Bill Cosby "Himself"

Amazon.com
Taken from a 1982 concert film, this CD contains several solid routines by the veteran comedian. Most of these portrayals are humorous takes on family life. Cosby gives special attention to the messiness and frustrations of child rearing. His caricatures of domestic situations reveal a sharp eye for telling details that most listeners will recognize. Cosby pens the material himself and it's tightly written stuff, indeed. "The Dentist" perfectly captures the humiliation and absurdity of a visit to the tooth doctor. "Chocolate Cake for Breakfast" might be the only flop here. The comic's drawn-out performance is heavy-handed and everything gets a little too spelled-out. But for the most part this disc features Cosby in good form. The man is the embodiment of All-American humor and this album reflects that. --Fred Cisterna

Bill Cosby "Himself",Bill Cosby,Motown / Pgd,Comedy,Observational Humor,Pop,Spoken / Comedy / Radio Shows,Spoken Word Comedy,Standup Comedy

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Average customer rating: Wonderfulness is one of Cosby's Best Collection of Stories Cosby is Wonderful in Wonderfulness Funny! Bill Cosby is Wonderful Great memories

Wonderfulness Bill Cosby Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Country Comedy | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Classic Comedy | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music 4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Miscellaneous | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Why Is There Air? Bill Cosby Is A Very Funny Fellow Right! To Russell, My Brother, Whom I Slept With I Started Out as a Child Revenge ASIN: B0000062TJ Release Date: 1998-04-28

Tracks:

1. Tonsils
2. The Playground
3. Lumps
4. Go Carts
5. Chicken Heart
6. Shop
7. Special Class
8. Niagara Falls

Amazon.com

These days, Bill Cosby is such an established showbiz presence that it's easy to forget what a deeply influential figure he was in the '60s, when he released a wildly successful series of standup comedy LPs. At the time, an amiable, apolitical African-American comedian sharing warmheartedly-barbed observations on childhood, parenting, and other rites of passage was a gently revolutionary act. Cosby's effortless ability to address universal experiences transcended boundaries of race and economic class, uniting diverse audiences during one of the most divisive periods in American history. Wonderfulness, originally released in 1966, is Cosby at his best, with such memorable bits as "Tonsils," "The Playground," and the classic childhood reminiscence "Chicken Heart." --Scott Schinder

Customer Reviews:

Wonderfulness is one of Cosby's Best Collection of Stories.......2007-05-31

This was one of my favorite albums as a child. It is great that it is now available today on compact disc. I still love the Chicken Heart and Tonsils. Bill Cosby is one of the greatest story tellers.

Cosby is Wonderful in Wonderfulness.......2007-03-30

My very 1st Stand Up Comedy show I ever listened to. I got it on Cassette on clearence at a Gas Station by request of my grandmother. We popped it in the radio. From Tonsils to Go-Karts to Chicken Heart. Sadly my cassette died after so many uses. 3 of his best routines are on this CD. I now have every Bill Cosby CD,and some of his rare cassettes,and his Himself DVD and 49 VHS. But it all started RIGHT HERE. Buy it NOW!

Funny!.......2007-02-22

It can be hard to remember when comedians could be funny without rude sexual humor or foul language. Not that that style of comedy isn't funny--it can be. Bill Cosby, however, is able to take regular types of events and relate them in a very humorous way. I can remember this album from junior high school. It made me laugh then and it still does today.

Bill Cosby is Wonderful.......2007-01-10

Bill Cosby makes you remember the goofy things that kids do and why they do them. I recommend this very funny comentary on life as a kid.

Great memories.......2006-10-20

They don't make comedy like this any more. No cussing, no innuendo. No quick easy jokes. Maybe Garrison Keillor is the only one even TRYING to!

"The Chicken Heart" is just amazing, classic, perfect Cosby. Cosby's parents go out to dinner and leave him in his crib and tell him it's surrounded by invisible poisonous snakes. All he wants to do is go listen to a scary radio program. Man it's good. "Tonsils" is great too. COUNT BACKWARDS FROM 100...

I wonder how someone today would enjoy this as an adult who never heard it as a kid. It's worth a shot, people! Turn off the tv and enjoy this cd!

Average customer rating: Just like old times Bill Cosby Good, clean fun! Bill Cosby Don't miss this one!

The Best of Bill Cosby Bill Cosby Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Country Comedy | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Classic Comedy | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Rhino Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Class Clowns | Warner Brothers Records | Stores | Music Similar Items: Wonderfulness To Russell, My Brother, Whom I Slept With Why Is There Air? Bill Cosby: Himself I Started Out as a Child ASIN: B0007N19EQ Release Date: 2005-03-01

Tracks:

1. .
2. Noah: Right!
3. Noah: And the Neighbor
4. Noah: Me And You, Lord
5. Revenge
6. Lone Ranger
7. Old Weird Harold (9th Street Bridge)
8. Driving in San Francisco
9. Apple
10. Babies
11. Water Bottle
12. Street Football
13. Fat Albert (Buck, Buck)

Album Description

The comic genius of Bill Cosby transcends age, race, passing trends, and every other imaginable boundary line. A nine-times Grammy-winner and TV icon, his warm, personal, anecdotal humor radiates universal appeal and has profoundly influenced legions of stand-up artists and comedians who followed in his considerable wake. A prolific recording artist of dozens of spoken word/comic album tours de force, Cosby delivered many groundbreaking early titles that have never before been released on CD. Now Rhino revisits four of these Cosby classics with debut CD presentations to delight comedy fans everywhere!

