1 | [[quoteright:340:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/stan_freberg_united_states_1_2.jpg]] |
2 | [[caption-width-right:340:Admit it – if you had a briefcase that awesome, you'd\ |
3 | hang onto it [[DevelopmentHell for 35 years]], too.]] |
4 | |
5 | ->'''Announcer:''' [[AC:Creator/StanFreberg [[SelfDeprecation modestly presents]] ''The United States of America!'']] |
6 | |
7 | ''Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America'' is a two-volume themed comedy album by comedian Creator/StanFreberg, which presents the history of [[{{Eagleland}} the United States of America]] by way of a series of comedy sketches and songs. |
8 | |
9 | The first volume (subtitled ''[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Vol. 1: The Early Years]]'', and spanning from the first voyage of UsefulNotes/ChristopherColumbus up through UsefulNotes/TheAmericanRevolution) was released in 1961, with a follow-up volume initially planned for the country's bicentennial in 1976; that second volume (''Vol. 2: The Middle Years'', covering events up through UsefulNotes/WorldWarI) [[DevelopmentHell didn't come out until 1996]], two decades after the planned release. |
10 | |
11 | While Freberg vowed in the liner notes for ''Vol. 2'' that the third volume wouldn't take another thirty-five years to release -- for one thing, he didn't think that he would be around that long -- [[WhatCouldHaveBeen the project was subsequently shelved]] due to the death of his wife and his own health issues. [[DiedDuringProduction Freberg's death in 2015]] seems to have brought any hope of ''Vol. 3'' to an end. |
12 | |
13 | ----- |
14 | !!Track list (''Vol. 1'') |
15 | |
16 | [[AC:Side One]] |
17 | # "Overture" (2:18) |
18 | # "Columbus Discovers America: It's a Round, Round World" (9:55) |
19 | # "Pilgrim's Progress: Take an Indian to Lunch" (3:24) |
20 | # "Thanksgiving Story (Under the Double Turkey)" (1:12) |
21 | # "Sale of Manhattan: Top Hat, White Feather, and Tails" (5:55) |
22 | # "Boston Tea Party" (1:44) |
23 | |
24 | [[AC:Side Two]] |
25 | # "Declaration of Independence: A Man Can't Be Too Careful What He Signs These Days" (6:27) |
26 | # "Midnight Ride of Paul Revere" [[note]] Bonus track, not on the original LP [[/note]] |
27 | # "Betsy Ross and the Flag: Everybody Wants to Be an Art Director" (2:58) [[note]] slightly longer version than original LP [[/note]] |
28 | # "Discovery of Electricity" [[note]] Another bonus track not on the original LP [[/note]] |
29 | # "Washington Crosses the Delaware (Command Decision)" (4:43) |
30 | # "Yankee Doodle Go Home (Spirit of '76)" (4:04) |
31 | # "The Battle of Yorktown" (4:04) |
32 | # Finale: "So Long, Friend" (6:43) |
33 | ---- |
34 | !! ''Tropes, tropes, tropes (Mutiny, mutiny, mutiny)'' |
35 | |
36 | * AccidentalMisnaming: |
37 | -->"All right, there's the signal. Get on the horse, Levine." |
38 | -->"That's Revere." |
39 | -->"Revere, Levine, just so you ride a horse good. Now get goin'!" |
40 | * AnachronismStew: ''Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America'' doesn't so much run on this as it is ''made'' of it. |
41 | * BraidsBeadsAndBuckskins: Freberg delights in mocking the stereotypical perception of Native Americans throughout ''Vol. 1''. (The reprise of "Round, Round World" includes the Indians singing the line "Yo ho ho [[LampshadeHanging and a buckskin sleeve]]," as one of ''many'' examples.) |
42 | * BrickJoke: |
43 | ** The lines "Rumble, rumble, rumble. [[TheMutiny Mutiny, mutiny, mutiny]]." don't occur quite often enough to be a RunningGag, but they try. |
44 | ** Tyne Daly actually got cast for ''Vol. 2'' by leaning over to Freberg during the Grammy Awards the preceding year and muttering "Rumble, rumble, rumble." |
