"As a regular listener at airamericaradio.com, I was familiar with some of the material presented on this disc. It makes an excellent gift for those who aren't fortunate enough to have access to the show, or for those who stubbornly refuse to listen to both sides of the debate.
The track "Flippity-Floppity" is particularly insightful, outlining the many issues George W. Bush has flip-flopped on. It should be required listening for people who have been led to believe that Bush is a "straight-shooter."
A wonderful effort by Al Franken and Katherine Lanpher!
"
Good, but not really the "Best Of ... "
Brian P. Hudson | Dearborn, MI | 09/23/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I love the Al Franken Show (formerly the O'Franken Factor). When I heard they were putting out a CD, I could think of a lot of funny bits I wanted to be on it. Unfortunately, they didn't all make it!
This is a decent CD, but I think they missed some really funny stuff, and put sone not-so-funny stuff on the disc. Take the "Oy-oy-oy Show" for example. I love the "Oy-oy-oy Show," but the specific "Show" they put on the disc is far from the funniest. And where are any of the "Countering Hannity's Lies" segements? At least one should have made it.
Still, we get "My Drugs Are Red, White, and Blue," "Mission Accomplished," the hilarious Bebe Nueworth impersonation of Ann Coulter, and the best Condi Rice impression ever ("But I'm a RUSSIA expert!"). So overall, it's good to have a Franken CD ... especially in the car, since I can only listen to AAR via the Internet.
It's just a guess, but I'm willing to bet dollars to doughnuts that "R. Reeves" below hasn't listened to this CD ... and probably doesn't listen to Air America, either. Honestly, this is a 3 1/2 star CD, but I rounded up to counter his ignorant "review.""
Hilarious and truthful
Chris Smith | New Jersey | 09/22/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Someone once asked why most liberal commentators were comedians... my response is ... how can they not be?!
Frankin's work here is his best stuff since the early Saturday Night Live Days. Good radio show too."
Regretfully not the best part of a great radio show
M. E. Reeves | Whitehall, MI | 09/24/2004
(2 out of 5 stars)
"This is a review submitted with regret by a big fan of Al Franken and Air America Radio (and also of his recent book, Lies and Lying Liars). The problem is that CD fails to well represent the best material on the radio show. Instead of "The Very Best of the O'Franken Factor," it would be more accurately titled "The Silliest Skits & Songs of the O'Franken Factor." Some of the skits and songs are good, but that isn't the heart of the radio show. And too much of the space in the CD is taken up with long, slow, ponderous set-ups which are perfectly in place in a radio show which fills three hours every weekday, but which are much too slow-paced for a CD. This fan of Al Franken wishes that he would find another set of editors and piece together a well-cut, fast-paced montage of the many great dialogues in which he exposes the lies and absurdities of the right wing. His best comedy is based on fact. For example, the one section of the CD which is really worth inclusion, because it is completely factual, is number 5, "Flippity-Floppity," which cuts apart the Bush record with a recital of outrageous facts. As in Lies and Lying Liars, a great book, it is the fact-stranger-than-fiction which is the true comedy in his work. Please Al, you are a great American and a great comic. Please put out another CD which represents the true quality of your work. I'll buy the other version and not begrudge the money I wasted on this one."
But where are the classics?
Anon. A. Non | US | 09/25/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Anything from The Factor is always welcome. But where are the bits we all know and love? Where are the Phone Number Song, the Blog Song, the Christy Harvey Song, the Joe Conason Song(s), My Sirota, We Will Brock You, the O'Lielly Calypso Song and ANYTHING from Curtis, our favorite undecided voter?