History AudioPlay / StanFrebergPresentsTheUnitedStatesOfAmerica

!! Track list

The first volume (subtitled ''[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Vol. 1: The Early Years]]'', and spanning from the first voyage of UsefulNotes/ChristopherColumbus up through UsefulNotes/WorldWarI) was released in 1961, with a second volume initially planned for the country's bicentennial in 1976; that second volume [[DevelopmentHell did not come out until 1996]], two decades after the planned release.

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 he'd 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.

-> '':Rumble, rumble, rumble. Mutiny, mutiny, mutiny.''

-->''Fanfare''

-->'''Woman:''' As far as I know, they got all the pots and pans ''they'' need, too! ''(slams door)''

-->'''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)''

-->'''Franklin:''' ''(reading)'' "...that among these are Life, Liberty and ''the purfuit of Happineff"?!''

* ConceptAlbum: The history of the United States of America as a Broadway-style [[TheMusical musical comedy]]. (Freberg had tried to pitch the project as an ''actual'' Broadway musical comedy before recording the album itself. Fans of the album have also tried to stage off-Broadway versions.)

* CorruptCorporateExecutive: The song "Planned Obsolescence" features a general with a PunnyName [[spoiler: "General...''Electric!'']] convincing Thomas Edison to change the design of his light bulb when he finds out it's designed to last forever.

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Freberg uses a Creator/LionelBarrymore type voice for Benjamin Franklin.

* TemptingFate: Both the American Civil War and World War I end with the song "There'll Never Be Another War."

-->'''Woman:''' As far as I know, they got all the pots and pans ''they'' need, to! ''(slams door)''

* TravelingSalesman: During his Midnight Ride, Paul Revere is mistaken for one of these by one annoyed townswoman.

-->'''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*)''

* AndStarring: 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.

The first volume (subtitled ''[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Vol. 1: The Early Years]]'', and spanning from the first voyage of UsefulNotes/ChristopherColumbus up through UsefulNotes/WorldWarI) was released in 1961, with a second volume initially planned for the country's bicentennial in 1976; the second volume [[DevelopmentHell did not come out until 1996]], two decades after the planned release.

While Freberg promised in the liner notes of ''Vol. 2'' that the third volume wouldn't take another thirty-five years to release (for one thing, he didn't think he'd 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.

The first volume (subtitled ''[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Vol. 1: The Early Years]]'', and spanning from the first voyage of UsefulNotes/ChristopherColumbus up through UsefulNotes/WorldWarI) was released in 1961, with a second volume initially planned for the country's bicentennial in 1976; the second volume [[DevelopmentHell did not come out until 1996]], twenty years after the planned release.

[[caption-width-right:340:If you had a briefcase that awesome, you'd hang onto it\\
[[DevelopmentHell for 35 years]], too.]]

* BraidsBeadsAndBuckskins: Freberg delights in mocking the perception of Native Americans throughout volume one. (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.)

* HistoricalDomainCharacter: All of the main characters, e.g. Christopher Columbus, Benjamin Franklin etc.