Automobile Honeymoon: An American Heritage Album

Automobile Honeymoon: An American Heritage Album

1977

American Heritage Records (I guess...Doesn't really say...)

Format I Own it on: Vinyl

Track Listing: 1. On an Automobile Honeymoon  2. The Little Ford Rambled Right Along  3. Tumble in a Rumble Seat  4. Henry's Made a Lady Out of Lizzie  5. Ray and His Little Chevrolet  6. Git a Horse  7. I'm Wild About Horns on Automobiles that Go "Ta-Ta-Ta"  8. He'd Have to Get Under-Get Out and Get Under  9. Take Me Out For a Joy Ride  10. Keep Away from the Fellow Who Owns an Automobile  11. When He Wanted to Love Her (He Would Put Up the Cover)  12. In My Merry Oldsmobile



Presumably, this album was issued through American Heritage magazine, who often covers this exact sort of old-timey Americana stuff...

"Automobile Honeymoon" is a collection of turn-of-the-century automobile songs that likely elicited a chortle or two out of fancy gentlemen with top hats and monocles back in the early 1900's...

 I was hoping for some more megaphone action, but it turns out these aren't original recordings...The songs were re-recorded in the late 70's...Some of these tunes are so old there might not even be original versions...They were probably sold as sheet music or something for Uncle Pantybloom to play on the tack piano at the public house...

...but this works just fine, since they use period-appropriate instruments and styles...For example, "I'm Wild About Horns on Automobiles that Go "Ta-Ta-Ta"" isn't turned into a hip-shaking disco  track or anything, so even with the crystal-clear recording quality it seems authentic enough...

The common theme among many of the songs is the idea that guys are only using their cars to get girls in compromising positions...So kids, when your parents go on and on about how songs nowadays only talk about sex, sex, sex and it wasn't like that back in their day, you can point them to "When He Wanted to Love Her (He Would Put Up the Cover)." But be warned, they might fire back with, "Oh yea? Well you didn't see Al Jolson riding a wrecking ball naked!"  At that point, you've encountered a dangerous cultural worm hole and it's best to exit the premises immediately...

 Oh yea, you're probably wondering why this album is in the collection...The answer is pretty simple...

Jens and I were watching the Ken Burns documentary "Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip" and in the film they kept playing "He'd Have to Get Under-Get Out and Get Under," which was on everyone's ipod a hundred years ago... The song has a way of burrowing deep into your head and it's very difficult to get out once it's in there...Sort of like the 1913 version of "Axel F."




So I think it was the combination of the Ken Burns documentary and a long-time fascination with the  "Monsters of Megaphone" sketch from Mr. Show, that made the record a mandatory purchase when we found it at the "Double Nickels Collective"...

Well, it's about time to give the ol' Victrola a couple of cranks...

...and listen to "He'd Have to Get Under-Get Out and Get Under,"...Enjoy...