Customer Reviews:

Just like old times.......2007-07-10

One of the happiest memories I have from my childhood, was when the whole family was still together, we just moved into a new house with a brand new Montgomery & Ward 8-track player with a record player on top. In the evenings, we would play our "The Best of Bill Cosby" record and laugh like we were insane. Comedy is much different now... still funny... some VERY funny, but nothing seems as funny as what I remember from that record about playing buck-buck, stories of Old Wierd Harold, etc... After decades of not having that record, I found it online and bought it for my mother. We played it and it and for just a litle while we were all back in the late 70's / early 80's laughing like we were insane, even though we already knew every word before he even said it. Good times.

Bill Cosby.......2007-05-13

I loved this as a kid growing up and a lot of people never heard the Noah's ark skit. I think its a scream. I would recamend it to anyone who loves to laugh out loud.

Good, clean fun!.......2007-03-23

I remember listening to this album with my brother when we were little; it made us crack up. Now, after hearing it for the first time in over 20 years, it still cracks me up! I would recommend this cd for anyone looking for a really good laugh!

Bill Cosby.......2007-01-09

I first heard this years ago and never forgot the conversation between Noah and God. This is a must have for Cosby fans!!!

Don't miss this one!.......2007-01-04

I remember hearing this album back when I was young. 30 years later it is still hilarious and my children love it. Good clean humor, which is is short supply these days.

Average customer rating: Very Funny Great.... but a casstte The Essential Bill Cosby: The Birth of the Doctor of Comedy Genius! How long can you tread water? HA HA HA HA HA

Bill Cosby Is A Very Funny Fellow Right! Bill Cosby Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Country Comedy | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Classic Comedy | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music 4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Miscellaneous | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Wonderfulness Why Is There Air? To Russell, My Brother, Whom I Slept With I Started Out as a Child Revenge ASIN: B000002KA3 Release Date: 1995-01-24

Tracks:

1. Nut in Every Car
2. Toss of the Coin
3. Little Tiny Hairs
4. Noah: Right!
5. Noah: And the Neighbor
6. Noah: Me and You, Lord
7. Superman
8. Hoof and Mouth
9. Greasy Kid Stuff
10. Difference Between Men and Women
11. Pep Talk
12. Karate

Customer Reviews:

Very Funny.......2007-03-11

This is classic Bill Cosby. I first heard it on an LP when I was a youngster, and still laugh at the routines today. The ones about Noah are hilarious.

Great.... but a casstte.......2007-02-28

Note it is very hard to tell but check the small print in the information box...this is the casstette version.

The Essential Bill Cosby: The Birth of the Doctor of Comedy.......2007-02-26

BILL COSBY IS A VERY FUNNY FELLOW RIGHT? was Bill Cosby's debut album back in 1963. It immediately shot to the top of the charts and became a comedy classic. And Bill was just getting started. I can still remember listening to this album for the first time as a child. The father of one of my best friends loved Bill Cosby's stand-up work and we used to sit in front of the record player and listen to these old LP's for hours on end. I guess what is surprising about that is the fact that my friend and I started listening to them when we were [....] and that was in 1992. While most of my friends were watching MTV, my friend and I would fire up an old stereo receiver from the 1970s and work a phonograph.

Now, I don't just mention these details in order to reminisce on my childhood. Rather, I can remember being captivated by Bill Cosby's comedy and story-telling at a very young age. I would listen to these records for hours on end until I reached the point that I could recite them from memory. And now, at the ripe old age of twenty four, I still enjoy these albums. What amazes me about Bill's work is the fact that it is, almost without exception, timeless. Not only does Bill work with themes that never go out of style, his comedy is so rich that it grows with you. When I was nine, I found certain things funny and loved it. But as I got older, I began to understand the routines more and more from an adult perspective. Thus, each time I listen to it, there is something new to discover and laugh at.

BILL COSBY IS A VERY FUNNY FELLOW RIGHT? captures Bill Cosby's work at the beginning of his career, before he had become a household name. Like many first efforts, Cosby has not quite reached his full form. Many of the routines are a bit dated and do not focus on the themes that would later define Cosby's work: family life, raising children, marriage, and childhood. Many of the routines reminded me of the work of Bob Newhart: one-sided conversations, often historically located, intended to make history collide with modern conventions. For instance, track two considers what would happen if there had been a football-style coin toss at the beginning of the Revolutionary War and before the battle between General Custer and Chief Sitting Bull. I could not help but be reminded of Bob Newhart's album, THE BUTTON DOWN MIND OF BOB NEWHART, while listening to this track.

Nevertheless, BILL COSBY IS A VERY FUNNY FELLOW RIGHT? does feature some of Bill's classic routines. Perhaps his most famous routine, "Noah," is captured here in its entirety (the entire trilogy). Many consider this to be his best routine. Though I think he later would reach greater heights, "Noah" is a classic and remains a staple of "Best of" collections. As mentioned before, "Toss of the Coin," is also a hilarious bit. Finally, the last two tracks are also of particular merit: "The Pep Talk" and "Karate." If you are a fan of Bill Cosby, you need to get this album. If you are a fan of stand-up comedy, you need to get this album.

Genius!.......2006-11-23

Bill Cosby is a comedic genius! This and all of his earlier works are hilarious. I enjoyed this "album" as a child. My father had a great collection. I was excited to find that we could still enjoy them after all these years. If you love to laugh, buy it! The best part is, you can safely listen with the kids around and they'll love it, too. In my opinion, YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED!

