Recently I received an e-mail in my inbox from the P.R. department at Shout! Factory heralding the release of Rodney Dangerfield - Greatest Bits on Tuesday, November 4th.  I asked for a copy as Rodney is one of the comedy heroes of my younger days along with Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy.

In this year of the McCain vs Obama election, it was refreshing (and hilarious) to listen to Rodney’s rants and jokes all over again.  Forget about Joe the Plumber, Rodney Dangerfield was the original everyman to me.  He was not perfect, always had some funny self-depricating story to tell and yet always seemed to be the guy who you could run into on the street or the local bar and share some beers and laughs. He was the party and the life of the party at the same time.  They just don’t make ‘em like Rodney anymore.

Shout! Factory’s press release says it best:

It is an honor for Shout! Factory and Joan Dangerfield, to present the most hilarious selections from this late comic icon’s audio recordings. Each track has been selected to make the ultimate collection of the most popular bits from Rodney’s long illustrious career.

As the The New York Times’ assessed Rodney’s is “the rare comic whose popularity transcends generations.” His universal popularity and genius is apparent when you consider his record number of appearances on all of the following shows: Ed Sullivan (16 appearances); Merv Griffin (45); Johnny Carson (70), and Jay Leno. Rodney’s popularity came from his gift to personally connect with people and turn life’s lemons into lemonade. “I asked my old man if I could go ice-skating on the lake. He told me, Wait ‘til it gets warmer.” He could transform the pain of the world into precious and priceless humor. His legendary “No Respect” theme taps into the primal anxieties of humankind struggling to find a strategy for survival.

Rodney brought the party with him wherever he went and earned his famous party-boy image by indulging in various vices and, as always, making fun of them. “I joined Alcoholics Anonymous. I still drink. I use a different name.” He managed to parlay his indulgent “life-of-the-party” reputation into starring roles in a few decade-defining movies, most notably Caddyshack and Back To School, both of which continue to be cult favorites today.

Movies and television were fun, but stand-up was Rodney’s big love. He performed his one-hour Vegas act thousands of times over his 50-year career, offering more laughs per minute (LPM) than any other comedian. For generations, leagues of aspiring comedians have held Rodney in Godlike reverence, no doubt appreciating his eternal “coolness” along with his penchant for helping other comics make their dreams come true.  Dangerfield opened his own Manhattan comedy club, Dangerfield’s, in the late 1960s. It was there that he helped launch the careers of several comedians, including Tim Allen, Roseanne Barr, Jim Carrey, Sam Kinison, Jerry Seinfeld, Rita Rudner, Louie Anderson and many more.

Tracklist

01.   What’s In A Name (3:02)
(Rodney Dangerfield)
From the album What’s In A Name

02.   “Am I Too Fast For This Table?” (Excerpt from “No Respect”) (13:30)
(Rodney Dangerfield)
From the album No Respect

03.   “I Tell You With Bars I Am Never Lucky” (Excerpt from “Rappin’ Rodney”) (11:58)
(TK-Rodney Dangerfield?)
From the album Rappin’ Rodney

04.   “No respect At All” (Excerpt from “I Don’t Get No Respect”) (11:24)
(TK-Rodney Dangerfield?)
From the album I Don’t Get No Respect

05.   Finiculi Finicula (2:31)
(Luigi Denza/Peppino Turco)
From the Original Soundtrack album Easy Money

06.   Rappin’ Rodney (5:09)
(Rodney Dangerfield/D. Blair/S. Henry/D. Hoyt/J.B. Moore/R. Ford, Jr.)
From the album Rappin’ Rodney