American

Controversial and confrontational comic Lenny Bruce did not have the best of years in 1961, being arrested for drug possession and later obscenity. The obscenity arrest (he was later acquitted) quickly worked its way into his act, for unlike most comedians Lenny Bruce did not tell jokes so much as develop routines about what was happening to and around him, further adding to his notoriety. In the immediate aftermath of the arrest, Fantasy released American, an album that drew upon his live performances for the previous three years. Whilst it does not contain any of the post-arrest material, it does provide an insight to the mind and workings of Lenny Bruce, comedian.