The King Of Country Comedy (Lost Gold, 1998)

There are still some country music humorists around, such as Cletus P. Judd. But in the 1960's, there were a lot more of these people, and some actually got steady radio play. Nesbitt was probably the leader in actual chart success, with 13 charted singles, 5 of which made the Top 20. Most are included among the 20 tracks on this new compilation of Nesbitt's vintage material.

There are parodies like his first hit "Please Mr. Kennedy" (to the tune of "The Ballad Of Davy Crockett") and his last "Running Bare" ("Running Bear"). When Nesbitt sings, you know why he became a comic. There are more traditional comedy routines like "Phone Call From The Devil." There are a bunch of tracks that fall loosely into the talking blues genre, including his biggest hit, "Looking for More In '64," That one had a steady stream of annual sequels, many of which charted, though only one, "Clean The Slate In '68," made this album.

Nesbitt's more topical humor is obviously dated, and the rest is not everyone's cup of tea. But for connoisseurs of the genre, or for those seeking an historical curio, Nesbitt was indeed one of the best.