How long can you tread water? HA HA HA HA HA.......2006-08-05

The "Noah" skits are some of Bill's best and are comparable to "Chicken Heart," "Chocolate Cake for Breakfast," and "To Russell..."

If you've heard the "Noah" skits - then you know you have to have this CD. If you've never heard them - then definitely get this CD - you won't be disappointed! Appropriate for most ages.

"Have you looked in the bottom of that ark?"

Average customer rating: I've Laughed for Over 35 Years To Russell, my brother,Whom I Slept wiith Bedtime Cosby Sleepover at Bill's house Good but dated fun

To Russell, My Brother, Whom I Slept With Bill Cosby Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Country Comedy | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Classic Comedy | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music 4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Miscellaneous | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Wonderfulness Why Is There Air? Bill Cosby Is A Very Funny Fellow Right! I Started Out as a Child Revenge ASIN: B0000062TL Release Date: 1998-04-28

Tracks:

1. Baseball
2. Conflict
3. The Losers
4. The Apple
5. To Russell, My Brother, Whom I Slept With

Amazon.com

This is one of his finest comedy discs, and it remains as fresh and funny as ever. Recorded at the height of his standup popularity, the master raconteur's 1968 album To Russell, My Brother, Whom I Slept With is a fine example of the multi-talented veteran's effortless mastery. Cosby discusses "Baseball" and "Conflict" with his usual blend of impishly winsome insight and flat-out yuks. The 27-minute title track, a memorable meditation on the joys and terrors of childhood, is one of his most resonant achievements. --Scott Schinder

Customer Reviews:

I've Laughed for Over 35 Years.......2007-05-19

My mother gave me this album when I was two or three (because I inherited Dad's love of music, I was taught how to handle vinyl at a young age). Only years later did I appreciate how masterful the material was to draw out loud laughs from me as a preschooler, my friends and I as middle schoolers and me as an adult fussy about my comedy. That's multilevel genius, best demonstrated on the title track, which ranks among the greatest routines ever. But he also throws in The Losers, an account of early fatherhood I can't help thinking about and giggling at as I deal with my own perpetual motion two-year-old daughter (who has never seen the belt. But will hear about it.)

To Russell, my brother,Whom I Slept wiith.......2007-04-12

The funniest,truest narrative on sibling behavior I have ever heard. I loved it when it first released and was delighted to find it in cd. A gift to my nephews whose antics are mirrored in this album.
Bill Cosby's sterling performance, comedy without profanity,great man.
With laughter and Aloha Tracy McPherson

Bedtime Cosby.......2007-02-01

"To Russell, My Brother, Whom I Slept With" (1968) was Bill Cosby's 6th live comedy album. From the 5 Bill Cosby discs I have, it's my least favorite. There are 5 tracks on it. Though it's interesting to hear Bill open a show, I don't really like "Baseball" or "Conflict" much. My favorite is "The Losers", which follows up on "Two Daughters" from Revenge (1967), about his baby daughters Erica and Erin. Adam and Eve's "The Apple" would be done as "It's the Women's Fault" on "It's True! It's True!" (1969) with more material about mothers, though "The Apple" version is a bit livelier. I don't listen much to the 27 minute "To Russell, My Brother, Whom I Slept With" story. Don't get why it's so popular, but it's okay. It's more atmospheric than anything. I'd recommend "Revenge" for newcomers to the CDs.

Sleepover at Bill's house.......2006-07-30

There is no better way to get to "know" someone than by listening to their "remember when..." and "did I tell about the time..." stories. The "Russell" track brings you right into Cosby's childhood room; its like 'spending the night at Bill's house.'
Cosby is such a great storyteller, that after you listen to this CD, you will feel as if you know him and his brother personally. The other tracks, are good also but not as memorable as the Russell segment.

Of course you will laugh your head off. Highly recommended. Appropriate for most ages.

Good but dated fun.......2006-01-29

Got this for my wife. She wanted it because her tape of it had worn out. The fondness for her was her memories of her family listening to a record of 'To Russell,....' together. I listened to it and found it to be hilarious. My only criticism is that they need a brief glossary guide to some of the language, for example bread another name for money in the dialogue. Otherwise it was fun to listen to with my wife.

Average customer rating: Classic Cosby The Essential Bill Cosby: Cosby's First Tour de Force Essential. "Goodbye Mother, take care of yourself..." Why IS There Cosby?

Why Is There Air? Bill Cosby Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Country Comedy | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Classic Comedy | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music 4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Miscellaneous | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Class Clowns | Warner Brothers Records | Stores | Music Similar Items: Wonderfulness I Started Out as a Child Bill Cosby Is A Very Funny Fellow Right! To Russell, My Brother, Whom I Slept With Revenge ASIN: B0000062TI Release Date: 1998-04-28

Tracks:

1. Kindergarten
2. Personal Hygiene
3. Shop
4. Baby
5. Driving In San Francisco
6. $75 Car
7. The Toothache
8. Hofstra

Amazon.com

Cosby sounds fired up on this live one. "Kindergarten" kicks off the disc in fine fashion with the soon-to-be TV star's spot-on and kid-centered description of early grammar school. Cosby accurately captures the strangeness of a time when a lot of things don't quite make sense and you are constantly being told what to do. "Personal Hygiene" and "Shop" take us through junior high before we arrive at the comedian's tales of young adulthood on the disc's last five tracks. "Hofstra" closes the CD with an eight-minute depiction of a very bad college football team before and during another humiliating game. Cosby manages to turn the awful team's terror and suffering into an occasion for laughs. Like other Cosby albums from the '60s, Why Is There Air? is full of the comic's highly effective sound effects. --Fred Cisterna

Customer Reviews:

Classic Cosby.......2007-04-10

My sister and brothers enjoyed this album (yes, it was an LP then) for the first time in the '60's. We have such fond memories of it that we still quote it at each other. ("Yeah, your mother must be pretty low-down. . . ." "Thank God for this break.") So my sister and I were overjoyed to find that somebody had put Bill Cosby's classic stand-up on CD.

