Some thoughts on Cal Stewart and Billy Murray

[chuckmoy]

Cal Stewart confuses me, and the comedy is lukewarm. Uncle Josh and The Honey Bees has been the only I've enjoyed. I've found redeeming gags and qualities in Trip to Washington D.C and At the Dentist. I purchase any Uncle Josh records I don't see, but they aren't quite too entertaining.

Cal Stewart is like one of those things that I really want to enjoy but just can't.

I do like Billy Murray. I enjoyed Further Away from Tipperary and Melon Time in Dixieland.

Anyway. Phono thoughts over.

[Lucius1958]

'Rube' humor was popular around the turn of the last century, when urban America was expanding...if you've read the popular humorists of the 19th century, that was the background for Cal Stewart and 'Uncle Josh'.

- Bill

[JerryVan]

I really can't stand Cal Stewart. I find that the worst part is his fake laugh after having said nothing funny whatsoever. My opinion, of course... I realize that a lot of collectors enjoy his work. As mentioned above, it was a style of humor in that era. Other examples were "Ma & Pa Kettle", "Lum & Abner", etc.

I do like Billy Murray. Not only did he seem to have a voice that "recorded well", he also seems to have recorded songs with clever lyrics.

[Curt A]

"Haw, haw, haw... Well sir, I traded my Android for an iPhone and now I have to download a new McDonalds app so Aunt Nancy can order breakfast..."

I hate Cal Stewart "humor", but it's not meant to be funny, it's an observation of modern new-fangled social changes, like horse & buggy to Tin Lizzie...

[edisonplayer]

I think of Cal Stewart as not being unlike the humor of The Beverly Hillbillies or Green Acres.edisonplayer.

[AmberolaAndy]

"
I hate Cal Stewart "humor", but it's not meant to be funny, it's an observation of modern new-fangled social changes, like horse & buggy to Tin Lizzie...

This is why I collect a lot of his stuff. It’s just interesting how people reacted to then social changes and when things that are now commonplace were new and novel.

[phonographguy3435]

I agree. Even thiugh he might’ve been the most popular, there were certainly better rube records. One I’m pretty fond of is Two rubes at a vaudeville by Frank c. Stanley and Byron g Harlan. I think it gives a good look into what the vaudeville houses where the recorded songs were performered. It’s also miles more funny than some of the uncle Josh records I’ve heard (in my opinion).Here’s the link on I78s
https://i78s.org/preview/c1aea4ffabc76 ... 312ac4c702