Famous Album Covers: November 2011

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

The debut album of famed klezmer kazoo sideman Irving “The Tongue” Goldfarb. A long-time fan of Delta Blues, Goldfarb managed to arrange twelve of his favourite blues tunes to suit his amped kazoo as lead and solo instrument. Issued in March of 1981, the album gained some notoriety as a novelty item when Goldfarb reacted to negative reaction both in the musical press and at the concerts he played at the time. During a concert in Trenton, New Jersey, audience laughter at Goldfarb’s blues arrangements caused the musician to begin impaling himself with his kazoos while yelling at the audience, “Funny, I’ll show you funny!”

The blood from the self-inflicted wounds shorted the pickups in the kazoos causing Goldfarb to suffer mild electrocution which made him resemble a broken sparking marionette on the stage. The album was a distinct failure at the cash register although today remaining copies fetch a high price among novelty collectors. Goldfarb went back to being a sideman for klezmer bands and never again attempted a kazoo blues album.