45 | * ColonCancer: The original album was entitled ''Stan Freberg Presents: The United States of America: Vol. 1: The Early Years''. The sequel was titled ''Stan Freberg Presents: The United States of America: Vol. 2: The Middle Years''. |
46 | * ConceptAlbum: The history of the United States of America as a Broadway-style [[TheMusical musical comedy]]. |
47 | * CorruptCorporateExecutive: The song "Planned Obsolescence" features a general with a PunnyName [[spoiler: "General...''Electric!'']] convincing UsefulNotes/ThomasEdison to change the design of his light bulb when he finds out it's designed to last forever. |
48 | ** Incidentally, that's TruthInTelevision: incandescent light bulbs really ''were'' [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoebus_cartel redesigned to burn out faster.]] |
49 | * CrazyEnoughToWork: Charlie's [[NoNameGiven companion]]'s CatchPhrase: "It's just ''wild'' enough, Charlie, it's just ''wild'' enough." |
50 | * {{Eagleland}}: Mixed flavor. |
51 | * EnsembleCast: Freberg performs along with other actors, including Creator/PaulFrees, Creator/JuneForay, Peter Leeds, Walter Tetley, and Jesse White. Foray, Leeds, and White returned for ''Vol. 2'', where they were joined by such newcomers as Creator/TyneDaly, Creator/LorenzoMusic, Creator/HarryShearer, and Creator/DavidOgdenStiers. |
52 | * FaceOnTheCover: Freberg, posing with a briefcase shaped like the 48 contiguous states. For the CD reissue containing both the original album and ''Vol. 2'', the older Freberg -- standing in a similar pose and holding the same suitcase -- is added alongside his younger self. |
53 | * FlatEarth: The myth that Columbus set out to prove the earth was round against supposed disbelief is recycled in this. It's unknown though if Freberg believed this, or simply [[PlayedForLaughs played it for laughs]]. |
54 | * GeniusBonus: George Washington's half-hearted "run it up the flagpole, see if anybody salutes" during the Betsy Ross scene was a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Run_it_up_the_flagpole phrase]] often used by Madison Avenue ad men. (Freberg enjoyed a second career as a ad man himself.) |
55 | * HistoricalDomainCharacter: All of the main characters, e.g. Christopher Columbus, Benjamin Franklin, etc. |
56 | * InThePastEveryoneWillBeFamous: While the main characters all being historical figures should make this trope not applicable, Queen Isabella refers to UsefulNotes/ChristopherColumbus' "friend, [[Creator/LeonardoDaVinci Da Vinci]]," bringing this work right back in line with this trope. |
57 | * MediumAwareness: All of the characters are aware that they're characters in a musical, though only occasionally do they comment on it. Also, see RunningGag. |
58 | * MightyWhitey: Parodied throughout the first half of ''Vol. 1''. [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] with the reprise of "Round, Round World:" "Step aside, pal/Meet the new/Big cheeses of this/Round, Round World!" |
59 | * NiceJobBreakingItHero: UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln convinces Harriet Beecher Stowe to rewrite ''Literature/UncleTomsCabin'' in a much darker tone than she'd originally intended. The new version is blamed for the American Civil War. |
60 | -->'''Lincoln:''' Yes, terrible book. Awful. |
61 | * NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Freberg uses a Creator/LionelBarrymore type voice for Creator/BenjaminFranklin. |
62 | * PunnyName: General Electric. Running Water. |
63 | * RefusalOfTheCall: Barbara Fritchie thinks "Stonewall" Jackson can find something to shoot other than her old, grey head. |
64 | * RuleOfFunny: Everything. To wit: Why is Creator/NormanRockwell in the American Revolution? Why are the same two guys responsible for multiple events in world history? Why would there be a General named [[PunnyName Electric]] interested in the first light bulb? RuleOfFunny. |
