Evening Wasted with Tom Lehrer

by Richie UnterbergerOn Tom Lehrer's second studio album, he got a little more daring and biting, particularly on "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park," "The Masochism Tango," and "We Will All Go Together When We Go." Six years, after all, had elapsed since his 1953 debut, and social mores had loosened, if only a little. There's also one of his most well-known pieces, "It Makes a Fellow Proud to Be a Soldier." Lehrer made the unusual decision to record an identical set of material live the same year, issuing that as An Evening Wasted with Tom Lehrer. The live record might be a tad preferable for its slightly more freewheeling ambience. In any case, both More of Tom Lehrer and An Evening Wasted with Tom Lehrer are included in their entirety on the Rhino box set The Remains of Tom Lehrer.