I Am the Greatest!

I Am the Greatest! Artist: Cassius Clay
Label: Sony
Category: Music


Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1


UPC: 074646536025
EAN: 0074646536025
ASIN: B00000JT3K


Release Date: 1999-09-07

I Am the Greatest!


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Tracks:

  1. Round 1: I Am The Greatest
  2. Round 2: I Am The Double Greatest
  3. Round 3: Do You Have To Ask?
  4. Round 4: 'I Have Written A Drama,' He Said Playfully
  5. Round 5: Will The Real Sonny Liston Please Fall Down
  6. Round 6: Funny You Should Ask
  7. Round 7: 2138
  8. Round 8: The Knockout
  9. Round 9: Afterpiece: (See Round 1)
  10. I Am The Greatest (Single)
  11. Stand By Me
  12. The Gang's All Here

Amazon.com

Cassius Clay had yet to win the heavyweight championship or, indeed, to change his name when this 1963 recording was made. Incredibly young sounding, he's at his best here when making swipe after verbal swipe at Sonny Liston, both in verse and in (scripted?) answers to audience questions. One silly sketch ("'I Have Written a Drama,' He Said Playfully") isn't up to the solo spots, but even that hardly disrupts the record's giddy tone. This reissue of a once-rare LP, augmented by several other hard-to-find sides, is a must for Muhammad Ali fans, American Studies scholars, and anyone else who seeks further illumination of the Greatest's self-mocking but total confidence. <I>--Rickey Wright</I>

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars He is the greatest........2005-01-19

This spoken word album was recorded by Cassius Clay before he became Muhammad Ali, and even before he became World Heavyweight Champion. It's pretty entertaining stuff, with Clay reading poetry and bragging about how great he is. The album was recorded in front of a live audience, and their laughter and applause definitely helps out with the atmosphere. The CD includes three bonus tracks tracks. The single version of "I am the Greatest" is shorter than the album version, plus it is set to music. "Stand By Me" is Clay's legendary "Golden Throats" version of the Ben E. King's classic. "The Gang's All Here" is a previously unreleased recording of Clay leading a sing-along. Fans of Muhammad Ali should really enjoy this CD.

5 out of 5 stars Hang on to your sides-Mighty funny stuff!.......2001-10-18

Even those unfamiliar with boxing or the topical events of the time cannot help but roar at most of the humor in this as the former Mr. Clay delivers a series of hilarious rhymes about his modesty (or lack thereof) and likelihood of beating then-champ Sonny Liston. Ali would have made a great comedian. The added bonues is that he's just as funny when he tries to sing. His attempt to sing Ben E. King's "Stand By Me" straight with his incredibly hoarse voice and poor timing is hilarious! Ditto for his Beatle-esque, raucous version of "The Gang's All Here" celebrating his victory over Sonny Liston (check out the Paul McCartney-like WHOOOO! in the backgound on this one).

This one will have Ali fans rolling on the floor in laughter. Those who are not in the know may also find this amusing. Enjoy!

4 out of 5 stars For the Ali fan only.......2001-07-16

If you are a devoted Ali fan, you need this. Aside from the importance to the collector, it really IS quite funny. Definitely a kind of pre-rap. You might think this kind of endless bragging would be obnoxious, but he keeps it entertaining. If you aren't an Ali fan or boxing fan, you won't like it. But admirers of "The Greatest" will find this bringing back memories(and encouraging them to pop in the Clay-Liston fight).

5 out of 5 stars Very Entertaining.......2000-06-24

Before He Became Muhammad ALI He was Cassius Clay.this is a Trip Disc.if Rap Music had have been Popular in the 60's then he would have been ahead of his game.maybe he wouldn't have boxed? Cuz He Could Flow On The Mic as Tight as He Could In The Ring.But Thank Goodness He Stayed in The Ring&Was a Voice of F.R.E.E.D.O.M.HE IS THE GREATEST.this is very essential too ANy ALI FAN.

4 out of 5 stars

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  2. Soulages ~ Lazy Sunday Dream
  3. Trace ~ Trace
  4. Shredology/Midwest Shredfest ~ Joe Stump
  5. The Devil Isn't Red ~ Hella
  6. Come On, Let's Go ~ Ritchie Valens
  7. Joe "King" Carrasco ~ Joe "King" Carrasco
  8. Mindstalking ~ Lunascape
  9. Aztec Discipline ~ The Kingsbury Manx
  10. Led Zeppelin I

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Can You Feel It ~ Positive Flow, Donna Gardier

Involvement ~ John Klemmer

The Best of Mel Torme: Blues in the Night ~ Mel Torme

Acker Bilk in Holland ~ Acker Bilk

Django ~ Modern Jazz Quartet

Louisiana Blues ~ Muddy Waters

Canconer Electromagnetic ~ Quimi Portet

Ich Halt'nen Platz Im ~ Ted Herold

Teen Beat Tequila-Golden ~ Various Artists

Play John Mclaughlin & Astor Piazzolla ~ Pascal Bournet, Enrique Alberti