65 | * RunningGag: |
66 | -->''[Fanfare]'' |
67 | -->"What was that?" |
68 | -->"French horns." |
69 | * SelfDeprecation: From the ''Vol. 1'' liner notes: |
70 | -->As you listen to this album you'll soon begin to understand why Creator/StanFreberg flunked American history in high school. |
71 | * SingleStanzaSong: In two places. |
72 | ** The Tin Pan Alley sketch in ''Vol. 2'' consists of two failed Tin Pan Alley songwriters doing a medley of their greatest hits. |
73 | ** The song "[[TemptingFate There'll Never Be Another War]]" consists of two different versions of the chorus, depending on which sketch it follows. |
74 | * TemptingFate: Both UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar and UsefulNotes/WorldWarI end with the song "There'll Never Be Another War." |
75 | * TheThemeParkVersion: The events in the album are ostensibly based on American history. |
76 | * TitleDrop: An entire sketch about Stephen Foster having writer's block consists almost entirely of nothing but titles of his songs. |
77 | * ThoseTwoGuys: Charlie and his companion are the cause of numerous catastrophes, from the minor (making the wrong bird at the first Thanksgiving) to the major (sinking the ''[[UsefulNotes/WorldWarI Lusitania]]''). |
78 | * TravelingSalesman: During his Midnight Ride, UsefulNotes/PaulRevere is mistaken for one of these by one annoyed townswoman. |
79 | -->'''Woman:''' I got all the pots and pans I need, sweetie. |
80 | -->'''Revere:''' But... what about the British? |
81 | -->'''Woman:''' As far as I know, they got all the pots and pans ''they'' need, too! ''[slams door]'' |
82 | * VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory: '''''Very''''' loosely. Creator/NormanRockwell wasn't alive during the American Revolution. |
83 | * WaxingLyrical: During the "Sale of Manhattan": |
84 | -->'''Real Estate Agent:''' Make it $25 even, we'll toss in the Bronx. |
85 | -->'''Peter Tishman:''' Nah, I couldn't possibly see my way clear. |
86 | -->'''Chief White Cloud:''' We throw in Staten Island. |
87 | -->'''Real Estate Agent:''' You hear that? Is that a generous Indian? [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhattan_(song) You'll have Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island, too!]] ''[phone rings]'' Hello? Yeah, Dick. Mmm-hmm. We use any more, we'll have to pay a royalty, huh? All right, sweetie, we'll knock it off. Right. Okay. Yeah, okay. ''[hangs up]'' |
88 | -->'''Peter Tishman:''' I'll give you $24. |
89 | -->'''Real Estate Agent:''' Sold! But none of that cash stuff. The chief's wife wants strictly junk jewelry. |
90 | -->'''Chief White Cloud:''' Mmm. [[Theatre/{{Kismet}} Baubles, bangles, bright shiny beads]]... |
91 | -->'''Real Estate Agent:''' Yeah, hold it, baby, will ya? You're layin' yourself wide open for another phone call. |
92 | * WhoWritesThisCrap: |
93 | -->'''Columbus:''' We going out on that joke? |
94 | -->'''Indian:''' No, we do reprise of song, that help. |
95 | -->'''Together, sadly:''' But not much, no. |
96 | * YeOldeButcheredeEnglishe: |
97 | -->'''Franklin:''' ''[reading]'' "...that among these are Life, Liberty and ''the purfuit of Happineff"?!'' |
98 | -->'''Jefferson:''' That's "pursuit of Happiness". |
99 | -->'''Franklin:''' Well, all your s's look like f's here. |
100 | -->'''Jefferson:''' Well, it's stylish. |
101 | -->'''Franklin:''' Oh, I see. |
102 | -->'''Jefferson:''' It's "in". It's ''very'' "in". |
103 | -->'''Franklin:''' Oh, well, if it's "in"... |
104 | |
105 | ---- |
106 | -> ''"Rumble, rumble, rumble. Mutiny, mutiny, mutiny."'' |
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