friends and I used to play an invented parlor game called the Worst Records Never Made. The point was to hypothesize the most stunningly inappropriate albums we could imagine-pairings of artists and material so horrific that even the famously dunderheaded major labels would hardly consider making them. Most of our inspirations have been lost to memory, but the notion of discs like Yodel with the Berlin Philharmonic, The Three Tenors Sing Gilbert and Sullivan, and-my favorite-The Chipmunks Present Your Favorite Spirituals can still inspire what P. G. Wodehouse used to call the raised eyebrow
In his book "Parallel Play," Tim Page reminisces about a parlor game he and friends created called "the Worst Records Never Made." The game involved imagining ridiculous and inappropriate albums that would be deemed too outrageous for major record labels to produce. Although many of the original ideas have been forgotten, some amusing concepts remain vivid, such as unlikely combinations of artists and genres that evoke a sense of incredulity.
Page highlights examples like "Yodel with the Berlin Philharmonic," which pairs an unusual style with a prestigious orchestra, and "The Chipmunks Present Your Favorite Spirituals," which showcases a jarring contrast between childhood innocence and serious themes. These humorous pairings reflect creativity and absurdity, stimulating laughter and disbelief, much like the literary works of P. G. Wodehouse that can provoke a raised eyebrow in amusement.
