A Child's Garden of Grass

July 2, 2012 6:51 PM

Jack S. Margolis's A Child's Garden of Grass (A Pre-Legalization Comedy). This is the 1971 audio companion to the book of the same name. It's a cult-classic sketch-comedy album which reads like the user's manual to marijuana, and features members of the Firesign Theatre.
posted by not_on_display (28 comments total)

I'm goin' to the store.
posted by not_that_epiphanius at 6:54 PM on July 2, 2012

For some coke.
posted by not_that_epiphanius at 6:54 PM on July 2, 2012 [1 favorite]

If you like this you'll probably also like "How To Speak Hip". One of the creators is Del Close, an elder statesman to a generation of improver's, and specifically the United Citizens Brigade. You might have read about his skull previously.
posted by benito.strauss at 7:04 PM on July 2, 2012

Oh my lord, I remember that book! It was hilarious! I guess I must have read it when it was new. (I hadn't yet actually smoked grass at that point.)
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 7:13 PM on July 2, 2012

any madlib/dilla fans know this
posted by 12bits at 7:14 PM on July 2, 2012

When I was a young teen, my boyfriend and I used to listen to this. I assume it came from an older sibling. We played it over and over....it was incredibly funny.
posted by alltomorrowsparties at 7:46 PM on July 2, 2012

We shall take over the world with Om Yellimon!
posted by INFOHAZARD at 8:39 PM on July 2, 2012 [1 favorite]

Have the book, have the vinyl: it's part of my retirement diversification plan. :D
posted by Alles at 8:41 PM on July 2, 2012 [2 favorites]

Oh my lord, I remember that book! It was hilarious! I guess I must have read it when it was new.

Yes I got it when it came out too, must still have it somewhere. I remember trying honey sliders when my parents were out one night... can't remember anything after that though..
posted by snaparapans at 9:22 PM on July 2, 2012

Have the book, never knew there was a record. Very cool.
posted by hippybear at 9:55 PM on July 2, 2012

Yow, don't believe those prices for the LP at Amazon; they're insane. It's a really common record that goes regularly for under $10 on eBay.
posted by mediareport at 10:14 PM on July 2, 2012

(oh, ok, that's the CD. Guess there aren't many of those.)
posted by mediareport at 10:16 PM on July 2, 2012

We shall take over the world with Om Yellimon!

Also, "listening to music while stoned is a whole new world ... "
posted by philip-random at 11:21 PM on July 2, 2012

Discogs

I had a copy of the vinyl a long time ago that I gave to my buddy Steve since I didn't have a turntable because I was superduper poor. He happened to have a copy of the book as well, so it was extra fun.

I think we were surprised at how really funny it was - especially since most pot humor seems to stop at "HEY! WE ARE TALKING ABOUT MARIJUANA AND GETTING HIGH LOL!" as if the reference enough is enough for it to be funny.
posted by louche mustachio at 3:06 AM on July 3, 2012

Weirdly, I don't recall clocking the Firesign alumni. which would have made a lot of sense.


Then again, it is entirely possible I might have been a teensy bit high.
posted by louche mustachio at 3:09 AM on July 3, 2012

I had this book. Far out! That's where I learned to make a Jefferson Airplane (roach clip made by separating halves of a paper match) and a steamboat. I never did figure out how much a "lid" is , though.
posted by thelonius at 5:50 AM on July 3, 2012

Oh man, I got that book from my dad way back in high school! Still holds pride of place on my bookshelf. Had no idea there was an album.
posted by Maaik at 6:04 AM on July 3, 2012

. . . and you grab that grass and you FLEE.
posted by mygothlaundry at 6:28 AM on July 3, 2012 [1 favorite]

"I never did figure out how much a "lid" is , though."

My understanding is that it is generally around an oz. and called a lid because it was the amount that would fit in a tin of tobacco.

I really wish I could listen to this right now, but given the people involved, I'm pretty sure I'd get fired for violating the strict "No Laughing and/or Fun and/or Games" policy at my workplace.
posted by nTeleKy at 7:07 AM on July 3, 2012

My friend found a copy of this in a used record store back in the 90s, and we listened to it over and over again. Freaking high-larious.
posted by vibrotronica at 8:09 AM on July 3, 2012

hippybear: "Have the book, never knew there was a record. Very cool."

Indeed. I just came across this book while digging through the attic. Want a shot of nostalgia? "A lid of pot." You are welcome.
posted by Splunge at 11:54 AM on July 3, 2012

Government-sponsored study destroys DEA’s classification of marijuana
posted by homunculus at 4:01 PM on July 3, 2012

"I never did figure out how much a "lid" is , though."

I thought a lid was a 3- or 4-finger bag of pot, meaning you take one of the sandwich bags available at the time (no ziplocs in the 60s!) and you put pot into it and measured the depth of it with the fingers on your hand. It's more a measure of volume than of weight. The old hippies I've hung out with talked mostly about 3-finger lids.
posted by hippybear at 7:06 AM on July 4, 2012

I thought a lid was a 3- or 4-finger bag of pot,....

My experience was that it is/was vernacular for an ounce. I never met a distributor who did not use a scale. Friends, well, that was another thing..
posted by snaparapans at 9:30 AM on July 4, 2012

I never met a distributor who did not use a scale.

Yes... but were you purchasing marijuana in 1971?
posted by hippybear at 10:38 AM on July 4, 2012

Yes...
posted by snaparapans at 10:57 AM on July 4, 2012

nyc..
posted by snaparapans at 10:58 AM on July 4, 2012

I'm going to the store...
posted by not_on_display at 8:36 PM on July 4, 2012 [1 favorite]