Released October 1972 Genre Comedy Label Columbia | Venue Columbia University Length 43:24 Producer Stephen Gillmor | |
Not Insane or Anything You Want To is the sixth album released by The Firesign Theatre on Columbia Records. It was released in October 1972 and includes some material that was recorded in the studio as well as some material that was recorded before a live audience.
Contents
The full title of this album is listed on the spine of the record album as "Not Insane or Anything You Want To". The title "Not Insane" appears on the front of the album while the title "Or Anything You Want To" appears on the back of the album. It is usually referred to simply as "Not Insane".
Most of the live material on this album was recorded during the "Martian Space Party" live radio broadcast, which was also filmed. That film footage will later become available on the VHS release Firesign Funnies.
This album records bits and pieces of the group's "Anything You Want To", a Shakespeare parody, for the first time. It will be rerecorded and released later in more complete versions on both "Shakespeare’s Lost Comedie" and "Anythynge You Want To".
This album also introduces George Papoon, the group’s choice to be the next President of the U.S.A. Some of these bits about Papoon will be collected later on the album Papoon For President.
John Lennon had been photographed wearing a "Not Insane!" button asking Papoon for president (referencing their Martian Space Party movie) during April 1973, including at his famous "Nutopia" press conference.
In 1996, David Ossman prepared a web article including his diary entries from 1972 when the band experienced internal turmoil preparing this album. Afterwards, the group went on hiatus for a year with Proctor & Bergman recording as a duo while Austin and Ossman worked on solo albums.
Side one
- "Not Insane" – 19:58
Side two
- "Not Responsible" – 23:26
Critical reception
The New Rolling Stone Record Guide only gives the album one star (out of a possible five), while The Goldmine Comedy Record Price Guide only gives it one and a half stars.
In the notes to the group’s 1993 greatest hits album, Shoes for Industry: The Best of the Firesign Theatre, Peter Bergman criticized the album, saying "Not Insane was when the Firesign was splitting apart". David Ossman says that the album “was incomprehensible, basically” and that “it was not the album it should have been and I think that caused us to slope off rapidly in sales."
Issues and reissues
This album was originally released simultaneously on LP and 8 Track.
It has been re-released on CD once.