Just Folks . . . A Firesign Chat (1977)
Review from Rolling Stone as listed on Benway's House of Firesign
Despite the technical difficulties beyond their control that led to the cancellation of their contract with Columbia, the Firesign Theatre continue to broadcast radio messages from the future on their own label, Butterfly. Their latest report is a man-on-the-street documentary of post-Carter America, centered in Ducktown, where everybody seems to be stoned and drunk all the time, color televisions are the popular currency, it's hard to separate television from religion and the propaganda is painless and fast acting.
Still, there are problems. "Everybody knows that this is the midst of the disillusionment and heartbreak season," announces Ben Bland during his all-night matinee. "For the first sign of the seven danger signals of depression, drink as much as possible and take your television's advice; and y'know more TVs recommend an amazing new psychic breakthrough than any other, and that's confidence in the system."
Mixed in with the political satire is the usual assortment of Firesign radio madness, the most interesting of which is the "Rockaroll Memory Bank" commercial in which Eric Burdon explains, "Yes, they did take away our music, but now you can have it back." The parody of the Animals' "Inside-Looking Out" that closes the commercial is worth the price of the record. (RS 246)
JOHN SWENSON
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