The quality of the recording is wonderful: we can hear Cosby's masterful use of his microphones, the response of the audience and, of course, our own laughter. Among my favorite sketches is the last one (I think): "Hofstra," the story about the televised college football game. When I was a kid, I thought this was a name Cosby had made up! Another is the very brief description of Lombard Street, the treacherous road in San Francisco. But what made me laugh till tears ran down my cheeks was the description of kindergarten and [...]. (I thought about Cosby, giggling, the last time I entered a school-supply store for parents and teachers.)

If you liked any of the Cosby shows, this recording is a must-hear --a must-OWN, in fact.

The Essential Bill Cosby: Cosby's First Tour de Force.......2007-03-01

Bill Cosby's third attempt, WHY IS THERE AIR?, is a true comedy gem. Jerry Seinfeld attributes his desire to go into comedy as largely stemming from listening to this album. Perhaps what I enjoy the most about this third attempt is that it is the first album in which we get to hear Bill develop his bits for several minutes. With more room to work (almost forty minutes on this album), Cosby chooses to develop only eight bits. (Compare that to his second album, "I STARTED OUT AS A CHILD," in which Cosby squeezes an amazing 15 tracks into thirty minutes). Given the expanded length of the tracks, we get to hear Cosby develop his routines and his storytelling style really begins to take shape. Cosby simply can't be enjoyed in one minute segments. The power of his later albums is his ability to build you up across several routines to the point where you are rolling in the aisles.

In Cosby's second album, "I STARTED OUT AS A CHILD," only the first few tracks explored Bill Cosby's childhood. The rest of the album was still dedicated to the kind of observational comedy that defined his first album BILL COSBY IS A VERY FUNNY FELLOW RIGHT?. In this third album, Cosby begins to fully explore the themes that would define the rest of his comedic life. Almost the entire album is dedicated to Cosby's humorous and universal stories. Where we do find observational comedy, it is always placed in the context of Bill's life.

"Kindergarten" is an oft-forgotten piece about, well, you guessed it: Kindergarten. I recently listened to it and was instantly reminded of several episodes of the THE COSBY SHOW, since much of the material was used in Rudy's school experiences. My favorite line is when Cosby remarks on how difficult it was to go to school the first day, but by the second day he was totally cool: "Goodbye, Mother. Take care of yourself, won't you dear? I should be home...oh...12:30...quarter to one...somewhere around there. I might be late...I may have a little milk with the boys, you know what I mean? Tell Dad I'll see him around dinnertime."

"Shop" is a classic routine found on a few other collections in which Cosby reflects on his horrible performance in shop class, a practical joke, and a shop teacher who likes to get personal with personal insults. "Baby" is a hilarious piece about having children and the different perspectives men and women have on the subject of being pregnant. "Driving in San Francisco" is another classic routine in which Cosby pokes fun at the ridiculous hills in San Francisco.

"Hofstra" is a very interesting piece in virtue of the fact that it appeared, in a less developed version, on Cosby's second album. That track, titled "TV Football," is good, but lacks the development and polish that "Hofstra" shows. By listening to both and comparing, you can tell how much Cosby has worked the bit (in live performances) and developed it into an eight minute routine. It is fantastic and an interesting window into Cosby's comedic development.

In sum, Cosby is in complete control in WHY IS THERE AIR?. This album is a comedy classic and, together with REVENGE and WONDERFULNESS, is perhaps Cosby's best work. I highly recommend it for all ages.

Essential........2007-01-01

Long before the Cosby show, and even before "Bill Cosby, Myself" there were the LP recordings of the 60's. Excerpts were played on the radio and we were rolling in stitches then. If you missed it, or even if you remember them -- these recordings are essential in your humor library. If you enjoy zany "self-inflicted" humor, you might also try Ken Nordine's "Word Jazz" collection.

"Goodbye Mother, take care of yourself...".......2006-08-05

All stand up comedy should be this funny. Cosby reminds us that comedy does not have to be turned off when young children enter the room. This recording will entertain even the most stubborn middle school kid. It is a reflection of Bill in his early teens in health class then moves to playing football on the losing team and onto his famous description of his wife's labor pains.

This is classic Cosby stand-up. Highly recommended.

Why IS There Cosby?.......2006-03-19

Bill Cosby exists to entertain. From his "discovery" on I, Spy, which broke ground on tv and in the real world establishing the fact that, yes, white can be friends with black, and THEN, establishing that, hey, that guy's funny no matter what color he is! 'Why is there Air?' is another trip down memory lane for Cosby, regaling us with his hilarious reminiscences of 'Kindergarten' and 'Shop' and 'Driving in San Francisco.'

Average customer rating: Bill Cosby - I Started Out as a Child The Essential Bill Cosby: The Sequel in Which Cosby Hits His Stride "Do NOT touch certain parts of your body... on TV" I Started Out As A Fan You got to Hell, Kimosabe!

