Woody Allen Comes To Razor & Tie

RAZOR & TIE TO RELEASE WOODY ALLEN’S LEGENDARY STAND UP MATERIAL FROM THE 1960’S ON NOVEMBER 25

2 DISC SET INCLUDES EXCLUSIVE MATERIAL FROM THE ORIGINAL VINYL RECORDINGS AS WELL AS BONUS RECORDINGS NOT AVAILABLE PREVIOUSLY

On November 25, Razor & Tie is set to release Woody Allen’s The Stand Up Years. The two-disc set will include exclusive material from the original vinyl recordings not available on any previous reissues from this legendary comedian, as well as 25-minutes of audio excerpts from Woody Allen: A Documentary. In this bonus content, Allen exclusively discusses his life and experiences in stand-up, offering a compelling glimpse into a fascinating part of his profound artistic life. Robert B. Weide, who produced and directed Woody Allen: A Documentary as well as Curb Your Enthusiasm, wrote the liner notes, presenting a remarkable essay that puts this era of Allen’s creative development into perspective.

“The preponderance of his stand up is delivered in the form of short stories — extended anecdotes with a premise, a through-line, and a conclusion,” says Weide. “There’s no shortage of laugh-lines along the way, but all are in service to the story, which plays to Allen’s stage persona. He has referred to his routines as “verbal cartoons” (meaning the animated kind, not the single panel), and listening to these recordings, it’s evident what he means. The bizarre first-person narratives couldn’t possibly happen to the flesh-and-blood Woody Allen, but it’s all quite credible for a cartoon Woody. The scenarios roll out as if from a memoir authored by Allen’s reflection in a fun-house mirror. If the opening line seems borderline plausible (“I shot a moose once…”), it’s only because your roller coaster car is being momentarily pulled to the top of the incline. But hold on, because after that first exhilarating drop, the thing just keeps picking up speed, then it’s one absurd twist and surreal turn after another. And you won’t see it coming.”

Much has been made, with good reason, of the prolific nature of Woody Allen’s output as a writer/director of motion pictures – a remarkably enduring career that began in earnest with the release ofTake the Money and Run in 1969 and includes 24 Academy Award nominations and four wins. What’s equally impressive is that by the time Allen’s career as a filmmaker was just hitting its stride, he had already spent most of the 1960’s as a highly successful and accomplished stand-up comedian. He easily could have ridden that wave for any number of years, if he hadn’t chosen the soundstage over the nightclub stage. Through the release ofWoody Allen: The Stand-up Years, fans can take a look back at when the legendary comic writer found his early voice and developed the character we came to know and love in some of the most celebrated films in history. This release is comprised of his three stand-up comedy albums, which were originally recorded and released between 1964 and 1968. With performances that hold up today as well as they did decades ago, this is a must-have for his long-time fans, and the next generation who have just recently discovered their first Woody Allen film.
“Usually stand-up comedy ages about as well as a tomato, becoming furred by quaintness after only a few years, let alone half a century.
Not so with Allen. Despite the flights of fancy that his stories take, Allen’s style is always relaxed and conversational, which is why it hasn’t dated.”
-The Guardian

Disc 1
Recorded Live at Mr. Kelly’s, Chicago, March 1964:
1. Private Life
2. Brooklyn
3. The Army
4. Pets
5. My Grandfather
6. My Marriage
7. Bullet In My Breast Pocket
8. N.Y.U.
9. A Love Story
10. The Police
11. Down South
12. Summing Up
Recorded Live at The Shadows, Washington D.C., April 1965:
13. The Moose
14. Kidnapped
15. Unhappy Childhood
16. The Science Fiction Film
17. Eggs Benedict
18. Oral Contraception
19. European Trip
20. The Lost Generation

Disc 2
Recorded Live at Eugene’s, San Francisco, August 1968:
21. The Vodka Ad
22. Vegas
23. Second Marriage
24. The Great Renaldo
25. Mechanical Objects
26. Questions and Answers
Bonus Material:
A Decade of Stand Up: Audio excerpts from Woody Allen: A Documentary
27. Mort Sahl – Changed the History of Comedy
28. The Rolls Royce of Management
29. Loyalty
30. The New Comic
31. The Village