How Can You Be in Two Places at Once When You're Not Anywhere at All
Studio album by The Firesign Theatre
Released	1969
Genre	Comedy
Length	56:29
Label	Columbia
Producer(s)	Cyrus Faryar
Professional reviews
The New Rolling Stone Record Guide All Music Guide link
The Firesign Theatre chronology
Waiting for the Electrician or Someone Like Him (1968)	How Can You Be in Two Places at Once When You're Not Anywhere at All (1969)	Don't Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me the Pliers (1970)

How Can You Be in Two Places at Once When You're Not Anywhere at All was the second comedy album recorded by The Firesign Theatre. It was originally released in 1969 by Columbia Records. Image File history File links Hcybitpaowynaaa. ... A Studio Album is an album of regular studio recordings. ... Left to right: Phil Proctor, Peter Bergman, Phil Austin, and David Ossman in 2001 The Firesign Theatre is a comedy troupe consisting of Phil Austin, Peter Bergman, David Ossman, and Philip Proctor. ... A music genre is a category (or genre) of pieces of music that share a certain style or basic musical language (van der Merwe 1989, p. ... Comedy has a classical meaning (comical theatre) and a popular one (the use of humour with an intent to provoke laughter in general). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the performers, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes . ... The Rolling Stone Album Guide, previously known as The Rolling Stone Record Guide, is a book that, along with its sister publication Rolling Stone magazine, contains professional reviews of popular music and is commonly used by both musicians and casual listeners. ... Image File history File links 5_stars. ... The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music, owned by All Media Guide. ... Image File history File links 5_stars. ... Left to right: Phil Proctor, Peter Bergman, Phil Austin, and David Ossman in 2001 The Firesign Theatre is a comedy troupe consisting of Phil Austin, Peter Bergman, David Ossman, and Philip Proctor. ... Waiting for the Electrician or Someone Like Him was the first comedy album recorded by The Firesign Theatre. ... Dont Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me the Pliers is The Firesign Theatres third comedy recording for Columbia Records. ... Comedy has a classical meaning (comical theatre) and a popular one (the use of humour with an intent to provoke laughter in general). ... Left to right: Phil Proctor, Peter Bergman, Phil Austin, and David Ossman in 2001 The Firesign Theatre is a comedy troupe consisting of Phil Austin, Peter Bergman, David Ossman, and Philip Proctor. ... Columbia Records is the oldest brand name in recorded sound, dating back to 1888, and was the first record company to produce pre-recorded records as opposed to blank cylinders. ...

Track listing

Side one

1. "How Can You Be In Two Places At Once When You're Not Anywhere At All" – 28:27:
   1. "Drink To Me Only With Thine Fox" (Mr. Catherwood And Ensemble) [CD retitle: "The Ralph Spoilsport Mantrum"] – 4:21
   2. "The Policemen's Brawl" (Officers Bradshaw And Henderson) [CD retitle: "Zeno's Evil"] – 4:34
   3. "Yankee Doodle Came To Terms" (All Fecal People's Chorus) [CD retitle: "The Land of the Pharaohs"] – 2:47
   4. "Über Dubbing Over Alice" ('Arry 'N' Friends) [CD Track retitle: "VACANCY-NO VACANCY"] – 1:34
   5. "You Ain't Got No Friends On The Left" (Babe And The Unknown Soldiers) [CD retitle: "The Lonesome American Choo-Choo Don' Wan' Stop Here Any Mo'"] – 7:34
   6. ""We're Bringing The War Back Home!" From Babes In Khaki" (Lilly Lamont*) (*Miss Lamont Courtesy Of Paranoid Pictures) – 7:31 [split into 2 tracks on the CD, track titles below]:
      1. "Babes In Khaki" – 3:53
      2. "TV or not TV" – 3:38

(This side of the vinyl LP was not divided into separate tracks, but the liner notes list the above titles and tracks.)

Side two

1. The Further Adventures Of Nick Danger – 28:11

Detailed Track Information and Commentary

The album consists of two 28-minute pieces, each taking up one side of the original vinyl release.

On side one, the title track opens with Philip Proctor playing car salesman Ralph Spoilsport, a spoof of southern California Ford dealer Ralph Williams, who was well known to late-night TV viewers. As Ralph is extolling the virtues of a featured new car, the main character, Babe (played by Peter Bergman), drives onto the lot and interrupts Ralph's spiel with an immediate desire to buy the car in question. Philip Proctor (often Phil) (born July 28, 1940 in Goshen, Indiana) is a member of The Firesign Theatre. ... Peter Bergman (born November 29, 1939, in Cleveland, Ohio) is a founding member of The Firesign Theatre. ...

