‘Isn’t it awfully nice to have a penis?’

‘Isn’t it awfully nice to have a penis?’

What’s ‘The Meaning of Life?’ If you ask Monty Python, it has
something to do with Spam, cross-dressing lumberjacks and the
Spanish Inquisition. After 25 years of offensive, vulgar and
flat-out hilarious material, the comedy troupe expands on their
feelings in the new ‘Instant Monty Python CD Collection.’

By Robert Stevens

Daily Bruin Senior Staff

For some mindless listeners, the newly released "Instant Monty
Python CD Collection" may lose its appeal after the first 30
seconds. At the beginning of the first disc, there’s an all-
important warning:

"We apologize most sincerely to those of you who have bought
this record under the impression that it was in any way connected
with the television program ‘Monty Python’s Flying Circus.’ This
was due to an error in the printing stage of the album cover. This
album is in fact called, ‘Pleasure of the Dance: A Collection of
Norwegian Carpenter’s Songs: Compiled by Oscar Tritt.’"

Fortunately, in tune with the biting sarcasm, cutting-edge wit
and classic hilarity of the Monty Python Troupe, a group
celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, this apology is nothing
but a minor flex of the comedy juggernaut’s muscle.

Monty Python, a group once only known among hip British circles,
has transcended fads, stereotypes, an international MTV attention
span and those who think the Beatles were the best thing to come
out of Great Britain, to become the premier comedy group of the
20th century.

Known in the public mainstream for three, low-budget films as
well as for a syndicated television show more than two decades ago,
Monty Python has put onto six compact discs practically everything
the group ever produced.

The title of the box set collection tells no lie. For the rookie
buyer, one purchase will in fact create an instant collection and
an entry-level opening into the worlds of "Monty’s Python’s Flying
Circus," and the feature-length films, "The Holy Grail," "The Life
of Brian" and "The Meaning of Life." For the hard-core fans, the
buy will be purely orgasmic. A warning to the reader: Over seven
hours of this unfiltered Monty Python joy could be too much for
listeners with heart conditions.

Not to mention that this set is beautifully handcrafted as
well.

"Congratulations on buying the executive version of this
record," a stately voice asserts at the start of disc four. "You
have chosen wisely and we value your discerning taste in deciding
to pay a few extra pence for a product of real quality. Everything
on this record has been designed to meet the exacting standards
that you have naturally come to expect. The record itself is made
from the very finest Colombian extruded poly-vinyl. The centerhole
has been created to fit exactly onto your spindle, with all the
precision of finest Swiss craftsmanship."

And what’s to be said about the actual material?

"The audio content has been quality graded, to give you the
finest in listening pleasure. There is little or no offensive
material, apart of four cunts, one clitoris and a foreskin. And as
they only occur in this opening introduction you’re past them now.
You can relax and enjoy this quality product."

In more ways than one, the term "quality product" describes not
only the box set, but it says a lot about the actual group as
well.

While fans oftentimes see them as brilliant, even those without
a taste for Monty Python have to concede to their originality.

In an April 12, 1993 interview with the Washington Post, charter
member Michael Palin commented of the group’s success: "It was kind
of a powerful drug, Python, when it really worked. It was six
people really sparking on all cylinders and it was a very good
feeling, this sort of manic elation. It wasn’t ‘Ah, we’ve got that
formula right,’ or ‘Yes, we’ve pleased so-and-so in the comedy
writing establishment."

Along with Palin, Graham Chapman, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones and
John Cleese rounded out the the group who premiered BBC’s "Monty
Python’s Flying Circus" on Oct. 5, 1969, replacing a Sunday
religious discussion. Eric Idle, the group’s sixth member, joined
later.

Implications of religious blasphemy and of a possible future in
hell aside, the show continued on for 45 episodes and had its last
original telecast in December of 1974.

It remains in syndication throughout the world – most often seen
on this side of the Atlantic on Comedy Central and video stores
outside of the Midwest.

As for this extensive amount of material, much of the more
famous, yet equally racy, bits can be found in the box set. Just
because the video portion is missing doesn’t make it any less
brilliant.

What exactly do these comedic scenes entail?

An ode to Spam, a quiz show for communist leaders, the
ever-popular penis song ("Isn’t it awfully nice to have a penis?")
and a modern-day operetta about a cross-dressing lumberjack.

"I cut down trees

I skip and jump

I like to press wild flowers

I put on women’s clothing

And hang around in bars,"

the stanzas proclaim. The lone error in this nearly flawless
set, six discs that also include the full soundtracks for every
Monty Python movie, is the poor separation of CD tracks. At an
average of three goliath tracks per disc, constantly returning to a
favorite skit is difficult. But since there are so many good ones,
it makes for pleasant dilemma.

And this problem may have never occurred had the boys on Monty
Python had their way.

In a Feb. 14, 1989 interview, Eric Idle explained to the New
York Times, "The only thing we ever agreed on was that the show
would never go to America."

Fortunately, they were wrong.