Two Monty Python Records

Two Monty Python records.

     On the right is Another Monty Python Record is the second album produced by the Monty Python comedy group, released in 1971. It was packaged as "Beethoven Symphony No. 2 In D Major", but defaced by the Pythons to serve as their own record jacket. (The "serious" liner notes on the back also bear a Pythonesque stamp: the biography of Beethoven quickly turns into a commentary on Beethoven's Wimbledon debut.)  Most of the material is from the Monty Python's Flying Circus television series, although some of the sketches are new. Included with the original LP were three card inserts printed with detailed instructions, scripts and cut-out props for the 'Be A Great Actor' sketch on side 2.  Terry Jones noted on this album in the book The Pythons:  "We had this horrendous time because we were recording in this rather hippy recording studio which fortunately I can't remember the name of. ... We were very keen to use the stereo and everything, but what we hadn't realized was that the guy who was doing the recording, who I think was out of his head most of the time, had not been making any notes. We'd end up with tapes and tapes of material with no idea of where anything was on the tapes ... That was a bitter experience."

   On the left is The Monty Python Instant Record Collection is actually the title of two compilation albums released by the Monty Python troupe, the first in the UK in 1977, and the other in the US in 1981. It was billed as "the pick of the best of some recently repeated Python hits again, Vol. II." The record sleeve's original design was done by Terry Gilliam. It featured packaging that folded out into a cardboard box resembling a large stack of record albums (all containing spoofs of popular album names).  The only new sketch (on the UK version) is "Summarise Proust Competition" which was originally performed on the television series Monty Python's Flying Circus and was re-recorded for Monty Python's Previous Record but never used.  The selection of sketches included on the US version is very different from that of the original record release.