Monty Python

This studio collection is the second to gather a variety of sketches derived from the BBC-TV program Monty Python's Flying Circus. In many ways, Another Monty Python Album (1971) continues motifs that actor/writers Michael Palin, Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Terry Gilliam had initially established into their first long player, Monty Python's Flying Circus [Pye] (1970). As they had done on television, the troupe incorporates its respective medium -- in this case, a vinyl album -- with subtle references during the introductions and links between bits. The listeners' reality is immediately suspended by the pair of contradictory "Apology"'s from Palin and Cleese, suggesting that the contents of the album are actually "Pleasures of the Dance: A Collection of Norwegian Carpenters' Songs." Another surrealistic thread is Palin's abrupt interjections as Cardinal Ximinez during the "Spanish Inquisition," which pop up unexpectedly throughtout. The "Architect Sketch" involves Cleese as the designer of an abattoir, which he presents as a "twelve-storey block combining classical neo-Georgian features with all the advantages of modern design." Plus, the Viking-led musical tribute to "Spam," whose outright silliness is juxtaposed with the more erudite entries, including the Idle-led "World Forum" quiz show pitting Karl Marx, Vladimir Ilich Ulyanov, Che Guevara, and Mao Tse-tung head-to-head with their knowledge of British football. One of the longer pieces is the somewhat longer story of "Piranha Brothers" Doug and Dinsdale, as well as a giant hedgehog named Spiny Norman. This LP also marks the debut of the Gumbies ("My brain hurts!"), who reinact the -Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekov on "Gumby Theatre." Those characters would also turn up quite unexpectedly throughout subsequent episodes of the show and even in their stage act, as evidenced by "Gumby Flower Arranging" on Live at Drury Lane (1974). Another Monty Python Album is one of their finest non-visual efforts and is a highly recommended, if not compulsory, title for enthusiasts. ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide