''The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart'' is a 1960 live album by comedian

Bob Newhart George Robert Newhart (born September 5, 1929) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his deadpan and slightly stammering delivery style. Newhart came to prominence in 1960 when his album of comedic monologues, ''The Button-Down Mi ...

. Recorded at the Tidelands Club in Houston, Texas by recording engineer Bill Holford, Newhart's debut album reached #1 on the '' Billboard'' Mono Action Albums chart (later the ''Billboard'' 200) on August 1, 1960, and remained at the top for 14 weeks. The album stayed on the chart for two years, selling over 600,000 copies near release and ranking as the 20th best-selling album of all time on the Billboard charts. It won Album of the Year at the 1961 Grammy Awards, where Newhart was named

Best New Artist The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967. The official guidelines are as ...

; it was the first comedy album to win Album of the Year and the only time a comedian had won Best New Artist. Newhart wanted the title to be ''The Most Celebrated New Comedian Since Attila the Hun'', but Warner Bros. executives created the album's title and Newhart had to settle for his idea as a subtitle. The album was a 2006 entry into the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library ...

National Recording Registry The National Recording Registry is a list of sound recordings that "are culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States." The registry was established by the National Recording Preservati ...

In popular culture

Pete Campbell listens to the album in ''

Mad Men ''Mad Men'' is an American period drama television series created by Matthew Weiner and produced by Lionsgate Television. It ran on the cable network AMC from July 19, 2007, to May 17, 2015, lasting for seven seasons and 92 episodes. Its f ...

Season 1 Season One may refer to: Albums * ''Season One'' (Suburban Legends album), 2004 * ''Season One'' (All Sons & Daughters album), 2012 * ''Season One'' (Saukrates album), 2012 See also * * * Season 2 (disambiguation) * Season 4 (disambiguati ...

, Episode 4, "New Amsterdam". In the pilot episode of ''

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel ''The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel'' is an American period comedy-drama television series, created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, that premiered on March 17, 2017, on Amazon Prime Video. Set in the late 1950s and early 1960s, it stars Rachel Brosnahan as ...

'', Joel Maisel performs routines from the album at a cafe, passing them off as his own work. This is

anachronistic An anachronism (from the Greek , 'against' and , 'time') is a chronological inconsistency in some arrangement, especially a juxtaposition of people, events, objects, language terms and customs from different time periods. The most common type ...

, as the episode is set in 1958, two years before the album was released.

Track listing

1. "

Abe Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation throu ...

vs. Madison Avenue" – 7:31 An ad man convinces President Lincoln not to change the text of the

Gettysburg Address The Gettysburg Address is a speech that U.S. President Abraham Lincoln delivered during the American Civil War at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery, now known as Gettysburg National Cemetery, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on the ...

. 2. "The Cruise of the U.S.S. ''Codfish''" – 5:01 The captain of a

nuclear submarine A nuclear submarine is a submarine powered by a nuclear reactor, but not necessarily nuclear-armed. Nuclear submarines have considerable performance advantages over "conventional" (typically diesel-electric) submarines. Nuclear propulsion, ...

reflects on the crew's disastrous voyage. 3. "Merchandising the Wright Brothers" – 3:12 A new product corporation helps Orville Wright market the brand-new

airplane An airplane or aeroplane (informally plane) is a fixed-wing aircraft that is propelled forward by thrust from a jet engine, Propeller (aircraft), propeller, or rocket engine. Airplanes come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and wing configurat ...

to potential passengers. 4. "The Krushchev Landing Rehearsal" – 4:47 A

television director A television director is in charge of the activities involved in making a television program or section of a program. They are generally responsible for decisions about the editorial content and creative style of a program, and ensuring the prod ...

runs through a rehearsal of Kruschchev's arrival to the United States. 5. "Driving Instructor" – 8:03 A

driving instructor A driving instructor is a person who is hired by a new driver who is learning how to improve their skills - often for an upcoming practical test. Different countries have different rules regarding permits and other regulations. Driving instructors ...

risks life and limb when he has a woman named Mrs. Webb for a student. 6. "Nobody Will Ever Play

Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...

" – 3:21 A game manufacturer ridicules

Abner Doubleday Abner Doubleday (June 26, 1819 – January 26, 1893) was a career United States Army officer and Union major general in the American Civil War. He fired the first shot in defense of Fort Sumter, the opening battle of the war, and had a p ...

's invention of

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...

as overly complicated.

References

Bob Newhart live albums Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients Grammy Award for Album of the Year United States National Recording Registry recordings 1960 live albums Warner Records live albums 1960s comedy albums 1960s spoken word albums Stand-up comedy albums United States National Recording Registry albums {{comedy-album-stub