MacLean & MacLean - Bitter Reality

They say you can't go home again - mostly because once you move out, it isn't your home. Still it's fun to go back to visit, raid the fridge and leave without doing the dishes. When I was a kid there were a couple of acts who managed to become legendary by only hearing about them second hand: Nestor Pistor and MacLean & McLean. When I got a Bill Cosby record, my cousin Jeff was playing George Carlin. One of those was safer than the other ...

Over the last couple of years I've picked up a couple of Nestor Pistor albums, and had my expectations dashed. Maybe they were funny once. Not to say there weren't some amusing moments, but on balance I just couldn't figure out how this stuff became the stuff of legend.

Here I am with Bitter Reality, the second album by MacLean & MacLean released in 1976, although the copy I have was on El Mocambo and was dated from 1980. At the time I had no idea that Burton Cummings was on the album, although apparently his management tried to block it due to some of the content ... they weren't successful. Jack Richardson, who produced so many great Guess Who tracks, was on board for this album - a mixture of live and studio cuts.

As I mentioned comedy albums can be tricky. I have a number of comedy albums that have aged like a fish in the sun. While this one certainly was tasteless at times, there were some little nuggets here and there that were pretty funny. The songs about pubic hair were great, and the :46 seconds of "Ken and Barbie" was more entertaining than the movie. The highlight on side one is "Frankie Fontaine (King of Genital Rock)" where Mr. Cummings more than acquits himself. I didn't want to laugh at "Shit" but I found myself getting actually laughing at one point.

At the time it didn't take a lot to be taboo and the guys went after everything. Not everything stuck to the wall, and frankly I get the sense most of what was being thrown around wasn't meant to - if it stuck great, if not the next one might. It's interesting to listen now and realize that audiences in 1976 weren't any more accepting than they are now ... the difference is that when people are offended now they have to let everyone know they're offended.

So while a good chunk of the album wasn't really all that funny to me, it was kind of comforting to realize that the more things change the more they stay the same.

Both Gary MacLean (1944–2001) and Blair MacLean (1942–2008) have long since passed on. I suppose they'd take some comfort knowing that while they never became comedy royalty they still left their mark. Excuse me while I go and change my pants.

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