I Started Out as a Child Bill Cosby Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Country Comedy | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Classic Comedy | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music 4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Wonderfulness Why Is There Air? Bill Cosby Is A Very Funny Fellow Right! To Russell, My Brother, Whom I Slept With Revenge ASIN: B0000062TH Release Date: 1998-04-28

Tracks:

1. Sneakers
2. Street Football
3. The Water Bottle
4. Christmas Time
5. The Giant
6. Oops!
7. The Lone Ranger
8. Ralph Jameson
9. Medic
10. My Pet Rhinoceros
11. Half Man
12. Rigor Mortis
13. The Neanderthal Man
14. T.V. Football
15. Seattle

Amazon.com

Here's a slice of Cosby before he became a major television star. At this point in time, the main appeal of I Started Out as a Child is its innocence. Recorded live at a Chicago club in 1964, the disc is a product of a now-quaint American scene, as yet untouched by the radical social changes that were just around the corner. Cosby pulls in the listener by introducing his only mildly humorous stories in a warm, intimate tone. Then he switches to using a variety of animated voices and vocal sound effects to get laughs from a responsive audience. If you want to enjoy the gentle ambiance and warmth of another time, this CD is for you. However, Cosby's at-times charming, skilled performance isn't enough to make this dated material funny. --Fred Cisterna

Customer Reviews:

Bill Cosby - I Started Out as a Child.......2007-03-19

One of the all-time classics. Masterful.

The Essential Bill Cosby: The Sequel in Which Cosby Hits His Stride.......2007-02-26

In my opinion, Bill Cosby hits his full stride in "I STARTED OUT AS A CHILD," the album named for the hilarious opening line of the first track. While one could see his potential in his first album, BILL COSBY IS A VERY FUNNY FELLOW RIGHT?, it is in this album that Bill first begins to explore topics concerning his childhood. In fact, the first half of the album is dedicated to such exploration; the second half is largely observational humor in the same style as his first album. The album would eventually go on to win the Grammy award for Best Comedy Album in 1964. It was well deserved.

The opening two tracks are my favorite tracks on the entire album: "Sneakers," in which Bill recalls the wonderful excitement of getting a pair of sneakers, and "Street Football," in which Bill describes a hilarious street football game and recalls the ridiculous plays a quarterback would call in the city. It still makes me laugh whenever I hear the line: "Cosby...you go down to third street...catch the "J" bus. Have them open the doors at thirteenth street...I'll fake it to you." Now, I can write out the line, but in order to do it justice, you just have to hear the absolutely perfect delivery that Cosby has. It is wonderful to listen to Bill develop his conversational style further, often leading into his bits with nothing more than "I remember when...". Bill Cosby is, perhaps, the best comedic storyteller of his generation.

But beyond his storytelling, Bill's observational humor is particularly sharp and, as always, timeless. "Oops" is a hilarious sketch that tries to imagine what a doctor says when he makes a mistake like the rest of us. "The Lone Ranger," a hilarious montage about the old radio drama, makes me laugh even though I've never heard the original program! Bill manages to setup all of his jokes without my knowing anything about the show he is referring to! Another interesting thing to mention about this sketch is that it is his complete bit about the Lone Ranger. I had originally heard this sketch on a different collection, but this particular track contains two extra minutes of material. The rest of the bit is hilarious.

"Medic" is one of the few bits inspired by his time in the Navy and explores the precarious life of a wartime medic. "T.V. Football" is an early rendition of a piece that would later appear on several live albums and collections. The piece is about when he was on the football team and was instructed not to touch "certain areas of your body" because the game was televised. Hilarity ensues after Bill takes a hard shot to a particularly sensitive area of the body. While the piece is undeveloped here, it is interesting to listen to how Bill massages the bit over time, eventually arriving at a hilarious routine.

All in all, Bill's second attempt in "I STARTED OUT AS A CHILD" is much stronger than his first. The audience appeal is much wider, ensuring that there is something for everyone. One only wishes that the album were longer so that Bill could develop his work even further. His next two albums would increase in length, from the thirty short minutes of this album, to forty minutes on his next attempt, all the way up to forty seven minutes by his fourth album. As the album length grew, Bill's style really began to shine. No longer did a bit have to be squeezed into a one to two minute window. Still, it is interesting to see the doctor of comedy at work in this shortened format. I highly recommend "I STARTED OUT AS A CHILD" to any fan of Bill's work or to anyone that enjoys stand-up albums. If you like good storytelling, you can't get better than this.

"Do NOT touch certain parts of your body... on TV".......2006-08-06

Another example of clean humor. With the exception of the Lone Ranger (due to the word "Hell" and the reference to getting drunk) this recording is more proof that clean stand-up comedy is suitable for all ages. The skit about Football at the end will have all teenage sports players in stitches!

Bravo Bill!

I Started Out As A Fan.......2006-03-19

Recently my 16-yr-old son has been performing stand-up at school & local functions. It brought back to mind those heady days of of late 60s and early 70s when, as a kid, I would entertain my friends with routines stolen from the best. Upon reflection I realized they were all from Cosby. I immediately ordered all the items I had as a kid (whatever happend to those albums anyway?) and was entertained all over again. Cos's stories lose no humor over the years, and his lack of obsenities are a refreshing break from most of today's comedians.
His childhood memories are classic and easily enjoyed by those younger. And eave it to Cos to find humor in the war in "Medic."

You got to Hell, Kimosabe!.......2006-02-10

This album by Bill Cosby was released in 1964. It consists of 15 short routines (the album is only 30 minutes long). Cosby is always funny, but this album is a bit less funny than usual. Probably because the routines are so short, they don't have time to build. Some of that may be the fault of whoever edited the album, because there seem to be a lot of abrupt cuts during the performance. But Cos is still funny, especially when talking about his childhood. The "Street Football" routine is a classic. Fans of Cos will dig it.

