C.W. McCall - Greatest Hits
The linkage between consumerism and popular music finds a strange analogue in William Fries, a.k.a. C.W. McCall. Trained in graphic design and advertising, Fries invented his trucker persona while working on a bakery ad campaign and helped drive the trucker craze of the '70s with a slew of novelty tunes, few of which have aged very well. McCall described his delivery as a "walkin', talkin' singin' style," though emphasis always falls on his deadpan spoken wit. McCall never took himself seriously, and tunes like "Crispy Critters" and "'Round the World with the Rubber Duck" will inspire a laugh at just how weird the '70s could be.--Roy Kasten