The ultimate underground artist, Larry Wayne Fischer, or Wild Man Fischer (named by Solomon Burke), was a singer/songwriter from the late 60's.
A diagnosed schizophrenic, Wild Man Fischer was born on November 6th, 1944. Trying to stab his mother when he was 16, he was diagnosed and put in a mental institution. He left, only for his brother to take him back. And then he was let free, having to sing songs for a dime on the streets of L.A.
Frank Zappa saw him on the street and let him perform in his band. Fischer got an album produced by Zappa, An Evening with Wild Man Fischer, containing many of the songs he sang on the streets mixed with a few actual street performances. Frank fired him later after Larry threw a jar at his baby, Moon Unit.
Fischer performed the first single and album for Rhino Records, and performed two albums with Barnes and Barnes (of Fish Heads fame). He had a documentary made about him called Derailroaded, which has people such as Barnes and Barnes, Dr. Demento, Mark Mothersbaugh, "Weird Al" Yankovic, and Larry's brother discussing Larry's history. Larry later died in 2011.
"Merry-Trope-Round!":
- Badass Normal: The song "Why Am I Normal?"
- Broken Record: Larry on the Strip Again has a few:
- "YOU'RE INNNNNNNSSSSSSSSSSSAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNE!
- Hey! Hey I've got 'chur money!
- Continuity Nod: "Merry-Go-Round" is later referenced in "It's a Hard Business."
- Dance Sensation:
- "The Taster" urges the listener "Come on, let's do the Taster," praises the dance as being "As good as the Twister," and concludes "And that is how, how you do the Taster"—without ever explaining how the dance actually goes.
- "Merry-Go-Round" does provide rudimentary instructions for the dance ("It's very easy, just go up and down").
- Perfectly Cromulent Word: Fischer would sometimes make up words for the sake of a rhyme; in just one song ("The Taster"), he coined the words "grayster," "masting" (to rhyme with "tasting"), and "octer" (to rhyme with "doctor").
- Trademark Favorite Food: The directors commentary of Derailroaded said that his favorite drink was an Orange Bang.
- "You've got me thinking about the past, Frank."
