Robin Williams

Comic genius Robin Williams was riding high with his starring role on the hit television sitcom Mork & Mindy when he recorded 1979's Reality...What a Concept, his debut comedy album. It was recorded live at the Copacabana in New York City and the Boarding House in San Francisco. Reality...What a Concept reached the Top Ten and went gold, which is more a testament to Williams' soaring popularity than the actual quality of the album, despite the fact it won the Grammy award for best comedy recording. Quite simply, Williams' maniacal, improvisational style at the time did not lend itself to cohesiveness. Williams had difficulty harnessing his own explosive brilliance, and as a result Reality...What a Concept is disjointed. The funniest tracks are "Kindergarten of the Stars," "Reverend Earnest Angry," "Shakespeare (A Meltdowner's Nightmare)," and "Tank You, Boyce." Williams' youthful exuberance and zaniness are evident, but he didn't make a focused, outstanding comedy album until several years later with A Night at the Met, which also benefited from the fact that he'd kicked alcohol and drugs. As of early 2002, Reality...What a Concept had not yet been reissued on CD. ~ Bret Adams, All Music Guide