"Well, OK, fine. Let's just take a look inside your beautiful new home!" The impossibly luxurious car contains what would now be called a "home entertainment center," each component of which Ralph demonstrates one by one, in an increasingly complex stereophonic jumble that is the sonic equivalent of the stateroom scene in A Night at the Opera. A Night At the Opera is a 1935 comedy film starring the Marx Brothers. ...

Persuaded, Babe buys the car and drives it onto the freeway, and as he talks to himself, the signs along the freeway also "talk" as he passes them. One set of signs even shows Babe to be caught in one of Zeno's paradoxes, as the signs intone "Antelope Freeway, 1/4 mile... Antelope Freeway, 1/8 mile... Antelope Freeway, 1/16 mile", ad infinitum. Zenos paradoxes are a set of paradoxes devised by Zeno of Elea to support Parmenides doctrine that all is one and that contrary to the evidence of our senses, the belief in plurality and change is mistaken, and in particular that motion is nothing but an illusion. ... Southern California freeways The Antelope Valley Freeway is a freeway in Los Angeles and Kern counties in southern California. ...

At this point, Babe notices the climate control switches, each with a themed name. He clicks "Tropical Paradise" and is suddenly transported to a tropical rain forest (complete with sounds of exotic birds and rainfall). He is then set upon by wise-cracking explorers who appear to be on a half-hearted expedition. Frustrated by the interlopers, he switches the climate control to "Land of the Pharoahs" and is suddenly transported to Egypt...along with the explorers.

The piece gradually morphs into an ironic celebration of America itself, as presumably exemplified by Babe's new car purchase. A panoply of characters talk and sing, in a manner reminiscent of a Norman Corwin patriotic radio pagaent^[1], about America and its history, including sardonic references to slavery and gun ownership. Norman Corwin is an American writer, producer, essayist and teacher of journalism and writing. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... A gun is a common name given to a device that fires high-velocity projectiles. ...

At the end, Spoilsport returns with an increasingly insane monologue that ends up being a direct quote of the final words of James Joyce's Ulysses. James Joyce James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (Irish Seamus Seoighe; 2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish writer and poet, widely considered to be one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. ... Ulysses is a 1922 novel by James Joyce, first serialized in parts in the American journal The Little Review from 1918 to 1920, and published in its entirety by Sylvia Beach on February 2, 1922, in Paris. ...

The piece on side two, "The Further Adventures of Nick Danger," is probably the group's most famous recording, its characters having been reused in many subsequent sketches. It imitates a 1940s radio drama, the "episode" title here being "Cut 'Em Off at the Past."

Nick Danger (played by Phil Austin) is a '40s-style detective character in the Raymond Chandler mold. In live performances and photographs, he wears the stereotypical fedora and trench coat. He has the obligatory nemesis on the police force, Lieutenant Bradshaw (Bergman), who questions his every move. His "mark" is Rocky Rococo (Proctor), a Peter Lorre imitation. As in all bad mysteries, there has to be a butler, who here is Catherwood (David Ossman). Phil Austin (often Philip) (born April 6, 1941 in Denver, Colorado) is a comedian and writer. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Raymond Chandler Raymond Thornton Chandler (July 23, 1888 – March 26, 1959) was an author of crime stories and novels. ... Peter Lorre, 1946, by Yousuf Karsh Peter Lorre (June 26, 1904 – March 23, 1964), born Ladislav (László) Löwenstein, was a stage and screen actor of Austrian descent especially known for playing roles with sinister overtones in Hollywood crime films and mysteries. ... David Ossman (born December 6, 1936 in Santa Monica, California) is the oldest member of The Firesign Theatre. ...

Compared to other Firesign Theatre material this sketch is rather straightforward and even old-fashioned, though it is loaded with then-contemporary references to The Beatles, the I Ching, and other "hippie" topics. It also features various self-reflective, post-modern jokes, such as when one scene where two characters are ostensibly sitting around a fire, but they refer to it as crinkling cellophane. (The sound of fire was famously simulated by cellophane on old radio dramas.) The Beatles were a highly influential English rock n roll band from Liverpool, Merseyside. ... Alternative meaning: I Ching (monk) The I Ching (Traditional Chinese: 易經, pinyin y jīng; Cantonese IPA: jɪk6gɪŋ1; Cantonese Jyutping: jik6ging1; alternative romanizations include I Jing, Yi Ching, Yi King) is the oldest of the Chinese classic texts. ... Singer at contemporary Russian Rainbow gathering Hippie, occasionally spelled hippy, refers to a subgroup of the 1960s counterculture that began in the United States, becoming an established social group by 1965 before declining in the 1970s. ... Postmodernism (sometimes abbreviated pomo) is a term applied to a wide-ranging set of developments in critical theory, philosophy, architecture, art, literature, and culture, which are generally characterized as either emerging from, in reaction to, or superseding, modernism. ...

Issues and reissues

This album was originally released on both LP and 8 Track and it was later released on cassette.

