I’ve got an article on ten rap records that are worth revisiting over at The New Partisan. Check it out if you like that sort of thing.

Also, I’ve been thinking about coming up with a list of the best comedy records of all-time. I listened to comedy records often when I was growing up, my favorite artists being George Carlin, Bill Cosby, Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner, Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy, Woody Allen and later on, Richard Pryor, Albert Brooks and Lenny Bruce. I liked stuff by Nichols and May, Bob Newhart, Monty Python, The Goon Show, Peter Sellers, Derek and Clive, Robin Williams, Franklyn Ajaye, Steven Wright, Lily Tomlin, Bob and Doug McKenzie and Rodney Dangerfield too. I know I’m missing some other good ones, but that’s what I can come up with off-the-top of my head.

If I had to come up with a list of the best records I know of it would look something like this (in no particular order):

Bill Cosby: “Wonderfulness,” “Revenge” and “To Russell, My Brother Whom I Slept With.”

Richard Pryor: “That Nigger’s Crazy,” “Is it Something I Said?” and “Wanted: Live in Concert.”

George Carlin: “AM/FM,” “Class Clown” and “Occupation: Foole.” These three records were compiled into a two-disk set. I highly recommend them.

Steve Martin: “Let’s Get Small,” and “Wild and Crazy Guy.”

Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner: “The 2000 Year Old Man” and “The 2013 Year Old Man.”

Lenny Bruce: His first four albums which are collected on cd on “The Lenny Bruce Originals Vol 1 and 2” and the uncut “Carneige Hall Concert.”

Eddie Murphy: The first one, self-titled, and “Comedian.”