Mason Williams’ name doesn’t get as much travel as it may have once. He has recorded many, many albums, is an accomplished guitarist, a stand-up comedian who once performed a piece called “Them Moose Goosers,” and as a comedy writer for television contributed the “Pat Paulson for President” running gag on the Smothers Brothers Show in the Sixties, as well as work for Saturday Night Live in the Seventies.

The thing is that you have no idea about the proper techniques for moose goosing, haven’t bothered with Saturday Night Live for years, and the only thing you can recall from what your parents said about the Smothers Brothers show was the slow, insidious creep of nehru jackets into their wardrobe. Can you dig it? Groovy.

But you do know Mason Williams anyhow, from this hit instrumental from his album The Mason Williams Phonograph Record (1968), although you might know it now as the tune Lenny asks Lisa Simpson to play after her nuclear power plant protest song.  Mason Williams Classical Gas

“Dental Plan!” “Lisa Needs Braces!”

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About the Author

Dw. Dunphy

Dw. Dunphy is a writer, artist, and musician. For Popdose he has contributed many articles that can be found in the site's archives. He also writes for New Jersey Stage, Musictap.net, Ultimate Classic Rock, and Diffuser FM. His music can be found at http://dwdunphy.bandcamp.com/.

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