The album Fighting Clowns is released by radio comedy troupe Firesign Theatre, a collection of comedy pieces (many recorded in concert) that are more musical than verbal, and rooted in political issues surrounding the 1980 presidential campaign. 
One of the Firesigns said it best in this CD’s liner notes when he noted that the Republican reign of the 1980s, along with the advent of yuppies and generally wide-spread consumer greed, was not the kind of atmosphere in which the Firesign Theatre could ever hope to flourish. He was absolutely right. The exact words used were anti-surrealist politics, and it’s certainly fitting. The Firesigns sounded hopelessly out of place as they grasped for an 80s perspective on things. Though they’re still amusing, the best material here are the musical interludes, not the sketch comedy, and even so, pieces such as the hard-rocking song “Violent Juvenile Freaks” and the hysterical swinging tune “Hey, Reagan” just aren’t up to the standards that I associate with the Firesigns. It was definitely time for a rest.
written by and starring Phil Austin, Peter Bergman, David Ossman and Phil Proctor
- The Bozos Song (5:46)
- The Four Gobs (4:31)
- The 8 Shoes (1:44)
- In the Hot Tub (3:11)
- Hey, Reagan (3:37)
- In the War Zone (1:47)
- Oh, Afghanistan (4:02)
- In the Alley (1:35)
- Violent Juvenile Freaks (4:22)
- In the Hot Tub, Again (1:45)
- This Bus Won’t Go To War (3:36)
- Jimmy Carter (bonus track) (2:51)
Released by: Mobile Fidelity
Release date: 1980
Total running time: 38:47
2000 music review by Earl Green