To A Chicken"
[Tracks 11-13 recorded at Off Broadway, San Francisco, CA (ca. 1964); previously unreleased.] *
14. "LBJ"
15. "Toilets/Flashers/Mark Eden Bust Developer"
[Tracks 14 & 15 recorded at the Berkeley Community Theatre, Berkeley, CA (Dec. 12, 1965), from the album The Berkeley Concert, Bizarre/Reprise 6329 (Feb. 1969).]
16. "How The Law Got Started (Eat, Sleep & Crap)"
[Recorded at the Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA (July 25, 1966 - Lenny's last concert); previously unreleased.]
17. "Playing Milwaukee"
18. "Marijuana/Flashers/Confusion/Bust In The Audience"
19. "Lenny Gets Busted Onstage & Audience Gets ID'd"
[Tracks 17-19 recorded at the Gate of Horn, Chicago, IL (Nov.-Dec. 1962); previously unreleased.]

DISC SIX: Sign A Release? I Didn't Do My Fag At The Ballgame Bit Yet!

1. "All Alone"
[From The Steve Allen Show, recorded in New York City (April 1959); previously unreleased on audio.]
2. "The Heroin Bust"
[Bootleg recording, courtesy of Ed Sanders; venue & date unknown; previously unreleased.]
3. "Juror Phone Calls Re: The Heroin Bust"
[From Lenny's personal tapes; location & date unknown; previously unreleased.]
4. "Zeidler & Zeidler Commercials" (with Honey & Kitty)
[From Lenny's personal tapes; recorded in Los Angeles (date unknown); previously unreleased.]
5. "Eleanor Roosevelt Had Nice Tits"
[From Lenny's personal tapes; venue & date unknown; previously unreleased.]
6. "Religions, Inc."
[From the album The Sick Humor Of Lenny Bruce, Fantasy 7003 (1958).]
7. "Phone Call Reading A Letter"
[From Lenny's personal tapes; location & date unknown; previously unreleased.]
8. "Christ & Moses"
[Recorded at the Jazz Workshop, San Francisco, CA (Oct. 5, 1961); previously unreleased.]
9. "Phone Call To Harry Kalvin"
[From Lenny's personal tapes; location & date unknown; previously unreleased.]
10. "Describing The Fillmore West/Yorty & L.A."
11. "Southern Accents"
[Tracks 10 & 11 recorded at the Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA (July 25, 1966 - Lenny's last concert); previously unreleased.]
12. "Art And A Big Piece Of Shit" (with anonymous friend)
[From Lenny's personal tapes; recorded in Los Angeles (ca. 1966); previously unreleased.] *
13. "I Picked On The Wrong God"
14. "My Name Is Adolf Eichmann"
[Tracks 13 & 14 recorded at The Gate of Horn, Chicago, IL (Nov.-Dec. 1962); previously unreleased.]*

* Denotes most probable but not definitive track sources due to lack of verifiable background information.