album · September 1, 1965
That Was the Year That Was
Big Buzz ProductionsSee this day
singer-songwriterfolk
This 1965 live album captures Lehrer in a rare moment of public performance, offering sharp, witty commentary on the year's events. It stands as a singular document of his satirical style outside of his studio recordings.
- The album was recorded live at the hungry i club in San Francisco. It features songs that were topical to 1965, including "You've Got to Be Carefully Taught" from South Pacific, which Lehrer uses to critique racial segregation. The album reached number 16 on the Billboard Top LPs chart.
- The album's satirical content, particularly its takes on politics and social issues, was notable for its time. Many of the songs were written specifically for this live performance and had not been previously recorded.
- Lehrer famously retired from public performance and recording shortly after this album's release, making it one of his last major works.
Tom Lehrer is a singer-songwriter and satirist known for his topical and often controversial songs. "That Was the Year That Was" was released late in his recording career, after a period of relative quiet.
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