Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America Volume One: The Early Years

Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America Volume Two: The Middle Years
Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America Volume Two: The Middle Years
Studio album by Stan Freberg
Released	1996
Genre	Comedy
Label	Rhino Records
Producer	Donna Freberg; Stan Freberg

Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America Volume One: The Early Years
Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America Volume One: The Early Years
Studio album by Stan Freberg
Released	1961
Genre	Comedy
Length	47:49 (LP); 56:03 (CD)
Label	Capitol
Producer	Ken Nelson

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
New Record Mirror	5/5^[2]

Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America Volume One: The Early Years is a 1961 American comedy album with music and lyrics written by Stan Freberg and sketches written by Freberg and Ken Sullett, released as Capitol W/SW-1573 in 1961. Freberg satirizes episodes of the history of the United States from 1492 until the end of the Revolutionary War in 1783. The album combined dialogue and song in a musical theater format. Billy May orchestrated and conducted the music, with the Jud Conlon Singers providing background vocals.

Cast

In addition to Freberg, the cast included the following performers:

Jesse White
Peter Leeds
Byron Kane
Colleen Collins
Helen Kleeb
Shep Menken
Walter Tetley
Marvin Miller
June Foray
Barney Phillips
Maurice Dallimore
Peter Forster
John Frank
Paul Frees (narrator)

Notes

Freberg used anachronistic and self-referential humour in these sketches, such as referring to the Fourth of July weekend in the "Declaration of Independence" sketch, Thanksgiving Day in the skit on "Take an Indian to Lunch" as well as the "Thanksgiving Turkey" portion, and Columbus Day in "Columbus Discovers America". Freberg also satirized McCarthyism in the "Declaration of Independence" sketch, for example where Benjamin Franklin says, "You . . . sign a harmless petition, and forget all about it; ten years later, you get hauled up before a committee."

Legacy

Admirers of this album have included Steven Spielberg, Richard Dreyfuss and Paul McCartney.^[3] Dr. Demento's listeners have repeatedly voted The United States of America as the greatest comedy album of all time.

In 2019, Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America Volume One: The Early Years was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry as "culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress.^[4]^[5]

Track listing

Overture
"Columbus Discovers America: It's a Round, Round World"
"Pilgrim's Progress: Take an Indian to Lunch"
"Thanksgiving Story (Under the Double Turkey)"
"Sale of Manhattan: Top Hat, White Feather, and Tails"
"Boston Tea Party"
"Declaration of Independence: A Man Can't Be Too Careful What He Signs These Days"
"Midnight Ride of Paul Revere" [not on original LP]
"Betsy Ross and the Flag: Everybody Wants to Be an Art Director" [slightly longer version than original LP]
"Discovery of Electricity" [not on original LP]
"Washington Crosses the Delaware (Command Decision)"
"Yankee Doodle Go Home (Spirit of '76)"
"Battle of Yorktown"
Finale: "So Long, Friend"

^[6]

Volume 2

Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America, Volume Two was planned for a release during America's Bicentennial in 1976, but did not emerge until 1996. In his autobiography, Freberg detailed his efforts to have the songs and skits produced on Broadway; when this failed, he used material omitted from the original album in the sequel.

Besides Freberg, the cast for this volume included:

Peter Leeds
Jesse White
June Foray
Lorenzo Music
David Ogden Stiers
Donavan Freberg
Donna Freberg Ebsen
Naomi Lewis
Bill Woodson
Harry Shearer
Tyne Daly
Sherman Hemsley
John Goodman
Corey Burton (narrator)

Freberg originally intended for Leeds, White, Byron Kane, and Paul Frees to all return, but Kane and Frees had died and White could only appear in a cameo role. Lorenzo Music, David Ogden Stiers, and Corey Burton filled the parts originally meant for Kane, White, and Frees respectively.^[7] Fayard Nicholas also recorded tap dancing sounds for the record.^[8] Billy May once again arranged and conducted the music.

A third volume was planned. Due to the death of Freberg's wife, Donna, and Freberg's personal health problems, the project was shelved.