Personnel includes: Shel Silverstein (vocals, piano); Mike Finnegan, Jelly Roll Turner, Turk Murphy, Art Twain, Charles Day, Leon Oakley, Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show.
Producer: Ron Haffkine.
Reissue producer: Nick Shaffran.
Engineers include: Glen Kolotkin, Mike Fusaro, Roy Segal.
Recorded in 1973. Originally released on Columbia (31119).
By 1969, Shel Silverstein's star had risen to an unprecedented degree, between his stories and cartoons appearing in places like Playboy magazine and Johnny Cash releasing a hit version of Silverstein's "A Boy Named Sue." Accordingly, the album Silverstein made in the wake of all this popularity proved to be the one that achieved the most lasting renown. While Silverstein was arguably something of a countercultural influence himself, FREAKIN' AT THE FREAKERS BALL nevertheless lambasts the hippie-era lifestyle with Silverstein's characteristically satirical humor. His rough, gravelly voice barks out loose, gonzo tunes that lampoon the let-it-all-hang-out attitudes of the day regarding sex, drugs, and life in general.