Home > Actors > A > Allen, Woody > Discography

Albums | Compilations

Woody Allen
Standup Comic
Release Date: 1979
Label: Casablanca
Rating:

Allen's performances on this album alone (film and literary career notwithstanding) secure his place in the pantheon of American comedy. Standup Comic is a compilation of three historic albums: Woody Allen, recorded at Mr. Kelley's in Chicago 1964; Woody Allen Vol. 2, at the Shadows in Washington D.C. in 1964; and The Third Woody Allen Album, recorded at Eugene's in San Francisco 1968. Standup Comic, and its vinyl counterpart Woody Allen: The Nightclub Years (1964-1968), contain the same routines. Some versions of the latter are unedited from the source material, while the former has many edits which, in most cases, make the routines stronger. In his trademark style, both bizarre and surreal, Allen takes you on a comedic roller coaster with stunning confidence. Many classic routines on this album foreshadow much of Allen's cinematic output, laying the groundwork for things to come. "Brooklyn" foreshadows a segment in Radio Days. In his NYU routine, Allen tells the audience about "cheat[ing. During Allen's honeymoon night, he claims his wife stopped in the middle of everything to "give him a standing ovation"; that is the effect this album would have on anyone. Ryan Randall Goble, All Music Guide