Average customer rating: Revenge "July..." Bill Cosby is "Smoking!" Master storyteller Revenge is sweet.

Revenge Bill Cosby Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Country Comedy | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Classic Comedy | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music 4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Wonderfulness Why Is There Air? I Started Out as a Child To Russell, My Brother, Whom I Slept With Bill Cosby Is A Very Funny Fellow Right! ASIN: B0000062TK Release Date: 1998-04-28

Tracks:

1. Revenge
2. Two Daughters
3. Two Brothers
4. The Tank
5. Smoking
6. Wives
7. Cool Covers
8. 9th St. Bridge
9. Buck, Buck
10. Planes

Amazon.com

During the second half of the 1960s, before he became a ubiquitous TV star and commercial pitchman, Bill Cosby was America's most popular--and influential--standup comic. Unlike the generation of Borscht-Belt funnymen that preceded him, Cosby didn't tell jokes, per se. Instead, he delivered colorful, tightly structured tales drawn from his experiences as a child and a parent, adopting a multitude of voices to portray the colorful array of characters who populated the Philadelphia neighborhood in which he grew up. Cosby's 1967 album Revenge is awash in bittersweet, hilarious accounts of snowball fights, scary monster movies, and youthful one-upsmanship. --Scott Schinder

Customer Reviews:

Revenge.......2007-03-15

I grew up listening to this album over 30 years ago. I hadn't heard it in years, but when I listened to it again a few weeks ago, I realized I remembered almost every line. I'm so glad this album is in CD form!

"July...".......2006-11-10

"Revenge" is Bill Cosby's 1967 comedy record, and is filled with classic tracks about growing up in Philadelphia, his friends as a kid, his daughters, his brothers and the introduction of Fat Albert (who features in "Buck, Buck"). He captures his life pretty well with his stories, and it's funny too. I like the way the album is produced and paced, with themes runnning through the routines (like monsters and being scared, etc) and the steady flow of one routine to the next.

Definitely worth a listen for fans of comedy.

Bill Cosby is "Smoking!".......2006-07-29

Revenge, Smoking, 9th Street Bridge and Buck Buck are my favorite tracks on this CD. The other tracks are OK. I grew up listening to Bill Cosby and his childhood stories are woven in with my own memories. Few things I remember as clearly as listening to Bill Cosby with my brother and sister. It was not too often that we would have fun together - but listening to Bill Cosby tell the stories of his childhood stopped our bickering and brought us together for a short time. And of course we could watch the stories come to life every Saturday morning on the cartoon FAT ALBERT.
Revenge, has one of my favorites, "Smoking." As the oldest and first to try everything - Smoking - brings back my own memories of trying 'be cool' in the early 1970's and enables me to shake my head and laugh at myself.

Don't miss out on this great live recording. Suitable for most ages.

Master storyteller.......2006-04-14

Bill Cosby has had a phenomenal career as one of America's best-loved comedians. This collection of his stand-up material from the late 60s shows why. Cosby is a talented storyteller who eschews jokes and one-liners for humorous tales (often drawn, as is the case with this album, from his childhood) full of rich, comic detail. In these routines, he introduces some of his best-known characters, such as Fat Albert and Old Weird Harold.

Revenge is sweet........2006-03-17

Bill Cosby is at his best on "Revenge," which contains one of his well-known routines, the title track involving Junior Barnes and slushballs. Cosby's memories of raising children are priceless, but his memories of being a child himself are some of his most vivid, hilarious stories. If your friends don't know who Fat Albert is, or what Buck Buck is, either get new friends, or force them to listen to this album. There's no way to explain these things to your friends either, but to let them hear it from Bill Cosby himself (pun intended for those who truly understand).

Average customer rating: Dad is Great! Feeds us chocolate cake! Cosby at his best 3rd generation now laughing The quintessential Bill Cosby comedy album Silly Bill Cosby is heard but of course,not seen

Bill Cosby: Himself Bill Cosby Manufacturer: Motown ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Country Comedy | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Classic Comedy | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Jazz General | Jazz | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music $7.99 and Under | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Jazz | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music $7.99 and Under | Prices | Blowout Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Jazz | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Wonderfulness Bill Cosby Is A Very Funny Fellow Right! Why Is There Air? To Russell, My Brother, Whom I Slept With Revenge ASIN: B000001AGW Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. The Dentist
2. Natural Child Birth
3. Brain Damage
4. Kill The Boy
5. Chocolate Cake For Breakfast
6. Same Thing Happens Every Night
7. The Grandparents

Amazon.com

Taken from a 1982 concert film, this CD contains several solid routines by the veteran comedian. Most of these portrayals are humorous takes on family life. Cosby gives special attention to the messiness and frustrations of child rearing. His caricatures of domestic situations reveal a sharp eye for telling details that most listeners will recognize. Cosby pens the material himself and it's tightly written stuff, indeed. "The Dentist" perfectly captures the humiliation and absurdity of a visit to the tooth doctor. "Chocolate Cake for Breakfast" might be the only flop here. The comic's drawn-out performance is heavy-handed and everything gets a little too spelled-out. But for the most part this disc features Cosby in good form. The man is the embodiment of All-American humor and this album reflects that. --Fred Cisterna

Customer Reviews:

Dad is Great! Feeds us chocolate cake!.......2007-05-22

Great comedy by Bill Cosby, great material and clean, which is hard to find something that is so side splitenly (is that a word?) funny and yet you can listen to it with anyone and won't feel weird. CD is a little short and leaves you wanting more (around 40 minutes of material) But it's worth it to hear the chocolate cake story.. you'll be singing along with the kids... dad is great... gives us chocolate cake.. great great great!

