An Evening With
Wild Man Fischer (1968)
F a n R e v i e w s
Come on, let's merry go, merry go, merry go round . . . I first heard
"An Evening With Wild Man Fischer" in my home town, Belfast, as a teenager
who had been amazed to discover the likes of Mr Zappa as an alternative
to the mainstream musical fodder of the day. But Larry, LARRY! "Which Way
Did The Freaks Go?"! "The Leaves Are Falling"! "Federal Bureau Of Narcotics"!
All of this was a revelation and an incredible inspiration to a young
person instinctively seeking the absurd, the surreal, the world in which
imperfection and devil-may-care personality could exist alongside the neat
and polished triumphs of achievers.
i managed to find a copy of the wonderful classic AN EVENING WITH......for
10 bucks but lost the album in a fire about 8 years ago. i could give this
record a one word review--"GENIUS!"
"An Evening With With Wild Man Fischer" is an interesting album. It
is amusing / disburbing all at the same time.... After all has been said
& done.... you can only step back & wonder. and wonder... and wonder....
A very disturbing documentary.
Thanks for remembering the Wild Man
This is one of the most unpretentiously honest albums of all time
One cannot listen to this or any of Larry's fine albums and not be filled
with the joy of life, even though the reverse of joy was the obvious source
of alot of his music. I think if this album were released today it could
do a lot of good for the youth of America. I know that my kids sure like
Larry's music. My personal favorite of the album has always been the hit
that never was,"THE LEAVES ARE FALLING"(the leaves are what?)." MONKEYS
VS DONKEYS , WHAT A ROCKER!!! When you listen to some of the crud that
is passed off as music these days,Larry sounds more viable than ever. Bigger
than Dylan,bigger than the Beatles? Maybe not. But whose debut album is
now my new wallpaper? Thanks bbelo- THANK YOU LARRY!
I first heard selections from An Evening with Wild Man Fischer played on
the radio, of all places(!!!), by WBCN-FM, then (1968-69) an "underground"
station in Boston (and now a piece of shit). They used to play "Wild Man
Fischer Story" and "Merry-Go-Round" quite a bit, and i still remeber tham
playing the whole second side of Zappa's "burnt Weenie Sandwich", Varese's
"Deserts", and the Shaggs. It was another era.
Anyway these were no typical songs, and I liked them. I also had seen
the album in the stores with that cover! and heard and eventually bought
the "Zapped" sampler form Bizarre/Straight (it sold for a buck, and I have
two different versions!). then on that fateful day in 1970, aged all of
16 years old, I bought the album itself at the "Discount Records" store
in Harvard Square, Mass., from a clerk who told me the story of how he
got thrown out of the army (a desireable goal at the time) in part through
playing the album at the barracks. I brought it home and my life changed
forever. This has to be one of the most interesting, original, and "honest"
(dare I say) albums of any kind that ever was, or ever will be, released.
I especially love the last side. with the "Story" and "Circle" and stuff
apparently taped in the studio, with Frank trying to cheer Larry up, ending
with "You got me thinking about the past, Frank". This is as real and raw
and moving as any "pop recording" will ever be. Long life, and I only hope,
happiness for the great Sir Larry.
I purchased "A Evening with...." and played it occasionally. At first it
was interesting and mildly entertaining, then I took it a bit deeper and
raised the question: "What's Frank trying to do here?" Fully understanding
Frank's inventive ways, I accepted the fact that he had this mentally ill
guy -- with absolutely no concept and talent for music -- in a recording
studio making a double album. Then I though whether this was exploitation
of a diseased mind and nothing else. (I anguished over this latter idea
for years! How could Frank be so cruel!)
Later I resolved the issue that perhaps Frank was trying to reveal that
here was a poor, unfortunate individual who represented a segment of American
society who, with Frank's help, reached a goal of becoming a recording
artist.
It still disturbs me....
Two years ago when I was fourteen I decided to specail order Evening with
Wild Man after hearing My Name is Larry on a Dr. Demento collection, and
finding out that he was discovered by Frank Zappa whom I trust with everything
(except the talentless Captain Beefheart). I was amazed, and still am.
It was sad, happy, goofy, serious, and incredibly easy to listen to. It
was easy to describe him to my friends as a combination of Wesley Willis
and Brak from Cartoon Planet, but I also felt guilty because he was a real
person. Then I realized, sure, the material on the album based on his life
are bittersweet, but fictional peices like Jennifer Jones and Ron-da display
his one of a kind creativity and comic timing that he meant for us not
to take seriously and to laugh at.
This is one of my all time favourite albums. First hear on the BBC John
Peel Show c.1969/1970 in my teenage years, it's an album I still play to
the present day. At times a joyous and brutally honest celebration of Larry
Fischer's musical vision-at other times it's the saddest and most disturbing
music you'll ever hear. Truly an album for all seasons. Larry-thanks for
this album. It made the world a better place. I hope you're well brother.
I was always intrigued by the statement on the back of the album to wit:
Wildman Fischer has something to say to you, Even though you might not
want to hear it". (I paraphrase)
What a profound psycho/sociological statement! Wild Man Fischer was
a social outcast because he made up songs for a dime that gave many people
much joy. His intent was to entertain and give joy.
Would that there were more Wild Man Fischers in the world, it would
indeed be a better place.
Long live Wild Man Fischer!!!!!!!!
YOU JUST DON'T GET IT! An "Evening With Wildman Fischer" (If you truly
listen to it) IS THE BEST DOUBLE ALBUM ever made. You may laugh, but this
album is made by one guy basically singing occapella, with each song being
truley unique and original piece of music. LARRY if your out there, come
out to Cleveland, and hit the college radio scene. From ZEAK
I have only ever heard tracks from this album played once on British radio
and that was on the John Peel show in 1983. He played "Monkeys vs.Donkeys"
"Merry go Round" and one other track which I don't remember the title of.
I thought all three were excellent and spent months trying to find a copy
of the album but couldn't.
The three tracks played by John Peel I illegally recorded but around
4 years later the tape became trashed and I have been Fischer-less ever
since. Shame.
By way of a bit of trivia: Interestingly enough, the British TV comedy
show with Alexei Sayle uses Merry Go Round as the theme tune, sung unfortunately
by Alexei not by Wild Man.