Jonathan Winters – The Wonderful World Of Jonathan Winters

Not all Jonathan Winters recordings are available as a comedy CD. The Wonderful World of Jonathan Winters is the better of the 3 stand-up comedy CDs released by Laugh at the beginning of this century.

If you are a Winters fan you will definitely want to pass on the more recently recorded Outpatients, Crank(y) Calls, and the three minute long Old Folks. The Wonderful World of Jonathan Winters is pretty decent, considering, and the best you can do for now in terms of CD recording.

The Wonderful World of Jonathan Winters opens with a flying saucer bit, one of Winters’ favorite themes. It is pretty good and unlike other tracks here doesn’t quite end with a fizzle. Track 2, Western, is also quite good but does not match cowboy classics like his Billy The Kid bit. Football Game is typical Winters material as it is definitely wild and surprising but the closing of this routine is less than stellar.

Winters asks the audience for suggestions for a bit of improv for the Airline Pilots. Interestingly enough it’s hard to see the audience suggestions in the bit itself. Still, this is a pretty good surreal stand-up comedy bit. Of the tracks on this CD it features the strongest ending. Used Pet Shop is as bizarre as the title suggests.

The two strongest bits on The Wonderful World of Jonathan Winters are Hip Robin Hood and Marine Corps. Hip Robin Hood is the better of the two though I still do not quite get the last closing joke. Marine Corps features Winters’ forte for a large cast of characters and many voiced sound effects.

Super Service Station is a rarity in terms of comedy theme for Winters. It is quite good if a little repetitive. Of the tracks on this comedy CD it has the strongest closing joke.

The Wonderful World of Jonathan Winters is a fan’s or fan to be’s best bet as to what is available on CD for now.

Jonathan Winters
The Wonderful World of Jonathan Winters
stand-up Comedy CD
Originally released 1959
Laugh 2002
42 minutes

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