Cosby at his best.......2005-09-26

This is a very short CD, but has some of Cosby's best material. There are not many comedy recordings that you can enjoy with the whole family, this is one of them. It's great that my 9-year-old son thinks it's funny too!

3rd generation now laughing .......2005-07-30

My brother and I used to listen to Bill Cosby records on our partents' Hi-Fi, and we laughed til we cried. When I talk with my own kids I often make references to "Brain Damage" or "The Chicken Heart" or "Lombard Street", and they don't know what I'm talking about...you know the weird look they give you, "whatever mom". So I bought the CDs of all of Cosby's early skits and now THEY'RE quoting "Noah" and singing their own go-cart songs. In a time when I have to check every video game, CD and book for parental warning lables, these CDs present a wonderful opportunity for me to connect with my kids in a family friendly environment. The topics are as fresh and timely as they were in the 60's and I can count on Bill to keep it rated G. I recommend you purchase a couple or all of the CDs and have a good laugh with a generation that doesn't even know what a record is. Have fun!

The quintessential Bill Cosby comedy album.......2004-08-29

I still have vivid memories of being a kid and watching Bill Cosby do his The Dentist sketch on a show called Solid Gold. It was easily the funniest thing I had ever heard in my life, and I went around telling everyone just how hilarious Bill Cosby was. At the time, I only knew Cosby from his Picture Pages segments on Captain Kangaroo and the Fat Albert cartoons, and I actually felt like some type of visionary when a little television vehicle called The Cosby Show debuted soon thereafter based to a large degree on the comedy you will find on this album (and the longer video from which these tracks were taken). A few of the skits in this performance were translated almost directly to the screen in the show's first few episodes.

Bill Cosby, Himself video is hilarious; I still laugh every time I listen to it, no matter how many times I've heard the routines. There was a time when I practically had The Dentist memorized. Cosby's humor resonates so well with audiences because he is describing and joking about things we all know and understand to some degree. He doesn't need to use foul language or tell dirty jokes in order to reach his audience. He just comes in and starts talking about the humorous things in life.

The comic material on Bill Cosby, Himself, deals primarily with family life - marriage, children, etc. He makes the birth of his first child a hilarious journey into the delivery room, explains that parents lose a lot of their intellect as they age because of the frustrating brain damage that afflicts all of their children, explains how differently his parents treat his own children compared to the way they treated him, and describes quite vividly some of the antics of his own five children over the years.

Bill Cosby knows people, and he knows what will make them laugh; he is also one of the greatest storytellers in the world. He is at his funniest here, and I really can't imagine there is anyone out there who would not enjoy listening to Bill Cosby, Himself. If you loved The Cosby Show, you will definitely love this album.

Silly Bill Cosby is heard but of course,not seen.......2004-03-12

This album is an edited audio version of the motion picture "Bill Cosby Himself", I don't have the CD but I do have the LP with the original cover photo. This album was recorded live in Ontario,Canada like the motion picture. Some of the dialogue is different from what's heard in the movie. For example,at the end of track 6 of the CD,SAME THING HAPPENS EVERY NIGHT which the second track on side 2 of the LP,Cosby says,"This woman(his wife Camille) graduated from college." That line is not heard in the film. Obviously,that was an outtake. Also on the fifth track of the CD and the first on side 2 of the LP,CHOCOLATE CAKE FOR BREAKFAST,the opening line is "My wife woke me up six o'clock in the morning." In the film he said "four". So he mentioned "six" in another performance that was either not recorded or recorded but not used. See the VHS version of this title for the details of all seven routines. This album is on the Motown label,which originally had a black clientele. Cosby first recorded on Warner Bros. in 1963 when his show business career began. In or around 1970,he was dropped by WB,and from then on recorded on Tetragammaton,a label which he co-owned,the defunct Uni,Capitol,Motown and Geffen.

Average customer rating: 200 Mph, an insanely funny car story Essential for Cosby fans, but dont buy this 1st. A CLASSIC Absolutely fabulous. "You're the gas man, find the gas tank!"

200 M.P.H. Bill Cosby Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Country Comedy | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Classic Comedy | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Rhino Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Class Clowns | Warner Brothers Records | Stores | Music Similar Items: It's True! It's True! Why Is There Air? Wonderfulness Revenge To Russell, My Brother, Whom I Slept With ASIN: B0007N19D2 Release Date: 2005-03-01

Tracks:

1. Mothers And Fathers
2. The Wife
3. The Grandfather
4. Dogs And Cats
5. 200 M.P.H.

Customer Reviews:

200 Mph, an insanely funny car story.......2007-01-21

A must listen for sports car fans. The title track is Mr. Cosby's quest for the ultimate in power, has a Shelby Cobra super snake (2 ever in existence) built and describes his experience. He pokes fun at 60's car culture, foriegn cars, mechanics, Steve Mc Queen, and even the racial hypocricy still smoldering from the 60's era. My dad's (swiped) vinyl copy still resides in my prized collection today. The flipside routines are great as well, but this album is about the speed.

Essential for Cosby fans, but dont buy this 1st........2006-03-26

I own a lot of Cosby. This is fine material, but it is nowhere the genius of some of his other work. Before you buy this, buy Wonderfulness or Revenge or To My Brother Russel Whom I slept With or Why is there Air or Himself or Fat Albert. The 200 mph bit is the best on the CD.