• LP - Columbia CS-9884
• 8 Track - Columbia 18C-09884
• Cassette - PCT-09884

It has been reissued on CD at least 5 times.

• In 1988 by Mobile Fidelity - MFCD-762
• In 1995 by Sony/Legacy - CK-9884
• In 2001 by Sony/Legacy - CK-85774, purchaseable from Laugh.com - Order #LGH1070

Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (MFSL, or MoFi) is a company that produces audiophile releases of classic CDs and vinyl records. ... Sony Records is a record label courtesy of Columbia; Epic; and American Recordings. ... Sony Records is a record label courtesy of Columbia; Epic; and American Recordings. ...

Miscellanea

The front cover of this album features photographs of Groucho Marx and John Lennon next to the pseudo-Communistic slogan "All hail Marx, Lennon!" Because of this, the album is sometimes erroneously referred to as All Hail Marx and Lennon! The title of the album could also seen to be a paraphrase of Groucho Marx's joke in Duck Soup, where he says "I can be in two places at once" to which Margaret Dumont's character replies "How is that possible when you're not anywhere?". Groucho retorts "Boston and Philadelphia manage to be in two places at the same time!" Julius Henry Marx, known as Groucho Marx (October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977), was an American comedian, working both with his siblings, the Marx Brothers, and on his own. ... John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980), (born John Winston Lennon, known as John Ono Lennon) was an iconic English 20th century rock and roll songwriter and singer, best known as the founding member of The Beatles. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Julius Henry Marx, known as Groucho Marx (October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977), was an American comedian, working both with his siblings, the Marx Brothers, and on his own. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Margaret Dumont (born October 20, 1889; died March 6, 1965) was an American comedic actress. ... Nickname: City on the Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Universe)1, Athens of America, The Cradle of Revolution, Puritan City, Americas Walking City Location in Massachusetts, USA Counties Suffolk County Mayor Thomas M. Menino(D) Area    - City 232. ... Nickname: City of Brotherly Love, Philly, the Cradle of Liberty, the City That Loves You Back, the Quaker City, The Birthplace of America Motto: Philadelphia maneto - Let brotherly love continue Location in Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States State Pennsylvania County Philadelphia Founded October 27, 1682 Incorporated October 25, 1701 Mayor...

The back cover is an overhead shot of the four members looking up at the camera, with Proctor standing on Austin's foot.

Inside the gatefold of the album there are eight posed photos representing various scenes from "The Further Adventures Of Nick Danger."

The album Not Insane or Anything You Want To is the next to make use of some of the characters introduced on this album. Not Insane or Anything You Want To is the sixth album released by The Firesign Theatre on Columbia Records. ...

The phone call that Nick Danger answers immediately after he steps into his office is placed by George Tirebiter on the group's next album, Don't Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me the Pliers. Dont Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me the Pliers is The Firesign Theatres third comedy recording for Columbia Records. ...

In many interviews Phil Austin has said that the script for "Nick Danger" was primarily inspired by the 1950s radio detective show Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar. Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar was a radio drama about a freelance insurance investigator that aired from February, 1949 to September 30, 1962 on CBS. There were 811 episodes in the 12 year run and over 720 still exist today. ...

In the early 1970s a pizza parlor opened in Madison, Wisconsin named "Rocky Rococo's." (The character's name was possibly inspired by the Beatles song Rocky Raccoon.) It has now become a major midwestern chain [1]. There doesn't seem to be any direct relationship to the character in Nick Danger, apart from the name. The Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 as part of their first tour of the United States, promoting their first hit single there, I Want To Hold Your Hand. ... Rocky Raccoon is a Beatles song, from double-disc album The Beatles (also known as The White Album). ...

There are also quite a few bars around the United States named Nick Danger's. There is clothing line^[2] called "Nick Danger", as well as a garage band, a porno star, a site about board games (now defunct)^[3], and a radio DJ^[4] all using the name. DJ or dj may stand for Disc jockey, dinner jacket The DeadJournal website, or Djibouti. ...

References

1. ^ CD Liner Notes by David Ossman
2. ^ Cloting Line web site
3. ^ Planet Proctor newsletter
4. ^ Radio DJ Obit

External links

• Firesign Theatre. Firesign Theatre. 19 Jan. 2006 <http://www.firesigntheatre.com/>.
• Firesign Theatre. How Can You Be in Two Places at Once When You're Not Anywhere at All. Columbia Records, 1969.
• "FIREZINE: Linques!." Firesign Theatre FAQ. 20 Jan. 2006 <http://firezine.net/faq/>.
• Marsh, Dave, and Greil Marcus. "The Firesign Theatre." The New Rolling Stone Record Guide. Ed. Dave Marsh and John Swenson. New York: Random House, 1983. 175-176.
• Smith, Ronald L. The Goldmine Comedy Record Price Guide. Iola: Krause, 1996.