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Comment by tomcam | Hacker News Reader

I’m his political opposite but find his body of work some of the most astounding I’ve ever heard. His melodies are timeless. He’s a near virtuoso on piano-if you take away the words, which are easily the best satirical lyrics in the English language-you will still have a great deal to enjoy. It is because of him that I simply can’t enjoy acts like the Capitol Steps or Owen Benjamin. Tom Lehrer simply said it all better six decades ago.

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Not sure what you might mean by his 'political opposite'; he had no time for any institution - left or right - which took itself too seriously. Equally happy to target folk-music-activists, The US Army, National Brotherhood Week, the Catholic church, censors, or pigeons. I mean, he certainly presented himself as liberal-minded, but also hugely dismissive of performative progressivism in a way that's, frankly, somewhat conservative. So I'm confused where you would place yourself that is 'opposite' that. What is the opposite of 'irreverent'?

I read his politics somewhat differently, as instinctually an FDR-era liberal. No time for 1960s liberal posturing precisely because politics is serious.

I mean, irreverent too. But not as a substitute for commitment to a cause.

There also used to be a show on PBS--someone Baker maybe? Too common a name and too long ago for the Google to ferret it out. Very much in the Tom Lehrer vein but with very occasional exceptions, just not in the same class.

Could you be thinking of Mark Russell?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Russell

Yes. Not sure where Baker came from other than both being fairly common names. He could be pretty funny and I remember watching him fairly regularly. As far as I can tell, he doesn't seem to have ever gotten around to publishing a "best of" collection (which I would buy) although there are mentions of plans here and there.

It's interesting that Russell himself is 85. I always saw him as "the next generation Lehrer", but he is actually the same generation.

Are you thinking of Mark Russell (http://markrussell.net)?

Capitol Steps still has something to contribute:

http://www.capsteps.com/lirty/

http://www.capsteps.com/lirty/jaula.html

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