STUCK IN THE VINYL AGAIN - THE FIRESIGN THEATRE - DON'T CRUSH THAT DWARF, HAND ME THE PLIERS

[maggot]

Good Tuesday morning to you all and welcome back to another edition of Stuck In The Vinyl Again. Today we celebrate the 86th Birthday of Santa Monica, California native, writer, comedian, and producer, David Ossman, best known for his work in the comedy troupe, The Firesign Theatre. With him in mind, we spotlight the group's third comedy album, Don't Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me The Pliers. The LP was released July 22, 1970 on Columbia Records and produced by The Firesign Theatre with Bill Driml. It 1971 it was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation and in 2005 it was added to the National Recording Registry. The disc consists of two sides, one labeled "This Side" and the other, "The Other Side" and on those sides contain the story of the five ages of a man, named after a dog, named George Tirebiter (played by Ossman). 

Those five ages are : 

Tirebiter the Child, called Peorge or Peorgie
Tirebiter the College student, called George Tirebiter Camden N200-R
Tirebiter the Soldier, called Lt. Tirebiter
Tirebiter the Actor, called Dave Casman
Tirebiter the Old Man, called George Leroy Tirebiter

George was a child actor who spends his time watching himself on television and the plot is furthered by excerpts from the fictional movies George is watching. 

The Firesign Theater gets it's name from the astrological signs of it's four members: 

Peter Bergman (Sagittarius), Philip Proctor (Leo), Phil Austin (Aries), and David Ossman (Sagittarius).

The cover art by Robert Grossman, features caricatures of the four members riding their respective astrological animals ( ram, lion, Satyrs or Centaurs). Our copy does contain the full color 2'X3' poster of polaroids of the troupe members.

Side one
"This Side" – 22:16

Side two
"The Other Side" – 24:12

The Firesign Theatre:

Phil Austin
Peter Bergman
David Ossman
Phil Proctor

with:

Anna-Lee Austin - spoken parts ("Wake-Up Lady and Bird Stylings")

"Thaddeus Warrick and the Mindermast Mental Music Hall One-Man Sympathy Orchestra"

"The St. Louis Aquarium Choraleers" (including Anna-Lee Austin, Jane Dansie, Tiny Ossman, Elisabeth Plumb, John Kinick and Cathleen O'Mara)

"The Android Sisters"

Production - The Firesign Theatre with Bill Driml

Production of "Shoes For Industry" (segment early on side two) - James William Guercio

Cover art - Robert Grossman

Back cover photos - John Rose, Elisabeth Plumb