Songs And Stories (1978)

De Amerikaanse songschrijver/komiek Shel Silverstein (1930-99) is vooral bekend van de vele songs die hij schreef voor Dr. Hook, maar ook "A Boy Named Sue" van Johnny Cash is van zijn hand. Dit eigen album uit 1978 opent met een zo mogelijk nog hilarischer vervolgsong daarop, bezien vanuit het standpunt van de vader. "This album tackles a myriad of social taboos, including homosexual incest ("Father Of A Boy Named Sue"), prolific marijuana ("The Smoke Off") and cocaine ("They Held Me Down") use, and even an interspecies love song ("The Cat And The Rat"). Silverstein's poetic mastery also spins with equal humor on the less confrontational, irony-laden, and sardonic tales "Diet Song," "Peanut Butter Sandwich," "Sure Hit Songwriter's Pen," and "Goodnight Little House Plant." Although he occasionally accompanies himself on acoustic guitar, the undeniable rhythms inherent in his lyrics provide a majority of the understated cadences as well as a quirky melodic sense." (Lindsay Planer, Allmusic; 4,5 uit 5 sterren)