A CLASSIC.......2005-12-20

THE 200 MPH CUT IS CLASSIC COMEDY AND STORY TELLING AS ONLY BILL COSBY CAN DO..

Absolutely fabulous........2005-09-21

I listened to this album probably 15 yrs for the first time. It is absolutely timeless and unbelievably funny.

"You're the gas man, find the gas tank!".......2005-06-14

With the bulk of Cosby's classic WB albums available on CD for some time, it's a surprise that this excellent album from 1968, one of the last of Cosby's 60's standup albums released on the WB label, has finally been released.

The non-re-release of this album for many years was due primarily to the politically charged punchline of the title track routine. Cosby, a sports car fanatic, relays the story of a specially built 427 twin Paxton Cobra, which, when simply idling, scares the crap out of Coz. Looking for a car that was "faster than anything Steve McQueen owns", a dishevelled Cosby tells the carmaker to give the fully paid car to George Wallace (former Governor of Alabama in 1962 - and again in 1970 - and a hard-line segregationalist who tried a run for the presidency in 1968).

With the release of "200 MPH" and "It's True! It's True!" in March 2005, Cosby's legendary 60's WB catalogue is now completely available. "200 MPH" made the P2P circuit for years on sites like Kazaa, which may also have had an effect on the decision to release this album, out of print on vinyl for over 35 years, and only available on cassette until recently.

Average customer rating: Truth is Funnier than Fiction? Essential for the Cosby fan, but dont buy this 1st. "Ants Are Cool, Helicopters & Shoelaces ~ Bill Cosby"

It's True! It's True! Bill Cosby Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music General | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Country Comedy | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Classic Comedy | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Rhino Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Class Clowns | Warner Brothers Records | Stores | Music Similar Items: 200 M.P.H. Revenge Why Is There Air? Wonderfulness To Russell, My Brother, Whom I Slept With ASIN: B0007N19DC Release Date: 2005-03-01

Tracks:

1. It's the Women's Fault
2. Helicopters
3. Ants Are Cool
4. Burlesque Shows
5. American Gambler
6. Shoelaces
7. Spanish Fly
8. Mr. Ike & the Neighborhood
9. TV Set
10. Foreign Countries

Album Description

The comic genius of Bill Cosby transcends age, race, passing trends, and every other imaginable boundary line. A nine-times Grammy-winner and TV icon, his warm, personal, anecdotal humor radiates universal appeal and has profoundly influenced legions of stand-up artists and comedians who followed in his considerable wake. A prolific recording artist of dozens of spoken word/comic album tours de force, Cosby delivered many groundbreaking early titles that have never before been released on CD. Now Rhino revisits four of these Cosby classics with debut CD presentations to delight comedy fans everywhere!

Customer Reviews:

Truth is Funnier than Fiction?.......2006-09-18

"It's True! It's True!" is a collection of standup comedy material by Bill Cosby, first released on vinyl in 1969, now on CD. It's not Bill's funniest, in my opinion, but it does have it's moments, plus Bill is always a great storyteller.

Among the things Bill talks about here: Adam and Eve, helicopters, ants, shining shoes, shoelaces, burlesque houses, gambling and the early days of television sets. A lot of material (the classic "Spanish Fly" and the 14 minute "Foreign Countries") focuses on the time when Bill was on location filming "I Spy" around the world.

It's not a perfect bunch of material. Bill sounds a little tired here. Not that his material is, just sounds like he's exhausted. They were busy times for him back then in the late 1960s, after all. Listen to the opening track "It's the Women's Fault", it takes a while for him to warm up. It's a very short CD, too, (roughly 34 minutes) which is a little disappointing. The booklet is equally brief, but it does tell you where and why Bill was when he was recording this, which was interesting.

It's worth picking up, but get some of the classic Bill Cosby CDs first like Revenge. Even the 2 disc Bill Cosby Collection (with material from 1977-1978) would be a decent pick. Three and a half stars for this one.

Essential for the Cosby fan, but dont buy this 1st........2006-03-26

I own a lot of Cosby. This is fine material, but it is nowhere the genius of some of his other work. Before you buy this, buy Wonderfulness or Revenge or To My Brother Russel Whom I slept With or Why is there Air or Himself or Fat Albert. Nothing on the CD really stands out.

"Ants Are Cool, Helicopters & Shoelaces ~ Bill Cosby".......2005-03-12

Rhino Records presents "It's True! It's True!", the early works of Bill Cosby, master of comedy and storytelling...all selections written by Cosby...his standup style covers childhood antics and still holds up very well today as it did back in the '60s through the '80s...stories like "AMERICAN GAMBLER", ANTS ARE COOL", "BURLESQUE SHOWS", "FOREIGN COUNTRIES", kept us rolling in the aisles.

Although this is just an appetizer of some of the best, it is still a side splitter and brings out some of the routines we've come to know and love..."HELICOPTERS", "MR. IKE & THE NEIGHBORHOOD TV SET", "SHOESLACES", "SPANISH FLY", in today's world of crude humor, Cosby is a refreshing and welcome change in the genre of comedy...first issued in January 1969 (Warner Bros. #1770)...my children and I would listen to the old LP's that would leave us in hysterical laughter...those days and times are priceless, and so is this compilation from Bill Cosby!

Total Time: 33:51 on 9 Tracks ~ Rhino Records 74615 ~ (3/01/2005)

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